By Ted Waddell
SACKETT LAKE — February 22, 2005 – If frozen fish was your thing, the Monticello Fire Department’s Annual Ice Fishing Contest was just the ticket to make your day.
Nearly 200 anglers began fishing at the bone-chilling hour of 6 a.m. Saturday morning on a very frozen Sackett Lake. The contest wrapped up nine hours later at 3 p.m. and the winners were announced.
Those winners were as follows:
• Biggest Fish of the Day: Saben Rausch (20 1/2-inch, 2.6-pound pickerel)
• Biggest Catfish of the Day: Nick Frangipane (11 1/2-inch, 1-pound)
• Kids (6-12 years old): Panfish – Katie Conklin (first place); Perch – Justin Kurthy (first place), Jamie Davis (second place), Justin Kurthy (third place); Pickerel – Gary Klein (first place)
• Adults: Panfish – Craig Taylor (first place), Craig Taylor (second place), Nick Frangipane (third place); Perch – Ernest Quick, Jr. (first place), Terry Davis (second place), Terry Davis (third place); Pickerel – Neil Messenger (first place), Dave Right (second place), Dave Haskel (third place).
Members of the ice fishing contest committee included John Pavese (chairman), Rory Huebner and Keith Kurthy.
In 2004, a total of 167 fishermen registered for the annual ice fishing contest. This year, about 190 folks signed up.
According to Kurthy, the local fire department expected to raise between $2,000 and $2,500 from the contest.
The money will go into the Monticello Fire Department’s building fund for a new $3 million-plus firehouse.
“We are contributing $250,000,” Kurthy said.