Lake Trout Classic Fishing Tournament set for this weekend
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ONTONAGON -- The 19th annual Lake Trout Classic Fishing Tournament is scheduled for Friday through Sunday.
The tournament is based out of the Ontonagon Marina, and it is a benefit event for the Ontonagon County Cancer Association.
Teams of both men and women come from all over the Midwest to have a chance to win thousands of dollars in cash in multiple categories.
The event kicks off at 6 a.m. Friday with a pre tournament event and Powder Puff. Both of these will end at 2 p.m.
"The teams of gals continue to grow. They do an excellent job and have a lot of fun 'trash talking' with the men," tournament coordinator Larry Grieg said in a news release. "They tell me throughout the year how they look forward to this."
The captain's meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Ontonagon VFW.
The Lake Trout Classic starts at 6 a.m. Saturday and runs until 3 p.m.
"That first day of the tourney culminates with the popular fish fry at the (Ontonagon) VFW. The fish that are caught in the tournament are fileted and cooked. The public is encouraged to come and enjoy the fresh fish," Grieg said. "This is put on by the Majurin family, and they do an excellent job coordinating, cooking and running the fish fry."
The VFW fish fry starts at 5 p.m.
The tourney will resume at 6 a.m. Sunday and run until 2 p.m. The awards and cash payout follows at 3 p.m.
The team that brings in the largest three lake trout wins $1,200. Second place pays $600, third place wins $400. Cash prizes in this category pays down to eighth place. In the big fish category, the biggest lake trout is $200. Cash is also paid out for the largest lake trout by the ladies, coho salmon, brown trout, chinook salmon and steelhead.
The Lake Trout Classic is a major fundraiser for the Ontonagon County Cancer Association (OCCA). The volunteers of the OCCA provide funds to county residents that have someone in the family fighting cancer. This includes gas money and lodging for families taking a family member for treatment. Money is also given to the families for medical equipment not covered by insurance.
The event has donated over $100,000 to the OCCA. Last year, the tourney raised over $5,500. Both the tournament and the fish fry raise money for the OCCA.
Each year, the Lake Trout Classic has roughly 50 to 70 boats competing. The tournament has never been canceled due to weather.
"One year, the tourney only ran one day," Grieg said. "While we don't know what the weather will be, we know the fish will be biting."