Groundhog Lake RV Park and Campground did the Fourth of July weekend in style.
A list of events at Groundhog Lake included a tomahawk throw, hay rides, a horseshoe contest, music by Martin Ogas and Ralph Dinosaur, a Saturday night bonfire and fireworks, and a Sunday fishing tournament.
The inaugural Groundhog Lake RV Park and Campground trout fishing tournament went from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. All were welcome to participate in two classes, 15U and 16-older, in fishing boats and from the bank. Live baits, such as night crawlers, and artificial flies and lures were allowed.
Instead of the traditional bass tournament format of catching the most fish one can in the time allotted for the top live weigh-in, the Groundhog Lake trout tournament was based on the allowed maximum of four fish to be caught. The trout weigh-in was not a live one. Whoever had the most weight after four fish won.
This is trout. Trout dont stay alive very easy. Its a different kind of a situation, as far as weigh-in, Groundhog Lake trout tournament coordinator Mike Carver said. This one (trout tournament) is just to try and get people to show up, and do some more tournament fishing in a sense.
Sixteen people entered the trout tournament at Groundhog Lake, which houses rainbow, cutthroat, German brown and brook trout. Everyone who competed took home a prize, while the top three were awarded cash as well. A big fish category was in the contest for trout more than 22.5 inches long, but no one caught any that big.
Marie Sage, co-owner of On the Hook Bait & Tackle Shop, located at 100 E. Main St., was eager to fish in this tournament, and she took to the open water on her fishing boat with husband Lester Sage. Marie trolled using cowbell lures with liter that had a hook tied on with a worm. The tactic worked for Marie Sage, as the avid trout angler reeled in four rainbows that weighed in at 3 pounds, 6 ounces to win her first fishing tournament.
Ever since they (Groundhog Lake personnel) came into the store (On the Hook Bait & Tackle Shop) and told us they were having a tournament, Ive been wanting to fish in one, said Marie Sage. You cant enter the bass ones unless youre a (Bass Masters) member. Im not good at catching bass. Im better at catching trout for some reason.
Marie Sage won a first-place blue ribbon, $80, and took home additional prizes donated by sponsors.
Nathan Hartado and Lorinda McDonald rounded out the top three of the 16-older class with catches of 3 pounds, 5 ounces, and 2 pounds, 7 ounces.
Ben Miller was the only contestant in the 15U class.
Carver and Groundhog Lake RV Park and Campground co-owner/manager Bonnie Candelaria thought the first annual trout tournament was successful and plan to continue it in the future. They may make adjustments to the trout tournament that they deem necessary.
This year we did an unmarked (fish) tournament, which is easier to track, Candelaria said. A marked one, you have to buy insurance to get that marked fish and its (worth) a large dollar amount. I think I might want to look into that. I think that might be exciting.
Candelaria said the trout tournament might also not be on Fourth of July weekend next year, and that it might be in the spring or fall instead because fishing is better then.
In addition to the Groundhog Lake RV Park and Campground, other trout tournament sponsors were Candelaria Construction, Montezuma Dolores Title Co., House of Carpets, Mountain Hair Co., McStone Aggregates, Keesee Motors, Dolores Liquor Store, Vic and Jeannie Hodges, Stone Sand and Gravel, First National Bank, Dolores State Bank, Riverside Convenience Store, Outdoor Connections, DeVena Branson, ProBuild, T. Box Liquors, Cars Traffic Control, Budweiser, Laughing Coyote, Century 21, On the Hook Bait & Tackle Shop, Team Wallace, Citizens State Bank, Ginger Jar, Choice Lumber, and Larry and Julie Suckla.
For more information on the Groundhog Lake trout tournament, log on to www.groundhoglake.com.
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at [email protected].
