Harbor View Resort Tournament Summary

What a way to kick off the Recycled Fish “On Ice” Tour!

We had a fantastic time at the Iowa Great Lakes, connecting with some of the best sticks in the Ice Belt. Our hat is off to Ryan Hale and everyone else who made this 2nd Annual event such a success. We are glad to have been a part of it.

For our part, the Angler Hospitality Station seemed to be well received, and we couldn’t have done it without the partnership of Grabber Handwarmers, Folgers Coffee Singles, Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate, and Coleman.

We were also giving out FoodSource Lures earthworms, and the FoodSource mealworms to everyone who took our Sportsman’s Stewardship Pledge. We heard many reports that the FoodSource earthworms were doing a fantastic job of tricking those finicky West Okoboji clear-water bluegills. A testimony to the power of protein.

Congratulations to all of the tournament participants. The top 11 positions included a payout, and top 20 were named at the conclusion of the event. Your top 5:

1st Place – Duane Schramm (also won “big fish”)
2nd Place – Don Cox
3rd Place – Scott Reed
4th Place – Shannon Green
5th Place – Eric Goodale

This was a bluegill tournament (many fish in the half-pound range caught) and although panfish are a fine choice for selective harvest, it’s good to know that these skilled anglers practiced catch and release. All fish were required to be weighed live (a 4 oz penalty for any dead fish) so fish were kept in buckets of water throughout the day.

If you were on the ice, chances are good that we took your photo. You can download your image here, or for a small donation, we’ll print and mail it to you. If you choose to download, there will be a small watermark with our logo – it is not present on printed images. All proceeds benefit stewardship, so be sure to get a photo, or just visit the gallery and get a better look at the event.

Here are some other highlights:

The weather was awesome, but Grabber handwarmers helped make sure that anglers stayed comfortable. Recycled Fish passed out free warmers at the Hospitality Station.

Guests enjoyed coffee and hot chocolate during both the pre-fish day on Saturday and the tournament day on Sunday. Special thanks to volunteer Tony Ruter, without whom the Hospitality Station would have been impossible.

“Howard the Duck” shows off a couple nice pre-fish bluegills.

Don’t even ask what’s going on here. Something about Mohawks, 1954, friends and “mojo.”

Coleman provided (among other things) ProCat heaters, which we ran inside our Coleman Event Tent. Anglers, including those not in the tournament, came in to warm chilly hands.

We left the event with new members from four states! Contestants stood up as stewards by taking the Sportsman’s Stewardship Pledge. Everyone who took the Pledge also received a handful of gifts, including FoodSource Lures mealworms.

Folgers Coffee Singles and Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate were on tap.

Reusable cups and mugs mean less waste, and we were impressed at all the veterans of the ice who had their own. For those who didn’t, we sold Recycled Fish mugs for $3 and provided 100% recyclable (non-styrofoam) hot cups at no charge.

Stewardship Tip: Keep a reusable bottle, cup or mug handy, and use it at work, convenience stores, coffee shops, fast food, or wherever you might grab a drink on the go. Millions of disposable cups are used every day, and they not only create waste, but making them consumes energy that creates pollution – a trouble to our lakes, streams and seas.

We welcomed all anglers, not just those in the tournament, and we were happy to get visits from many of the other folks out on Little Emerson Bay for a day of fishing.

Tournament morning – contestants lined up and wired to fish.

Gin clear water on West Okoboji allows for sight fishing like few other places. Cut the glare, and you can watch fish come in – sniff – and either take or refuse your bait. It’s heart-pounding fishing, and these fish are smart!

Tournament director (and proud dad) Ryan Hale with his boy Cole, who had a top 20 finish.

Eric “Goody” Goodale not only took 5th place, he also made his way around the ice during the pre-fish day to interview anglers and assemble an article that will appear in Iowa Sportsman Magazine.