With a collection of emcees that ranged from Gov. Martin O?Malley to Department of Natural Resources Secretary John Griffin and through radio personalities and local beauty queens, the summer-long Maryland Fishing Challenge came to an end Sept. 22 at Sandy Point State Park.
Joseph Davis Jr. of Waldorf turned an Ocean City-caught wahoo into a $20,000 Tracker boat, engine and trailer package from Bass Pro Shops. And Robert Spetzler of Ocean Pines ? courtesy of his daughter, Melissa, as a stand-in ? now owns a $36,000 Toyota Tundra truck, thanks to a flounder catch. And the chances for prizes were good ? more than 50 percent for 100 prizes. You can?t get odds like this in the Maryland Lottery or even in Las Vegas.
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Unlike the 2006 contest, with the possibility of a $1 million prize, the big catches this year were the truck and boat. Everyone who showed up got a T-shirt (about 125 of the 228 qualifiers attended). Raffles for prizes such as rods and reels, fillet knives, tackle boxes and other fishing goodies filled the time before the main event.
Only two tagged rockfish were caught during the contiguous Diamond Jim contest, and they were $500 winners ? not the “real” Diamond Jim worth up to $25,000. That took Diamond Jim out of Saturday?s festivities.
The day started with Gov. O?Malley noting the importance of fishing to Maryland. “Maryland recreational anglers make a tremendous contribution to our economy,” O?Malley said. “It?s an economic impact of a billion dollars.”
This year?s contest made a qualifier of any angler who ? between June 14 and Sept. 3 ? caught and entered one of the 60 species allowed in the fresh-water, Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Coast divisions of the Maryland citation program.
There was slight glitch early with the ball-bouncing numbers in the lottery cage , and O?Malley ordered a restart. This time the tickets were drawn by a 4-year-old (who can argue with that?), and five contestants were picked in order to stand behind one of five tackle boxes of their choice. When opened, the tackle boxes revealed certificates ? three for a $1,000 goodie bag from Bill?s Outdoor Center World, one for the Tracker boat package, and one for the Toyota Tundra.
Winners of the goodie bags were Mike Mumford of Mechanicsville (who qualified with a Spanish mackerel), Walter Slotter of Quakertown, Pa. (blue marlin) and Ray Elicker of Red Lion, Pa. (flounder).
Sometimes, being last pays off. Melissa Spetzler?s ticket was chosen last, leaving her no choice but to stand behind the only available tackle box. Minutes later, it revealed the Tundra truck certificate.
When asked if there will be a 2008 contest, O?Malley replied ? almost positively ? “I think so.” Griffin was a bit more emphatic. “Absolutely,” the DNR secretary said.
C. Boyd Pfeiffer is an internationally known sportsman and award-winning writer on fishing, hunting and the outdoors. He can be reached at [email protected].
