The Lake Minnetonka crappie fishing contest -- for 43 years a harbinger of spring that kicked off the fishing season -- won't be held this year.
The contest, which has drawn between a few hundred and several thousand anglers, including many kids, is a victim of hard economic times.
"It's a real shame. I'm sick about it," said Mike Kurre, who has helped with the contest for 10 years. "It was a rite of spring, a family event. And it was for a great cause."
In recent years, the contest raised money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Its main sponsor, Gander Mountain, pulled out two years ago, citing the economy. Last year, Lord Fletcher's, the eatery on Lake Minnetonka that hosted the contest and provided the fish weigh-in site, kept the tradition alive.
"We were hoping to get a retail sponsor, but our pleas went unanswered," said Peter Peyerl, a Lord Fletcher's manager. "We certainly don't like to see it go away. It's been a big deal for everyone, and we've enjoyed hosting it, but we just don't have the wherewithall."
Peyerl said the contest could resume next year if a sponsor steps up. Normally the contest is held in mid- to late April.
Kurre, who formerly worked for Gander Mountain, now is the Department of Natural Resources' hunting-fishing mentoring program coordinator. He said in peak years, with good weather, 5,000 to 8,000 anglers would compete. "We raised as much as $24,000 one year," he said.
