By all accounts, the event was a success. The guard camp beach was filled with families. Roger Wilcox served up hot dogs with all the fixings, chips and pop, using Pete the Greek Kocefas’ hot dog cart. Marshall Roe weighed in each fish while Len Bingert performed magic with his camera. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, moms, dads, toddlers and teenagers watched as Sandra Michalik announced the winners. Diane Bingert, Todd Wilcox and Doug Dodge handed out Skip’s gift certificates for first place prizes and ribbons for the rest. In the youngest age division, Grant Corlew, age 2 ½, won two first place prizes for his bass and sunfish. Gavin Frederick, age 5, won first place for his perch and Hunter Frederick won first place for his blue gill. All other youngsters received ribbons for honorable mention.
In the age bracket for 8-12 yr. olds, Karson Ulatowski, age 11, caught a 3 lb. 5 oz. bass, the largest fish of the day, and qualified for a first place prize. Ethan Karpinski, also 11 yrs. old, received a second place ribbon for a 1 lb. 6 oz. bass.
The teenagers did their share of catching as well. Elysia Petrie, age 16, caught the first place bass, weighing in at 2 lbs. 4 oz. Drake Shipman, age 14, placed second with a 1 lb. 9 oz. bass and Nick Petrie, age 14, placed third with his 1 lb. 6 oz. bass. Austin Sheppard, age 15, placed first with a 5 oz. blue gill and Drake had the first place perch of the day, weighing in at 6 oz. John Petrie placed second in the perch category and first in the sunfish category.
Brian Shipman expressed his thanks to the LMPOA for sponsoring the event and was pleased to see the joy on all of the young angler’s faces. “This is such a great idea. I hope it continues.”
Ken Michalik, a LMPOA member and another organizer of the event stated that the association does plan to hold the fishing derby as a yearly event on the DNR’s free fishing weekend in June. The LMPOA website is lakemargrethe.weebly.com and is the source for information regarding the lake and events.