75th Ice Fisheree deemed a huge success

Children (and adults) competed in six categories, including northern pike, during the 75th Ice Fisheree in Prairie du Chien. The Ice Fisheree took place between Thursday, Jan. 30, and Sunday, Feb. 2.

Mark Lee won $1,000 during the Ice Fisheree raffle on Sunday, Feb. 2. (Photos submitted by the Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce)
The Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce announced that the 75th Ice Fisheree, held from Thursday, Jan. 30, to Sunday, Feb. 2, was a huge success, continuing the event’s long-standing tradition of celebrating Wisconsin culture.
“We are incredibly grateful to all of our sponsors, volunteers, and community supporters who made the 75th Annual Ice Fisheree such a memorable and successful event,” said Bob Moses, president and CEO of the Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Council. “This event would not have been possible without the dedication and generosity of everyone involved. From our long-time sponsors to the many new faces who joined us this year, the Ice Fisheree remains a vital part of our community’s, and the chamber is proud to celebrate 75 years of this cherished tradition.”
According to a news release from the Chamber of Commerce, the event “brought together hundreds of ice fishing enthusiasts, families and community members for a weekend full of fun, competition and camaraderie on the semi-frozen waters of the Mississippi River.”
In addition to the Fisheree, the first annual Fisheree Curling Competition took place on St. Feriole Island on Saturday, Feb. 1. That event was sponsored by the local chapter of the Eagles Club.
The Fisheree took place at the Crooked Oar and Marina in the town of Prairie du Chien.
First- through third-place winners were determined in six adult categories and six children’s categories.
For northern pike, Tim Young took first with a 10.78 lb. fish. Maylee Byl, who also caught a 10.78 lb. fish, came in second. John Austin took third place.
In the sunfish category, Al Kirchner captured first with a 0.91 lb. fish. Roger Stovey earned second place and Jarett Hanson received third place.
Matt Moore got first place in the crappie category for a 1.52 lb. catch. Tyler Thostenson took second and Wyatt Mohs earned third.
For large and small mouth bass, Drake Coleman got the nod with a 4.66 lb. fish, while Lyn Tielbar got second and Brad Kirchner took third.
For walleye and sauger, Carte Fecht received first place with a 5.52 lb. fish. Danny Matthews got second place and Michael Reilly managed a third place finish.
In yellow perch, Curt Tollefson earned the top spot with a 1.87 lb. catch, while Erik Engebretsen got the runner-up nod. Robin Knight rounded out the top three in the category.
For the children’s categories, Calvin McCord was the big winner in the northern pike category, catching a 15.38 lb. behemoth. Carson Cejka finished second and Brody Olson got the third spot.
In sunfish, Kaiden Hampton took home the first-place win with a 0.77 lb. fish, while Landon Hampton and Ethan Igou finished second and third, respectively.
For Crappie, Waylon Richardson brought in a 1.28 lb. fish, and Noah Cline took second. Rhett Cullen rounded out the top three spots.
Ethan Igou topped the large and small mouth bass category with a 4.26 lb. fish. Grayson Stoddard and Grant Ries took the second and third nods, respectively.
Richardson got another top placement for the walleye and sauger category with a 1.3 lb. catch. Gentry Zimbel and Cruz Youngblut took the second and third place spots.
And for yellow perch, McCord submitted a 1.34 lb. fish for the first-place finish. Ryder Fuller got second and Harper Renner got third in the category.
Along with the Fisheree, many people walked away with prizes from the various raffles. The big winner was Kerry Everson, who won a Ranger Crew XP 1,000 NorthStar Edition Premium UTV.
Mark Lee, Prairie du Chien, took a $1,000 cash prize from the raffle. Josh Strehlow, Brodhead, received a Garmin 73SV Ice Bundle for second place, Roger Kolbert, New Hampton, Iowa, won a CLAMX 400 Thermal Ice-Team Tent for third place and Travis Meek, Traer, Iowa, won a Clam Ice Armor Defender Park and Float Bibs.
Other winners included Tristen Duncan, who received a Pro-Vault 18 Gun Safe; Kenneth Miller, who won a Masterbuilt Smoker; Robert Schwurtzlow, who won a Pro Escape 3-person Ice Shelter; Brent Kuriger, who won a Grizzly cooler; Tim Elliott, who got a Coulee Automotive Interior/Exterior Detail package; Paul Greenwald, who took home an overnight stay at the Quality Inn & Suites; Gerd McShane, who won an overnight stay at the Country Inn & Suites; and Rylee Zinkle, who received an metal welcome sign.