The Blue Mesa Fishing Tournament, a two day fishing extravaganza, took place the first weekend of May, as it has for the past 34 years.
The tournament, currently hosted by the Rotary Club, has changed hands a few times over the past couple decades. The Rotary Club has stayed proudly steadfast in recent years.
The weekend long tournament began early Saturday morning. Blue Mesa saw a swarm of boats at 6 a.m. as fish-fanatics made their way to different corners of the lake in search of their prize.
Two-person teams compete against other fishermen in this boating only tournament. The team with the heaviest combined weight of eight total fish (four from Saturday and four from Sunday) wins. This year saw 33 teams competing fiercely.
Seth Firestone and Robby Richardson, Gunnison locals, made their valley proud by catching over 20 pounds of fish.
Just like the Ice Fishing Tournament on Blue Mesa just a few months ago, locals prove again and again their skills and commitment to the craft that fuels so much of Gunnison’s local economy.
Second place went to a father son duo from Lake City, Seth and Declan Withrow. Seth, a fishing tour guide, had a little advantage to the rest of the competition. Third place went another father-son duo, Jeff and Patrick Criswell.
Cash prizes for this year’s tournament doubled compared to previous years. Dustin White, Rotary Club president, expressed that the organization noticed that traveling fishermen were barely breaking even after gas and accommodations with their winnings. First prize increased from $1,000 to $2,000, second went to $1,500 and third was $1,000.
On top of that, all proceeds from the fundraising tournament are used for four different scholarships for local Gunnison High School students, grants and Rotary projects such as dictionaries for Gunnison third graders and the Coat Closet at the Food Pantry.
After a few hard years for tourism in the valley with COVID, the Highway 50 bridge closing and trends of low water levels, the Rotary Club noted that participation in the tournament is yet to recover. The 33 teams this year were a good start, but organizers hope for more in coming years.
The tournament was also sponsored by Montano Concrete and Sportfish Colorado, which provided branded hats and the third-place cash prize.
Rotary Club President Dustin White offered a heartfelt thank you to all participants and volunteers.
“Your support helps Rotary fund scholarships for local high school students and grants for youth programs,” he said.
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