Big Fish 36 begins tonight

By Phil Cobb | June 3, 2016 |

Big Fish 36, the annual fishing tournament hosted by KNIM and 97.1 The ‘Vill, returns to Nodaway County Community Lake at 6 p.m. today, offering families and outdoor enthusiasts alike the chance to fish, camp, and win prizes while enjoying the great outdoors in northwest Missouri.

Anglers will compete to catch the largest fish in eight different classes, which includes classes for boys and girls under 15 years of age, and for senior citizens 65 years of age or older. Participants in the remaining five classes will compete to catch the heaviest channel catfish, bass, crappie, and bluegill, as well as the heaviest legal fish caught (including bass, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill, and walleye).

Winners in each of the eight classes will receive a cooler full of prizes, which are generally hunting, fishing, or camping-related, Nodaway Broadcasting Owner/Operator Jim Cronin said. Names of the eight winners are then drawn from a hat to determine who wins the grand prize of $3,600.

There is no cost to compete in the event, which runs from Friday evening until noon on Saturday. It all adds up to a great weekend, Cronin said.

“If you enjoy fishing and camping, it’s free,” Cronin said. “It’s the only free contest out there where you can win $3,600.”

Entrants are expected to conform to all state and local fishing laws. For example, hybrid striped bass that were stocked at Nodaway County Community Lake over the past few years must be less than 20 inches in length to keep, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Complete weight and length limits are posted at the lake.

Official entry forms, as well as a complete list of rules, can be found at several locations throughout Maryville, including at Nodaway Broadcasting.

With the event now in its 36th year, the annual fishing tournament has left its mark on several people, Broadcasting Owner/Operator Joyce Cronin said.

“There are people now that are adults that tell me how that’s a childhood memory that they will never forget. And now they’re taking their children to Big Fish,” Joyce said. “It’s a really cheap way to build some incredible memories.”