Ice fishing tournament draws hearty anglers to state park
CUSTER - What motivates a few hearty souls to journey out on the ice in pursuit of fish?
For some, it is the fishing itself. But for others, it is chance to support a community organization.
With nearly 60 supporters competing, the Boy Scouts of America Black Hills Area Council held its second annual ice fishing tournament fundraiser on Saturday at Alexander Lake on the Medicine Mountain Scout Ranch north of Custer. The tournament pitted individuals and teams in a round-robin format, consisting of 45 minutes of fishing at each of six groupings of pre-drilled holes, while offering special prizes of up to $10,000 for tagged rainbow, brook, or brown trout.
"(The competitors) really enjoy (the format) because they get to fish more area," council president David Hyink said. "This is not the Bass Pro Tour or anything; we try to make this so that everyone can have a lot of fun and have a chance. If you are sitting on a ‘hot' hole, you've got to leave it after 45 minutes."
Rob Harrington took individual honors, with 92 inches on six caught-and-released fish and one purchased 12-inch "mulligan" for the "one that got away." Debbie Hildebrandt placed second with 82 inches.
"First trout of the season, so beginner's luck," Harrington said of the secret behind his winning catch, taken on mealworms.
Team "Trout On" of Hildebrandt and her sister- and brother-in-law, Beth and John Hildebrandt, won the Cabela's Trophy with a team-member average catch of 64 inches. Team "Sweden" of Harrington and Mike Halter finished second with an average of 57-1/2 inches.
"We're out here to support the Boy Scouts," Beth Hildebrandt said of her motivation. "Once a year at this fishing tournament, this is the only time I do it."
Paul Tedford's two 17-inch catches snagged honors for longest fish. No tagged fish were taken at the event, which raised funds from entry fees.
"(Funds) will go to a couple of things. One is the general operating budget for the Council, of which about 87 percent goes straight back into delivering programs for the boys, and we're up here in support of the camp," said Frank Moser, a council district director. "We're here to deliver programs, not just to boys, but also to the community. I'm not sure they realize how many thousands of hours the Boy Scouts put into the community. We're glad to see some people out here supporting us."
The tournament was sponsored by a number of Black Hills area businesses who provided monetary support and in-kind donations of tournament prizes, supplies, and food for the post-tournament meal.
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