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Stephaine Gough Coleman Winner 2007 - 74.30lbs
HOPEWELL CITY MARINA SITE OF BASS PRO SHOP BIG CAT QUEST
April 14th at the Hopewell City Marina was packed filled with activities for the Big Cat Quest and The Jack Randolph River Fest. As you came into the city from the Appomattox bridge you could see that this was a happening event with hundreds of people on site! Full of vendors, games, fishing boats, and activity galore!!!
This is the second year for the Cat Quest and we saw over 160 participants fish in this great tournament with a payout of $20,000. Ken Freeman and his group put on a wonderful show. Pre registration was held the night before with lots of newcomers to the second year event. We had many come from Mississippi, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Virginia and other states. This year Hopewell Recreation and Parks, along with the Prince George Parks and Recreation and assistance from the Hopewell Prince George Chamber and Debbie Randolph helped gear things up for this event. K-95 joined us for the second year, and helped us promote this event on the airways and on the day of the event. Jordan Point Yacht Haven joined us for the pre-derby as well.
This year we added the Jack Randolph River Fest in memory of Jack. Jack was well known for his fishing reports, articles in many publications and employee with the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. He was a great supporter of outdoor education and programs for our youth. This year the festival will sponsor a child to the Blue Lake Forestry Camp in memory of Jack Randolph. The day saw kids activities with many outdoor play items to enjoy, kayaking to try, Bittercreek band playing, Friends of the Lower Appomattox River on site with display and information, American Red Cross spreading the word on activities they do, food vendors with those catfish sandwiches, BBQ, Hotdogs, Cotton Candy, Popcorn, Sodas, a display on Jack Randolph, Fly fishing demonstration, Hats and Shirts sold, City Mobile Command Unit and Cast, Harbor Patrol Boat and Staff, Game and Inland Fisheries, and a trip for four to go on a guided trip to catch those big catfish and more. And over 100, rods and reels, tackle boxes, t-shirts and fishing hooks were given away FREE to kids 12 and under.
The day saw hundreds come in and out and come back to see those catfish being weighed every hour as part of the Cat Quest. This year on the hour you had winners and than an overall winner. A month in advance of the tourney we had a pre-derby where you could come in to the Hopewell City Marina or Jordan Point Yacht Haven to bring that cat in and have it weighed. The winner of the week was given $100 with four winners and the largest fish for the pre-derby weighed in at 64.7pounds:
Bubba Gough, Buck Gough, Chris Eberwein, and Neil Renouf were the winners from the first week through the fourth week.
And for the Big Cat Quest the winners were:
Michael Fletcher with a 62.85 winning $500
Richard Mills with a 65.50 winning $750
Ricky Sykes with a 65.80 winning $1000
Josh Fitchett with a 68.65 winning $2000
Stephanie Gough Coleman with a 74.30 winning $5000 - She is a Virginian from Amelia County
Also on the hour every hour from 8 AM - 4 PM - 40 participants got anywhere from $150 to $400. And 10 participants got $100 each for a wildcard which is brining in a fish that is a certain weight or length. In this aspect we had two children, one from Virginia, Matthew Salmon and Kim Murray from Georgia win.
Thanks needs to go out the staff of Hopewell Recreation and Parks and the many city departments who helped ready the site for the event.
Also the Jack Randolph River Fest was free to the public and this would have not been done without the support of sponsors for the event. All of the activities, were held due to these great companies, and businesses. This year we had levels of sponsorship that were named after catfish which we chose a Blue Cat, White Cat, Flathead and Channel Cat for a dollar level of $500, $400, $250, and $100. These sponsors brought you the many activities, and items given away throughout the day:
Hopewell Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, Partin Oil, Va Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Wyatts Florist, Friends of the Lower Appomattox River, Carraway Glass, Appomattox River Peanut Company, Fairfield Inn, Professional Maintenance, Hercules, Blue Ridge Mountain Sports, Parr and Abernathy Realty, The Sportsman Magazine, Virginia Home and Land Company, Jordan Point Golf Club, Shamin Hotels, Coke, Fine's Bait and Tackle, Gardner's Gate, Smurfit Stone, James River Cogentrix, Disco Sports, Firestone, Cavalier Square, Wyatts Sign Company, Butterworh's Furniture, Gale Welding and Machine Company, Hopewell PG Chamber, Debbie Randolph, County of Prince George Parks and Rec, and Hopewell Recreation and Parks.
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