Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
TAKING A break from Saturday's annual ice fishing tournament of the Mercer Lions Club are, from left, Carrie Kohegyi and Jennifer Graser of Mercer. Their husbands, Gordy Kohegyi and Rick Graser, are in the fishing shacks in the distance on Grand Portage Lake, next to Carow Park in Mercer. The Grasers' grandson, Jaden Doud, also attended.
By P.J. GLISSON
Mercer - A nearly 30-inch northern pike made Angie Grimm the first-place winner of $125 at Saturday's Mercer Lions Club annual ice fishing tournament.
Matt Weber, who was in the same group as Grimm, said in a Sunday phone interview the group as a whole pulled in 11 other northern pike, ranging from about 18 to 25 inches. He said they also got "60-some crappies."
According to Weber, Grimm's fish was 28.5 inches, and she caught it with a walleye sucker in shallow water on Grand Portage Lake.
He said it was the fourth year his group had won the tourney, and he humbly credited that fact less to skill than to the fact that they are "people who like to be outside."
Only seven in the group were fishing, but Weber kidded that an additional 19 people were with them "just to hang out and have fun."
He added, "It was cold and windy, but it was a good time." No slush made for solid ice, so he said there was no fear in driving vehicles on the lake.
Max Ackerman and Mike Chamberlain organized the event, although they told The Daily Globe on Saturday that many other folks also helped.
Ackerman guessed that up to 30 fishermen might have been on the ice with an additional 50-100 people visiting the Carow Park pavilion, where food and beverages were available.
"We do numerous raffles during the day," said Ackerman, who was manning a table with prizes including t-shirts, hats, pillows and liquor. Grand prize was $1,000.
"It's one of our bigger fundraisers for the community," said Ackerman, who explained that resulting earnings go into general funds. "Most of the funds we do collect go to the Mercer community."
He said the Lions give five scholarships per year for Mercer students, and other funds go to the Mercer Senior Center and to the Rosholt, Wis., Lions Camp for kids with disabilities.
In addition, he assured, "Whenever somebody's in need, we have a hardship fund."
According to Ackerman, a smaller sum of the funds go to the Lion's broader work, which includes Leader Dogs for the Blind, a global initiative.
Mike Chamberlain said the ice tourney typically brings in as much as $4,000-$6,000, which he said could not happen "if it wasn't for the community and the people here and the people who donate."
Chamberlain, who said he moved here from Madison, commended the generosity here despite the limited population. "They're willing to give all the time," he said.
Overall, he said, "Excellent day. A lot of times it's kids just having a good time." That's part of the event, too, he said.
Running the food counter in the pavilion were Chuck Schroepfer, Roger Johnson and Arch Johnson. The gentlemen served brats, hot dogs, chili, soup and cookies. Various beverages also were available.
Ackerman shared the following additional tourney results in a Sunday phone interview:
--Guy Barrows, second place ($75) for a 26.25-inch northern;
--Chris Carlson, third place ($50) for a 17.5-inch largemouth bass; and
--John Sterbeinz, recognition for smallest fish (tip-up prize), a 4.25 inch perch.
"There weren't any walleyes caught this time around," said Chamberlain, but he concluded of the overall event, "It turned out good."
