ROSCOMMON COUNTY— J.C. Schneider was fishing the north end of Houghton Lake May 10 when he caught a tagged large mouth bass, the second fish entered the Houghton Lake Area Tourism Bureau’s (HLATB) Catch Us If You Can fishing contest.
J.C. was pre-fishing and scouting for a tournament held at the end of May when he caught the fish.
“I knew about the contest,” J.C. said. “About seven years ago I was fishing in another tournament when my friend caught a tagged fish. I was reeling this one in and wondered what it was when I realized it was a tag.”
“It was awesome when I saw the tag,” he continued. “I wished I had a net, the last thing I needed was to lose the fish!”
It wasn’t bass season when the tagged fish was caught, so J.C. pulled the tag and got a picture of himself with the fish before releasing it. Then he registered his fish at Lyman’s on the Lake in Houghton Lake, where he received a $50 gas card and was entered into the contest.
J.C.’s tagged fish was the second caught in the contest which runs year-around, ending on March 15 each year, and beginning again March 16. He is now eligible for a chance to win one of the many prizes in the contest.
The 2024-25 season is also the 20th anniversary of the contest, and HLATB has additional prizes for this year’s drawing.
Adult anglers catching tagged fish are eligible for a chance to win a grand prize of $100,000; a Lund boat from Spicer’s Boat City; and $50,000 towards a new truck from Don Nester Auto Group. There is a guaranteed major prize of $1000 cash. Other prizes available include a Mark Martin Ice Fishing School valued at $575; and prize packets worth $250 sponsored by Pioneer Hills Marine and The Minnow Bucket at Exit 222.
Youth anglers (under 17 years old) are eligible to win a $250 cash prize and a new kayak, sponsored by Art-Y-Facts of Roscommon.
More than 100 tagged fish are swimming in Houghton Lake, Higgins Lake, and Lake St. Helen. Anglers can bring their tagged fish in for verification at Lyman’s on the Lake in Houghton Lake, Korbinski’s Marine in Prudenville; The Sports Barn in Higgins Lake, or in St. Helen at The Minnow Bucket at Exit 222 or Trails Inn.
For more information on the contest, please contact the HLATB office at 1-989-422-2002, 1-800-676-5330 or email info@visithoughtonlake.com. Contest rules are found on www.visithoughtonlake.com.
