YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES
outdoors
Franklin celebrates catfish heritage
- Article by: Doug Smith , Star Tribune
- Updated: July 27, 2010 - 10:03 PM
Adam Chmelar of Belview, Minn., holds his winning fish.
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Catfish might have a face only a mother could love, but they are a blast to catch on a hook and line. They grow big, fight hard and are tough to beat deep-fried.
The folks at tiny Franklin know that. The town of 500 on the Minnesota River is the self-proclaimed Catfish Capital of Minnesota. Townsfolk have been celebrating the whiskered fish for 35 years with Catfish Derby Days. The 2010 affair was held over the weekend, quadrupling the town's population for a variety of activities, including a catfish fishing tourney.
High water dampened the fishing a bit, but not the spirit of the celebration, said Wendy Pederson, Franklin's city clerk/treasurer.
"It was definitely a down year [for fishing],'' she said. High water on the Minnesota River was exacerbated by a 2-inch deluge Friday night, she said. Anglers knew the fishing would be tough, so some stayed home. Around 247 anglers signed up for the derby, compared to 320 last year, Pederson said.
Twenty-one fish were registered, less than half the number brought in last year, though many anglers don't bother to register smaller fish.
Still, there were some nice fish landed. Adam Chmelar of Belview won the derby with a 44-pound, 3-ounce flathead catfish, earning him a trophy and $100. His cat didn't top the tourney record 49-pound, 13-ounce behemoth caught in 2006. But a 44-pound fish is a monster by any measure. Catfish Derby Days also includes pageants, street dances and a parade.
"It keeps us on the map,'' Pederson said.
Doug Smith • dsmith@startribune.com
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