Around the clock and around the nation
Why did anglers from Minnesota to Georgia, Pennsylvania to Nebraska fish for 24 hours straight?
Our lakes, streams and seas are in trouble. It is the result of many things, from over-consuming water to over-harvest of fish to pollution to invasive species. Many of the main issues come from problems in our broader environment because our “lifestyle runs downstream.”
Anglers – people who love to fish – are the first to notice, because we spend time on the water observing our surroundings. Problems in our environment often show up first in our waters – it all runs downstream. We’re doing something about it with the 24 Hour Fish-A-Thon.
We’re standing up as not just users of our natural resources, but as stewards. We’re raising the flag for simple things anybody can do to ensure healthy waters for fish and wildlife – and for each of us.
On September 18 & 19 2009, the Recycled Fish Angler-Ambassador teams below fished for 24 hours straight. Each of them highlighted a different issue facing our fisheries, and something any of us can do to solve it.
Anglers fished in teams both for safety and also so to catch-photo-release each fish for documentation purposes in a way that minimizes fish handling and out-of-water time for the fish.
Each angler team also competed to see who can catch more and bigger fish using the Angling Masters Fish Calculator. While there are problems with our waters, there are still amazing experiences to be had on them, which is a big part of the story.
Congratulations to Jim & Gary Miller, who fished Czechland Lake in Nebraska! They were our top fundrasing team (over $1600) and also caught more and bigger fish than anyone else. They won a trip to Spring Bay Resort on Lake Vermillion, Minnesota.
Because a team can only win one top prize, the team of Josh & Kevin Workman fishing at Gavin’s Point Dam slid into the top slot for the fishing challenge. They will head to Texas to fish Lake Amistad with PAA Pro Angler Kurt Dove!
Every angler practiced catch and release, cleaned up the areas they were fishing in, and used SAFE Angling gear like single barbless hooks and non-toxic lead alternative weights. This is about more than fishing, it’s about leaving something great for generations to come.
And then there are prizes
Winners chose among these three grand Prize Packages: A Trip of a Lifetime to fish for the day with one of three PAA Pro Anglers
Not many people will ever say they fished with a Elite Pro, but Kevin and Josh Workman from Nebraska will.
Smith Mountain Reservoir in Virginia with John Crews and Table Rock Lake in Missouri with Brian Snowden would have both been great trips, but Josh and Kevin wanted to go to Texas, so they’ll fish Amistad Lake in Texas with Kurt Dove.
Our fundraising champs took Grand Prize Package #2: Escape to the North Woods with Spring Bay Resort on Lake Vermillion
We’re talking world record class muskies, trophy pike, smallmouth, walleye and a host of other species. A self-guided escape for two, four nights in one of the Spring Bay cabin, complete with boat and motor – and a travel allowance.
This trip is sketched in for Labor Day 2010. The hospitality, accommodations, and of course the fishing are second to none.
Have a look at the Spring Bay “Hall of Fame” photo gallery, and you’ll be wrecked for the rest of the day – fantasizing about the proportions of those fish.
A getaway at Spring Bay awaits the Millers!
Anglers also won prizes from Berkley, Patagonia, Tackle Boxes 2 Go, Frabill, and other Recycled Fish Partners.
So … you want to learn how to join us when we do it again in 2010?
Just e-mail Teeg Stouffer… fishrecycler[at]recycledfish[dot]org and say, “tell me more about Fish-A-Thon 2010!”
Have you taken the Recycled Fish Sportsman’s Stewardship Pledge? If not, it’s an easy way to advance the Stewardship Ethic. Catch and Release best practices and Selective Harvest are important, but conservation and stewardship of our waters means preventing the spread of invasive species, SAFE Angling or “green fishing,” and other angler ethics. The truth is, the stuff we do every day – even off the water – matters just as much, because our lifestyle runs downstream.
Stewardship Tips are available here.
