Sportsmen's Club fishing contest draws crowd

About 250 people took part in a fishing contest on St. Olaf Lake the afternoon of Saturday, Feb. 14. The event was sponsored by the New Richland and Fountain Lake Sportsmen’s Clubs and by Fleet Farm. Well over $2,000 worth of prizes and gifts were given away during the event.

 

The Sportsmen’s Clubs purchased more than $700 worth of gifts, ensuring every child age 15 and under went home with an item related to outdoorsmanship, including flashlights, fishing poles, and sports-related toys.

 

New Richland Liquor and its patrons donated more than $400, so that one lucky youth, in this case Abel Hernandez, 6, from Blooming Prairie, could acquire a lifetime fishing license.

 

Many local businesses donated t-shirts, gifts, beverages, coolers, and a wide variety of other items. Two large drawings gave away $500 and $1,100 prizes. Denise Schulenberg of New Richland won the $500 pot. Caleb Hagen, the winner of $1,100, chose to donate his prize to support New Richland resident Missy Tufte, who is undergoing treatment for leukemia.

 

Owatonna Motors made the prizes for “biggest fish” possible by donating $1,000 to the event. Thanks to their donation, New Richland club leader Lee Mendenhall said the day’s event had some of its largest prizes ever: $500, $300 and $200 for the first three places.

 

The largest fish of the day made its appearance very near the end of the 1.5 hour timespan, a 30.5-inch northern pike caught by Trent Thurnau of Owatonna. Alexander Talbert took second with a 12.1 ounce bass; Alexis Wolters pulled in an 11.6 ounce bass to take third place.

 

Anglers enjoyed a sunny day with temperatures in the low 50s. The ice was 18” thick, but a bit soft on top thanks to melted snow cover.