By Paul Lebowitz

October 19, 2007

Troutfest 2007, WON’s biggest event of the year, offered fun fishing for all ages

BIG BEAR – Everything about the October Troutfest is big: the 1,000 angler field, the high-value prizes, the cloudless blue autumn sky that soars over a trout-filled lake transplanted from the Sierras right into backyard Southern California. This is WON’s best attended event of the year, one that attracts anglers from all walks of life. This good time up among the pines, a true all-ages affair, sold out on only its third anniversary.

Troutfest 2007, staged on Oct 6 and 7, offered big trout and glorious but chilly fall weather. The festivities included a popular blind bogey contest, an extensive and lucrative raffle, goody bags for the first 600 entrants, and exceptional autumn fishing action.

“The lake is in good shape,” said Lake Manager Mike Stephenson the night before the 2-day tournament. “There’s some turbidity, but no thermocline or oxycline. One hundred percent, every inch of the lake is suitable trout territory.”

And plugged full of fish. Stephenson estimated a million trout inhabit the lake at any given time. In the days leading up to the popular family fishing event, their numbers were augmented by 4,600 lbs of Mt. Lassen Trout Farm trophies: jumbo trout ranging from 3 to 7 lbs. The DFG added another three or four 4,000-lb shots of catchables. In fact, Lake Operations Supervisor Travis Carroll saw a stocking truck pouring in another load of ‘bows even as the first tournament boats were launching.

That first day dawned clear, sunny and cold. More than 450 boats scattered across the lake in search of one of the 30 tagged trout released for the ‘fest.  

Past adult female division winner Sue Brown of Long Beach reported good fishing and quick limits from the Zebra Room to Papoose Bay. “We were there for the frenzy, maxed out by 10:45,” Brown said. Brown weighed in a respectable 2-day limit of trout good for 10th place.

TROUTFEST TOPPER – Dave Duenas with the 11.23-lb Sunday stringer that rocketed him to the top of the standings. Duenas finished with a 2-day total of 16.01 lbs.

TERRIFIC TROUT – Ronald Bonner shows off the heaviest fish of Troutfest 2007, a 5.99-lb beauty. Bonner’s big fish prize package came with a $400 gift certificate from Global Fish Mounts, the nation’s leading replica specialist, to immortalize the moment.

KID GOES BIG – That’s a 4.48-lb ‘bow junior male division winner Brad Pifer is toting.

HARDWARE – Adult female division winner Tammie Horner turned in 11.77 lbs of trout. Her huge trophy probably weighed about the same.

TOO MUCH GOOD STUFF – Junior female division winner Landis Hamman needed an extra pair of hands to carry off her prizes.

BOGEY BONUS – Blind bogey $1,000 winner Dave Essex receives one big check from WON tournament director Bill Hutcheson. Essex was just one of over a dozen anglers who waltzed home with a cash bonus when his bag weight matched one of the pre-selected numbers.

Another nice trout fell to 14-year old Brad Pifer of La Mesa. Pifer was fishing with his family in Trout Cove when he hooked a 4.48-lb beauty. “I was shaking,” Pifer said of the big fish that propelled him to the top of the junior male division and a $640 prize pack. His total was 13.49 lbs, but it could have been larger. “We broke off some bigger ones,” the enthusiastic angler reported.

The first day ended with Bonner in first place with 9.81 lbs, but there was one other notable fish. The small trout brought in by Adrean Flores of El Monte was the 18-year old angler’s first ever. On Sunday at the awards ceremony, Flores traded the yellow tag on its back for the keys to a new 2007 Tundra pick-up from Toyota of San Bernardino. 

Sunday proved warmer and calmer. Fewer boaters were on the lake to enjoy the improved conditions. The day paid off for Dave Duenas of Alhambra. He added a huge 5-trout tally of 11.23-lbs to his first day score of 4.78 lbs. The 16.01-lb total eventually bested Bonner by nearly 2 lbs. Duenas took home the 1st place adult male division prize package worth over $1,500. Bonner slipped to 2nd.

“It was just a bobber and a nice fat worm down by the dam. It’s not rocket science” Duenas said of his excellent showing.

First place in the adult female division went to Tammie Horner of Victorville, who weighed 10 fish for an 11.77-lb total. Horner won a $1,000 prize package.

Little Landis Hamman of Glendora, just 6-years old, was tops in the junior female division. The young lady logged an impressive 10.10-lb 2-day total to earn her $600 prize package. 

The crowd that gathered for the Sunday afternoon awards ceremony and raffle was in a festive mood. They greeted the prizes with cheers and groans, especially when it came down to the exciting blind bogey contest. Thousands of dollars were handed out to anglers whose bag weights came closest to a set of randomly predetermined numbers. Dave Essex, a Big Bear local, won the oversized $1,000 check for the biggest payout.

Suzanne Dyer of Highland was among the happy 1,000 strong crowd. She had no trouble explaining the event’s popularity. “There are great prizes. You can win boat, cash, or a truck. It’s fun, there’s a great atmosphere,” Dyer said.

WON tournament director Bill Hutcheson thanked the anglers for coming, but couldn’t resist teasing the field. “667 anglers weighed fish for a 2,788-lb 2-day total. We stocked over 20,000 lbs. That’s only 10 percent. We can do better!” Hutcheson said to widespread laughter.

Alan Sharp of Big Bear Marina heard the numbers and smiled. “Fishing will be great for weeks to come. We’re open well into November,” Sharp added.

Hutcheson handed a check for $15,000 to representatives of the Big Bear Municipal Water District. “It all goes back into the lake, every dollar,” said MWD’s Stephenson.  

As the sun sank low on the horizon Hutcheson pulled the ticket for the final prize, a Crestliner boat package. It went to Tony Haubert of Fontana. As the crowd began to scatter, WON event and promotions man Tom Bette called out one final reminder.

Troutfest Fun, Big-Money Prizes Fueled by Generous Sponsors

Fall fishing at Big Bear Lake is a guaranteed good time, but there’s no doubt the chance to catch a big-money prize adds a lot of zing to the experience.

Adrean Flores of El Monte lived the thrill when he corralled the only tagged trout by a tournament competitor during the all-important first day of fishing. Now the 18-year old will go from piloting a VW Bug to the full-sized pick-up performance of a newly redesigned 2007 Toyota Tundra from Toyota of San Bernardino. 

Flores, a recent high school graduate who is in between jobs, was struck nearly speechless by his incredible good fortune. He said he’d wanted a truck but money had been an issue. No more.

Big Bear Sporting Goods and the Yum Bait Company / Troutkrilla sponsored tagged fish worth $10,000 and $30,000 respectively. Alas, those fish eluded capture.

Mercury Marine and Richard’s Boat Center of Irvine teamed up on the grand raffle prize, a $10,000 Crestliner Canadian boat and trailer package. Everyone who entered stood an even chance of taking it home. It went to Tony Haubert of Fontana, California’s newest boat owner. Haubert said the price – free! - was right, but he wasn’t sure how it would look behind his Mini Cooper.  

B’s Backyard BBQ offered a prize any hungry angler could appreciate. The Big Bear restaurant cooked up juicy Holten Meat Company burgers for everyone in the tournament.

The first 600 to register for Troutfest were rewarded with goody bags worth well over half their tournament entry fees. Thanks are due to Troutkrilla, Mustad, Plano, Lip Ripperz, Berkley Trilene, SnapperCo, and Rooster Tail.

Foodsaver not only provided home vacuum packaging kits for the raffle and division winners, they were on hand to seal and pack every entrant’s catch to keep it at the peak of freshness.

Thousands of dollars of raffle prizes were handed out to happy anglers, including rods and reels from Pflueger-Shakespeare, Motorguide trolling motors, Plano boxes packed with lures from Rapala, gift certificates from Samy’s Camera, a full set of General Tires, and much more. A special kids’ raffle was highlighted by mountain bikes courtesy of Big Bear Kmart.

FAMILY FUN – 140 kids fished the tournament. The young anglers had a lot to enjoy: a special kids’ raffle, their own divisions, and visits from the local ‘wildlife.’

FULL HOUSE – 1,000 anglers signed up for this year’s Troutfest, the first sell-out in the event’s short history.

FIRST TIME FISHERMAN TAKES HOME A TRUCK – Adrean Flores beat one in a million odds when he caught a tagged trout good for a new Tundra pick-up from Toyota of San Bernardino.

BOASTING A NEW BOAT – Crestliner and Richard’s Boat Center teamed up to present Troutfest’s grand raffle prize, a new Canadian side console boat and trailer package won by Tony Haubert.

IN THE BAG – Foodsaver was on hand to vacuum pack every angler’s catch. The company’s products maintain fish at peak freshness.

RAFFLE GOODS – The Troutfest raffles stretched to nearly two hours. Prizes included deluxe vacations, resort stays, fishing gear, and much more.

B’s SERVES UP TASTY BBQ – Hungry Troutfest attendees were treated to juicy Holten Meat Company burgers. They went down good.