As Will County lauds summer lunkers, anglers gear up for trout
“It was this big.”
Those who fish are said to have a penchant for exaggeration when sharing tales from the open water. So, when the Forest Preserve District of Will County changed from a single-day fishing derby to more of an open-ended form for its Big Fish Contest, participants had to prove their catches by actually bringing them back to the visitors center at the Monee Reservoir to be measured, photographed and recorded.
There, the stories and the gamesmanship were half the fun, according to program coordinator Angie Opiola.
“If you know fishermen, they
thoroughly enjoy the bragging rights that come along with them being in the lead,” she said. “‘Who to beat? Who’s catching what, where, with what?’ They are a lot of fun to talk to. Everyone out here would tell you they’re an expert fisherman and they know the right way to catch them.”
But only four were officially able to claim bragging rights after the 2021 Big Fish Contest, which ran from July 1 to Aug. 31 this year. Dan Burklow, of Park Forest, was the biggest catfish winner at 29 inches. Rick Dahlman, of Mokena, caught the biggest bass, measuring 21.5 inches. Dwayne Dooley, of Chicago, reeled in the biggest panfish, which was recorded at 10.75 inches. And Denny Bruns, of Crete, who caught a 10.75-inch perch, was the winner selected at random from all entries.
All of the winners received a fishing T-shirt, free all-day boat rental and a $100 gift card can be used toward things such as permits and merchandise at the district’s visitors centers. There was no entry fee to join the contest.
The Monee Reservoir used to host adult and children’s fishing derbies, but Opiola said that format could be problematic.
“Fishing is really hit or miss,” Opiola said. “We would run these derbies, and sometimes they would be a big success. Other times, for hours on end nobody was catching anything, which is quite anticlimactic.”
So the Big Fish Contest was born a few years ago. The concept — fish on your own time over a designated period and bring the best catches to the visitors center to be recorded — proved an immediate success, drawing 30-40 participants annually. And the move away from large group activity meant there was no need to adapt any further when the COVID-19 pandemic hit this summer and last.
“We decided one of the solutions was to create a more passive program,” Opiola said. “It’s the same concept as a derby, but now you come on your own time. It became win-win.”
The Big Fish Contest also employed some new technology this year, keeping statistics and photos on an iPad to make comparisons easy, in contrast to the spreadsheets of yore. That helped fuel that competitive spirit when fishermen came to the visitor center asking questions, because they had easy digital access to the data, Opiola said.
The forest preserve district is looking at ways to refine the contest even more going forward, including the possibility of allowing fishing from boats in addition to shoreline fishing. Opiola said organizers are also looking at adding a children’s category for those ages 15 and younger, with age 16 being the dividing line because it is when the state requires fishing licenses.
“Every year, we look back and consider what worked, what didn’t work,” Opiola said. “One of the things we inadvertently realized is we made this an adult program, and we would have little kids that came up. We didn’t have the heart to tell them they weren’t eligible.”
Opiola said staff would still take their photos and record their catches, but she would like to see those measurements be done for real next year. They also may move the fishing window for the 2022 contest based on reports from fishermen about how things are going on the water. While they want the contest to be challenging and competitive, the forest preserve district’s mission also dictates they be ethical and sustainable.
“We don’t want to put pressure on the fish constantly,” she said. “There is a method to our window of opportunity.”
With those ethics in mind, Opiola said they also may reconsider the requirement that participants bring the fish to the visitor center. A lot of sport fishermen did not enter this year because they were worried about stressing out the fish, she said. The Monee Reservoir is almost 50 acres, so getting back to the visitors center can be a long haul for those wishing to catch and release. Organizers are trying to think of another way to measure and record catches from the spot while also avoiding any of those tall tales.
“The goal isn’t to stress the fish out,” Opiola said. “The goal is to see who can catch the biggest fish.”
Typically, spring and summer are busy seasons for the Monee Reservoir. Things quiet down in the fall once fishing activities wane. But Opiola said there has definitely been an uptick in use of open spaces during the pandemic because people feel safe outdoors.
“I really feel like the forest preserves, and especially the Monee Reservoir, has been a real haven for people in the last year or two, and we welcome it,” she said. “It’s like family out here. It really is. At one time, I think we used to be a hidden gem. Now, everyone knows about us, which is fun.”