The 11th Ice Fisheree changed locations in 1961
The Feb. 8, 1961, edition of the Courier Press identifies some of the Fisheree winners, including W. Philebar, Davenport, Iowa; R. Zweiehomer, Postville; E. Jakobs, Clarkville, Iowa; and H. Peterson, Waukon, Iowa. The Press does not specify who is in each picture. The 11th annual Fisheree was considered a success despite a change in location for the first time in the event’s history. (Courier Press)
The event moved from Gremore Lake in the lead up to the 1961 event
By Steve Van Kooten
Part two of an ongoing series about the Prairie du Chien Ice Fisheree.
By the 1960s, the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ Ice Fisheree had become a well-established event with more than a decade of history.
But in 1961, the VFW made a few changes for the event’s eleventh go-around.
In the Jan. 18, 1961, Courier Press, Jim Jones, commander of the local VFW, announced that the fisheree would take place on Feb. 4 and 5 that year. In addition to the fishing contest, a sportsmen’s banquet was planned for the first day at the National Armory.
The announcement said the committee organizing the event had not chosen a site for the fishing.
Two locations were under consideration at that point: Gremore Lake, which hosted the event for the previous ten years, and the Marias St. de Feriole near the island.
By Jan. 25, the VFW had a location for the fisheree and received permission from the city council to use the slough in the small boat harbor and channel. The council granted the VFW’s request during a special meeting the previous Wednesday night.
The Feb. 1 edition of the Courier Press reported that the event would take place on Feb. 7 and 8; however, this seems to have been a mistake. The next week, the paper referenced the fisheree taking place over the weekend, which would have been the fourth and fifth.
That article added some detail to the VFW’s decision to change sites for the fishing.
“The ice on the slough is very good after the last cold snap. Not too many have tried this area for results, but the members of the committee plan for fishermen,” the Courier reported.
On Feb. 8, the Courier deemed the Ice Fisheree “a great success,” saying, “Saturday, the fishermen caught more fish in the new location in the heart of the city than they did in the two years of fishing in the past. Though the sizes of the winning fish were not records by the books, the people were well pleased overall.”
The article also noted that it was the first time the slough and harbor were used for recreational purposes.
“Some locations were really turning out some large catches, and the rest of the area fishing was only fair. The club is well pleased with the catches and the response of the people from the area and the participation both near and far.”
Big winners at the 1961 event were W. Philebar, from Davenport, Iowa, with a 2 lb. 5 oz. pike caught only a few minutes before the close of the fishing derby; R. Zweiehomer, from Postville, with a 1 lb. 12 oz. bass; O.F. Volker, Washburn, for a 1 lb. 7 oz. bass; E. Jakobs, Carkville, Iowa, with a 10.5 ounce fish; and H. Peterson, Waukon, Iowa, won with a carp of unknown size.
More than $2,000 in prizes were handed out during the event, including a new boat motor. The top prize winner received a 14-foot boat.
