Save the Bridge Catfish Tournament catches attention

Oakland Mills was the site of the first Annual Catfish Tournament. The tournament was the first fundraising event of the Preserve Oakland Mills group. Save the Bridge is the first and major purpose of the society. The Oakland Mills Bridge is a historic structure built in 1876. For the past few years, it has been used as a walkway between the north and south banks of the Skunk river. It is no longer safe and was scheduled for demolition, but efforts are now underway to preserve the structure and once again have it available for observing the river and walking between the banks.

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A total of 103 novice and experienced fishermen signed up for the contest. The biggest fish and heaviest five fish stringer were two of the prizes awarded. A silent auction and many other activities helped with the fundraising as well. At the end of the day, a free will donation catfish fry was welcomed by all.

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The river was high and everyone practiced safety around the rushing water. There was plenty of room for everyone. The wonderful part of this tournament was the friendly atmosphere and the stories told to each other. Some even shared their secrets of catching the “big one.” These days, fish tales are backed up by photos. One gentleman told of catching his biggest fish ever — an eight- and-a-half foot sturgeon in Oregon.

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Another advantage of the day was the interesting fish and unwary wildlife that ended up being caught. It seems that catfish aren’t the only ones that like catfish bait. Results of the weigh-in were a bit surprising. The fish were beautiful but not overly large. No one was able to land a flathead of size. The biggest fish was just a hair under 10 lbs. At any rate, lots of good eating went home with the participants, making for a great day!

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Keep an eye out for these events as they occur. The next fundraiser designated for “Save the Bridge” is a disk golf tournament June 21.