COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa. (KMTV) — It's been about 7 years since Lake Manawa had an ice fishing tournament. To bring people back together, Anchor Inn Bait & Tackle held its first tournament.
"We've got about 70 anglers, there are teams of two, about 35 teams, all spread over the ice through Manawa," Joel Rybin of Anchor Inn Bait & Tackle said.
Rybin created this tournament in hopes to help fellow fishing enthusiasts "break the ice" and bond.
"Just in the winter, people are stuck in the house. And it's hard to get out and do stuff, there's limited activities. Ice fishing really, it gets the family together and younger people together out there fishing," Rybin said.
"This is the first tournament that I can remember in Manawa in a long, long time and it's close to home. I fished like this a lot growing up, never really did that well, but can't catch them if you don't try," Angler and tournament participant Jeremy Schoemann said.
Anglers competed for prizes. Those prizes are awarded by big fish by species. Species included wiper, crappie, carp, walleye, catfish and drum. Overall grand prizes are paid out by number of fish in the panfish category.
"Prize payout, we did an 80 percent pot payout, that means 80 percent of the pot goes back to the competitors, so first place is at 650 dollars, second place is 250 and third place is 125," Rybin said.
But, it's the thrill of finding the next great catch that drives passionate participants.
"It's a passion, like I said, I grew up hunting and fishing, it's one of those things that I'm probably gonna do for the rest of my life," Schoemann said.
The hope is to see this tournament grow over the next few years.
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