Flashback / The Pymy Crappiethon

I believe it was 1991 when my wife (then girlfriend) entered. It was a very fun event. We mailed our registration via US Mail in February. They gave a seminar on Friday night before the event and had a ton of raffle prizes as part of the reverse raffle, my wife was runner up for the grand prize (25 hp Mercury Outboard). We paid $35 to enter the contest. On Saturday we fished the south end and caught 0 crappie but pounded the smallmouth bass. We had a blast. At one point there was talk of the contest coming to Shenandoah but I don’t think it did. I do believe it was at Mosquito at some point. My cousin and his partner fished the contest every year it was at Pymie and placed in the top 10 a few times. I read articles in outdoor magazines that the Crappiethon was a major cause of decreased crappie fisheries in lakes where it was held. I liked the contest, it was fun and it was highly anticipated by local fishermen. It was nice thinking back about it. Gary

Nothing like memories of good times and tight lines, 35K in the 80/90s would be quite the purse.  Hell for this part of the country, I'm thinkin' a 12" Speck would have been a headliner, and money in the bank, back in them days.

https://www.dailystandard...visitors-to-grand-lake

Good article Crappie.........Just wondering why local bait shops and businesses don't encourage more fishing with old events like that. Had to bring in a lot of extra business over the season just like the article said. If I owned a bait shop or local business I'd sponsor a lunker contest every year in different categories and post the leaders names and photos. Pros might catch more fish but they don't catch the biggest ones every year! 
 
 
 

Captain, that would be just grand to hit the $35k fish. (Even after taxes, I'd be outta debt and retired)! Even a prize like the 25hp Merc would be awesome. Makes me wonder if anyone anywhere ever hit that Cabelas' tagged $1,000,000 fish. I sure don't remember readin' about it anywhere.

My dad and I went up for one of those Crappiethons in the late 80s.  I remember it vividly.  We didn't know where to fish and didn't catch much of anything.  Then the wind picked up and almost sunk our Basstracker.  Only time I was ever really concerned on the water... the main body of Pymie can put on a real show with the right wind.  

chauncy
I’ve won a jacket and many $25 fish in the crappiethon back then. Just could never win the big prizes as they wouldn’t post the winning numbers of the tags, in the books. They could tell you anything when it came to cashing those tags in.

Isn't that some BS not posting the tag numbers ahead so you knew what your prize was....never knew that Ken.
 
They need to tag some Walleye or a mix of fish and give away some nice prizes again. Spice things up on that lake fishing. Forget the one day tournaments too many regulations and what if's with weather. Locals sponsors need to get together and promote a good summer contest for all fishing Pymy.....can't hurt in my book!

Don't mean to highjack the thread, but for those of you that like contests (not directly related to fishing,) Robinson's is running a "2018 In spite of the Detour Bobber Hunt," where she is hiding numbered bobbers all over the area north of the causeway trying to help drum up business up that way. Some decent (not great big) prizes involved from what I understand. Might be fun to search with kids.
 
You might win a pie, some fishing tackle, or an ice cream cone who knows. :)
 
Roy

I fished the ESLO on lake Ontario for many years. Never won anything but caught a winning steelhead the day before the tournament started practicing. We camped two  weeks and I'd cold pack salmon and steelhead in the evening with a big pressure cooker on a Coleman gas stove. I can still hear the dam thing jiggling. We'd can 80 wide mouth pints every year. I had a lot of energy back in the day.