Fishing Tournament Season is Back

All, Fishin' Line
A father and his young daughter pose with the first fish she's ever caught.
Photo: Collin Fitzpatrick

The 2021 bass series kicked off on April 18 at Miami Whitewater Forest. With a total of 32 teams, many fish were caught and the payouts were high! The teams fished from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Of the 32 teams, 20 of them brought fish in to be weighed.

Craig Stephany and Alex Willwerth
Craig Stephany and Alex Willwerth

Craig Stephany and Alex Willwerth won the contest with a total of five bass for 10.74 lbs., including the big bass of the day that weighed in at 5.19 lbs.! The team was awarded first place trophies along with their payout of $784.

Julio Delgado and Paul Regensburger took home second place with a total of 7.10 lbs. They were both awarded trophies and a gift card of $280. Third place was Shawn and Steve Gardner with a total of three fish for 6.75 lbs. The next tournament in our bass series will take place May 16 at Miami Whitewater Forest.

Kids’ Mystery Fish Challenge is back! This past Sunday, April 25, we were able to welcome back our Mystery Fish Challenge for kids at Triple Creek. With a total of 70 kids, ages 15 and under, many fish were caught and many trophies were awarded.

Ryan Knab and his father pose with his trophy.
Ryan Knab and his father.
Makayla Mckenzie poses with her winning trophy.
Makayla Mckenzie and friends.

For the age group 5 and under, Ryan Knab was our winner by hitting the mystery weight right on the dot at 0.37 lbs.! The winner of the 6–10 age group was Gavin Musselman.

Our final winner for the ages 11–15 group was Makayla Mckenzie. It only took Makayla three fish to hit her mystery weight. The next Kids’ Mystery Fish Challenge will be held at Miami Whitewater Forest on May 15. Come out and enjoy this free event!

Our next fishing tournament will be for our catfish anglers. The Rod Busting Series kicks off at Miami Whitewater Forest on Saturday, May 1. Miami Whitewater Forest Lake has a large population of big blue catfish and fish in excess of 30 lbs. are common here!

The tournament begins at 8 a.m. and weigh-ins are at 2 p.m. The boathouse will open at 7 a.m. for anglers to register, or you can register online. Please arrive with ample time before the tournament and follow our new regulations to maintain social distancing.

The fish are waiting … come on out and try your luck!


Ryan Stofko
Boathouse Coordinator, Lake Isabella