Summit County Citizens Voice

Robby Richardson and Seth Firestone of Gunnison took home $918 for their 17-pound trophy pike in the first leg of a Colorado State Parks ice fishing tourney.

Second leg of ice-fishing tourney set for Feb. 5 at Eleven Mile State Park

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Hearty Colorado anglers are invited to take to the ice of Eleven Mile Reservoir this weekend for the second leg of an ice-fishing trifecta that includes some nice cash prizes and big-fish bragging rights for the rest of the winter.

The trout-only South Park Ice Masters is presented by the Sports Column and produced by the 11 Mile Marina and draws teams from Colorado, New Mexico and Nebraska.

Cash awards will go to 20 percent of the field. If a team wins the “Big Fish Pot” and first place total weight for only two fish, they could take home more than $3,000. The team event for two anglers begins at 7 a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m. For entry forms for the South Park Ice Masters, visit www.11milesports.com.

The first of the three ice fishing tournaments in the Colorado Classic was the “Grand Slam,” held on Jan. 8. The opener tournament drew 100 teams under clear skies and awarded cash and prizes for trout, northern pike and Kokanee salmon. There were 56 teams that weighed in fish. Detailed results and photos of the Grand Slam, are online at www.11milesports.com.

Robby Richardson and Seth Firestone of Gunnison won the “Big Fish Pot/Northern Pike” prize with a trophy 17.385-lb. fish and a first place northern pike with a combined weight at 18.635-lbs. to earn $918. Shawn Shuey and William Vosberg of Buena Vista captured the Big Fish Pot/Trout with a 4.845-lb. rainbow and a first place trout with the combined weight for four fish of 15.185-lbs., paying $918.

In the Kokanee category, Kory Weaver and Dan Miller of Woodland Park took home $445 for their first place/Kokanee win at 2.580 lbs. total weight. Ford Williams and Perry Aphelback of Silverthorne scored $473 for their Big Fish Pot/Kokanee win at 1.850-lbs. The Big Fish Pot does not necessarily represent the biggest fish of the day in each category, but is the biggest fish caught by those contestants who enter this optional portion of the contest.

Filed under: Colorado, Colorado State Parks, recreation Tagged: | Colorado Classic Ice Fishing Tournament, Colorado fishing, Colorado State Parks, Eleven Mile ice fishing, ice fishing, South Park Ice Masters, Summit County News