Anglers have an opportunity to earn thousands in cash prizes in the fifth annual Hot Springs Fishing Challenge that begins today. The challenge will continue through July 31 on Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine.
“Big Al” is back to entice anglers who have tried to catch him the past four years. Big Al is the name given to a fish bearing the lucky 2016 white tag, said Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs. Whoever catches this golden ticket of a fish will receive $10,000 in cash.
Big Al may have eluded the bait since 2012, but officials are hopeful this is the year the grand-prize fish will be caught.
“This could be the year his luck runs out and we hand over $10,000 to the lucky angler who brings him to the shore,” Arrison said. “I’d be happy if that happened.”
The contest reinforces the recreational fun that Hot Springs offers. The Spa City has played host to many fishing tournaments, said Chrissy Egleston, Visit Hot Springs’ director of marketing.
“We know Hot Springs is a great place to fish, so we created this challenge as a way to attract more tourists and offer something fun for locals and visitors,” Egleston said.
Visit Hot Springs (formerly the Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission) partners with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Andrew H. Hulsey Fish Hatchery to offer this friendly competition.
“They select and tag the prize fish for us, and they supervise the release of the fish into the lakes,” Arrison said. “Without them, we could not possibly stage the challenge.”
Egleston said participation seems to grow each year as more and more people become aware of the contest. Some people catch a tagged fish without even realizing it’s worth a cash prize, she said, noting that it’s always amusing to hear the stories that accumulate each year.
One that stands out is about a fish that was caught last year in the Caddo River. The fish was released in Lake Catherine, but because of the intense flooding last year, the fish flowed down the Ouachita River and ended up in the Caddo.
Sixty fish have been tagged this year by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and
released in both lakes by a third party of “impeccable credentials,” Arrison said. Only that person knows the exact location of the release points.
Last year, 17 tagged fish were caught, and three winners were from out of state, Egleston said. The types of fish include largemouth bass, bluegill, catfish, white bass, crappie and walleye. Big Al’s identity is always a mystery, Egleston said, noting that it could be a bass, a catfish or another type of fish.
The tags have a phone number and a prize number on them. When a tagged fish is caught, the angler must call the number and present the fish with the tag attached. The 11 bonus fish, worth $1,000, will be released one at a time weekly, starting May 12 and ending July 21.
Prize money will be divided as follows: one fish worth $10,000; four fish worth $5,000 each; 35 fish worth $1,000 each; 11 bonus fish worth $1,000 each; and 20 fish for $500 each. The total possible prize money if all fish are caught during the contest period is $86,000.
The contest is open to anyone with a valid Arkansas fishing license. Employees of Visit Hot Springs, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Andrew H. Hulsey Fish Hatchery, and their immediate family members, and/or those living in the same household of each are ineligible to win a cash prize.
No cash prize will be awarded to any participant who does not comply with state and local laws, codes, rules and regulations. Rules and regulations can be found on the Game and Fish Commission’s website, www.agfc.com.
The challenge is a good way for the community to interact and welcome out-of-town guests, Egleston said.
“It’s always so neat to hear how winners catch their fish and how they got here. And we love the positive interaction we see on social media.”