By Steve Weisman
“Last Saturday was a perfect day,” said Adam Lybarger, tournament director, as he reflected on the success of the second annual Camp Autumn Ice Fishing Tournament and fundraiser. The original date of Saturday, February 13 caused a postponement to Saturday, March 6 because of incredibly cold subzero temperatures.
It was a wise choice with balmy mid-40 temperatures. Lybarger continued, “It was such beautiful weather, and we ended up with 156 tournament participants both young and old, first time anglers, veteran anglers and families. Along with the amazing volunteer help by the Iowa Great Lakes Fishing Club (IGLFC), the club also gave away 50 rod/reel combos for the first 50 youth participants.”
The tournament ran from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and provided great opportunities to catch lots of largemouth bass, crappies and bluegills. IGLFC volunteers provided ATV and trailer rides from the boat ramp to the main fishing area and also had ice fishing shelters and equipment for participants to use. The IGLFC also offered a special youth fishing/fish cleaning clinic, while Iowa DNR Conservation Officer JoeYarkosky shared ice safety tips. Since it was also a tournament with prizes, IGLFC volunteers would officially measure each fish caught and record the length. The combined number of inches would determine winners for the bass, crappie and bluegill divisions.
Lybarger noted that none of this could have happened without all of the volunteers and sponsoring partners. “I want to thank the Iowa Great Lakes Fishing Club, Oak Hill Outdoor, No Limits, Stan’s Bait & Tackle, Shuck’s Lures, Great Lakes Guide Service, Snook’s of Okoboji, Hy-Vee, Town Square Coffee House and Casey’s for partnering with us. Because of them, more youngsters will be able to attend our therapeutic camp this summer through camp scholarships. Thanks also to all of the participants who donated to the fundraiser. A total of $2,700 was raised.”
Terry Thomsen, president of the IGLFC, concurred with Lybarger. “As a club, we see this fishing tournament as a great way to bring families together and enjoy a great day on the ice. It’s a great way to help youngsters learn about fishing. It’s also a great way to help Camp Autumn raise funds to help with their scholarships for their summer camp.”
The largest fish in the adult division was a tie between Rich Dublinske and Adam Bousema with a 14 incher. The winner of largest fish in the youth division was Carter Richey with a 13-inch bass. For his efforts, Shane Akin, owner of the Great Lakes Guide Service, offered a half day guided fishing trip for Carter and a parent.
Category winners (total combined length of the angler’s top five fish) include the following:
- Bass – 1st place, Adam Bousema with 57.75” (adult); 2nd place, Daniel Babb with 46” (adult); 3rd Cristian Grover with 30.25” (adult)
- Bluegill – 1st place, Jason Hass with 35.75” (adult); 2nd place, Cristian Grover with 35.5” (adult); 3rd place, Jessica Kirchner with 35.25” (adult)
- Crappie – 1st place, Daniel Babb with 58” (adult); 2nd place, Harrison Daniels with 53” (youth); 3rd place, Ryan Pyle with 52.75” (youth).
According to Lybarger, Lance Faulkender won the special Snook’s Ice Hole Challenge with a 12” crappie.! Participants had the opportunity to fish from this “giant Adirondack” chair chair for 10 minutes at a time on a first-come, first-served basis. As the winner, Faulkender earned a standard Adirondack chair from Snook’s of Okoboji.
Lybarger concluded, “Thanks to all for making it another successful year and for enjoying Camp Autumn with us!”
About Camp Autumn
The camp itself is located on a beautiful property near Sutherland, Iowa with 73 acres of land and water. This gives a lot of space to hike and explore and even a lake for campers to enjoy recreational activities during a warm day at camp. Lybarger says, “Camp Autumn is a therapeutic day camp owned and operated by Seasons Center for Behavioral Health. When youngsters come to work with us at one of our 12 offices across northwest Iowa, they receive evidence-based therapy and treatment. Here at Camp Autumn, we serve youth ages 4-21 with behavioral and mental health needs.
