KNIM/97.1 The 'Ville's annual Big Fish tournament at Nodaway Lake isn't about how many fish someone catches.
The grand prize winner doesn't even have to catch the biggest fish. The event that starts on Friday night and ends at noon Saturday is more about getting people together to have a good time.
There's also the chance of winning a brand new fishing boat. It's a chance that literally everybody has.
Take for instance Wilma Johnson this year's winner. Johnson didn't have the biggest fish, but her catfish weighing in at 3.56 lbs. was enough to win her the senior citizens division during the 29th installment of the event. This put her in the running for the grand prize.
Big Fish isn't like most fishing tournaments where the total weight of a catch decides the winner.
Big Fish has eight different categories, which give the most inexperienced wranglers as good a shot as those who've been fishing all their life.
During the tournament, each participant gets to weigh in one fish.
They can enter that fish into one of the eight different categories trying to get the heaviest catch.
The winners of those categories win a prize pack and are entered into the drawing for the grand prize boat with motor and trailer. With different categories for bass, catfish, crappie, bluegill, 15 and under girls, 15 and under boys, senior citizens and overall heaviest legal fish, the playing field is leveled out no matter what people are used to.
Chris Samuels actually had the heaviest fish caught during the tournament entering his 8.6-pound catfish into the heaviest catfish division. Brennan Allen was a close second winning the 15 and under division with his 8.16-pound catfish. Kimmie Orndorfff won the girls 15 and under with a 4.38-pound catfish. Jeff Ruff had the heaviest legal bass (2.98). Scott Mayzsak had the heaviest crappie (.86). Lucy Govic had the heaviest bluegill (.60). Joe Swaney's 3.20-pound catfish won the heaviest legal fish division.
