A Fishing Tournament with no Fish
by Lisa Hill
A recent catfish tournament was a little disappointing, but not enough to dampen the spirits of the anglers and others who supported the Challenged Outdoorsmen of America-Arkansas Chapter, Catfishing for a Cause Benefit Catfish Tournament.
“Once again it was an amazing day for the Challenged Outdoorsmen of America Arkansas,” said chapter president, Robert Tallman. “We had a lot of friends come out to support our event. Not a lot of catfishing teams but five very supportive teams. There were no fish weighed in but a few caught.”
There were five teams that participated in this year’s event. However, there were no fish weighed in. All in all, everyone had a great time, and the chapter met their fundraising goal of $1500 this year.
“We had twelve bikes come out and ride for our poker run to help us raise even more money for the COA,” added Tallman. “As always the raffles went over good. A lot of folks went home with some great items thanks to all our sponsors. We couldn’t have had the turnout that we did and money raised if it wasn’t for our sponsors.”
With the money raised, it will give the Chapter the ability to purchase additional Freedom Fishr Power Assist Reel Systems, and Gun Mount Systems.
The Freedom Fishr reels give a person the ability to reel in a fish. The push of a joystick starts the reel retrieving the fish.
The gun mount system steadies the gun for the hunter. The mechanism gives the hunter the ability to move the direction of the gun with the joystick attached to the device. When a deer or other target is in the sights, the operator can pull the gun trigger and fire the gun with an attachment that they would bite or squeeze.
There was warm fellowship and lots of laughter as everyone gathered for the roasted chicken dinner and raffle after the tournament ended.
“What a meal it was,” continued Tallman. “I don’t know how we can ever thank Dave Miller and Jennifer Nicole Colvin Brooks enough. Dave donated 80 pounds of chicken leg quarters, potato salad, baked beans, and all drinks and ice. Jennifer making the fabulous potato salad and baked beans, And, just to add I need to put out a HUGE THANK YOU, Chuck Felts, for taking the whole day cooking the best chicken I have ever tasted over a rotisserie. What an amazing cook he is.”
“Thanks to everyone for their support and for taking the time to come out and help us meet our goal of 1500.00,” concluded Tallman. “It was another amazing Catfishing for a Cause and I can’t wait to start working on the 2019 event.”
COA ARKANSAS holds numerous events throughout the year for surrounding communities. They hold Fishing Derbies, Fun days, Hunts and Outdoor Activities as well as Learning Days. These events are free to all participants.
Epilogue
Since there were no fish weighed, there were no plaques awarded. So, COA will hold another tournament soon. The entry fee will be $25. They will award the plaques and the entree fees will be donated to the COA. Watch for details.
