Houghton Lake Area Bureau Announces the Catch Us If You Can Fishing Contest

Houghton Lake Area Tourism Bureau’s (HLATB) annual prize drawing for their Catch Us If You Can fishing contest is scheduled for April 30. The drawing will take place at Spicer’s Boat City in Houghton Lake, at 2 p.m.

This year nine anglers caught a tagged fish out of Houghton Lake, Higgins Lake, or Lake Saint Helen.

Youth angler, Owen Gilbert of Prudenville, will win $250 and a new kayak, sponsored by Art-Y-Facts of Roscommon. Owen caught a 5 pound, 19 ½” tagged bass out of Houghton Lake.

Adult anglers Mark Lambie, of Eagle; Jack Metzger of Otisville; Trevor Foster of Roscommon, Kim Laverty of Kalkaska; Michael Clark of Romulus; Nick Bryant of Flat Rock; Jody Falk of Roscommon; and Greg Teachout of Houghton Lake, will be drawing for a chance to win $100,000.00 and a new Lund boat from Spicer’s Boat City.

Lambie caught a tagged walleye out of Houghton Lake. Metzger, Foster, Laverty, and Teachout all caught tagged bass from Houghton Lake. Clark, Bryant, and Falk caught tagged lake trout out of Higgins Lake.

The grand prize will be awarded based on selection of two matching envelopes out of 20. Each fisherman will choose a tackle box. One box holds a key, which will open a bin containing 20 envelopes. Two matching envelopes must be drawn to win the $100,000 and boat grand prize for the lucky angler. There is a guaranteed first place of $1,000 if the grand prize envelopes are not drawn.

Other prizes include a Mark Martin Ice Fishing School (value$495) and a prize package (value $250) sponsored by Pioneer Hills Marine.

Hundreds of fish are tagged each year in Houghton Lake, Higgins Lake, and Lake Saint Helen. The contest runs year-round, starting March 16 each year and ending March 15 the next year. Once a tagged fish is caught, take it in for verification to Lyman’s on the Lake in Houghton Lake, Korbinski’s Marine in Prudenville; The Sports Barn in Higgins Lake, or in St. Helen to either The Minnow Bucket at Exit 222 or Trails Inn. All anglers catching a tagged fish receive a $50 gas card and are entered into the drawing.

The prize drawings are held each spring.

The contest is open to adults holding a current Michigan Fishing License, and to anglers under 17. There is no entry fee. All State of Michigan Fishing and Boating rules apply. All decisions relating to the fishing contest by the Houghton Lake Area Tourism Bureau will be final.

Along with the Houghton Lake Area Tourism Bureau, Roscommon County contest sponsors are: Arnie’s Arts & Crafts, Art-Y-Facts, Bart’s Fruit Market, Best Choice Market, Horizon Bank, Lakeland Recreation, Lakeside Resort/Conference Center, The Sports Barn, Lyman’s on the Lake, Mark Martin Ice Fishing Scool, Pioneer Hills Marine, Poplars Resort, State Savings Bank, Spicer’s Boat City, and The Minnow Bucket at Exit 222.