Gone fishing

SAXON, Wis. — Fishermen braved some rough seas both Saturday and Sunday to participate in the annual Saxon Harbor Boating Club Spring Fishing Contest.

There was heavy fog on Saturday and even snow near Outer Island as the thermometer plunged to the upper 30s.

Sunday’s competition began two hours after the scheduled 6 a.m. starting horn as Lake Superior waves dashed too high early for safe boating.

The lake calmed down on Sunday to provide some smoother conditions.

The How-ie Fish won the Class A (big boats) division with 597.5 points, while Class B (small boats) division was won by the Canadian Convicts with 476.9 points.

Twenty-four boats competed in Class A and there were 16 in Class B.

The longest laker in Class A Saturday was 35 inches, caught by the Absolut crew.

On Sunday, the Jelly Bean had the top laker in the big boat class at 34.5 inches.

Jon Picotte, skipper of Big Jon, thought he had the top chinook wrapped up on Sunday in Class A with a 7.1-pounder among his crew’s 10 fish, but the Olivia Mae, skippered by Kyle Luoma, came in later with a 30-inch, nine-pounder.

Quite a few chinooks and tons of small cohos were caught during Friday’s Powderpuff competition and throughout Saturday and Sunday.

The new pavilion in the county park served as the gathering place for the awards ceremony, as the top teams took home cash prizes.

The top five boats in each class included:

Class A

1. How-ie Fish: 353.4 Saturday and 244.1 Sunday for 597.5 total.

2. Pride N’ Joy: 162.3 and 286.8, for 449.1.

3. Absolut: 238.1 and 173, for 411.1.

4. Synker: 243.9 and 135.2, for 379.1.

5. Big Jon: 157.7 and 187.3, for 345.

Class B

1. Canadian Convicts: 268.9 and 208, for 476.9.

2. Namaycush: 281.8 and 77.3, for 359.1.

3. The Hammer: 251.8 and 77.3, for 329.1.

4. Andy’s Dandy: 175.6 and 132.7, for 308.3.

5. Y Knot: 95.9 and 136,6, for 231.5.