Event winners announced
By John Faucher
Flood waters from the rising Wolf River began to lap against the sides of the pavilion at Riverside Park by 4 p.m. Sunday, April 21.
Whopper Weekend volunteers had already quietly began packing up and disassembling event gear in an effort to beat the rising water.
By nightfall, the pavilion was consumed with water, and the half-flooded parking lot was empty.
David Pavwoski, a director for the New London Fish and Game Club, said 256 fish were registered in this year’s three-day contest. It was the second lowest number of fish registered in the event’s 42-year history.
“We pretty much paralleled 2008,” Pavwoski said.
That year, anglers registered 255 fish and also set the record for the least amount of fish registered in a single day with 63.
2005 holds the record for the most fish registered in a single day, 626, and the most fish registered over three days, 1,775.
New London Fish and Game Club President Tim DeShaney said the club has maintained fish registration records since the event began in 1978.
Anglers earn a free ticket in the raffle drawing for every fish they register.
Trophies are given away for the longest walleye, longest one-day stringer, longest three-day stringer and longest bass.
“There has never been a 30-inch walleye registered at Whopper Weekend,” DeShaney said. “Although through the years a few have come close.”
Josh Schuh of New London registered a 27 1/2-inch walleye to win the 2019 longest fish prize.
Ten-year old Charles Hedtke of Freedom won the longest one-day stringer award with five walleye measuring 120 1/2 inches.
Wayne Buskirk of New London won the longest three-day stringer prize with a catch of 310 1/2 inches.
Darrel Buskirk of New London caught the longest bass measuring 19 1/2 inches.
DeShaney said fishermen success each year depends largely on Mother Nature, water temperatures and levels.
“I think the high water this year was a factor for fishermen,” DeShaney said.
A snowstorm April 11 cooled water temperatures quickly and put the river back on the rise leading up to Whopper Weekend.
By Sunday, club members were watching the water encroach on the pavilion as the event came to a close.
Event cleanup went swiftly after the 4 p.m. raffle drawing.
“It held off just long enough for us to get things cleaned up,” said DeShaney. “The good Lord was shining down on us for that.”
Jim Hoffman of New London would agree. He won the grand prize Polaris Ranger UTV.
Hoffman was eating Easter dinner with his family Sunday evening when he received the call informing him he won.
“At first I thought they were kidding me. I didn’t believe them,” Hoffman said.
By 5 p.m. he was sitting in the front seat of his new $10,600 side-by-side UTV with his wife Cheryl.
“Oh, man. I’m on top of the world right now,” Hoffman said with an ear-to-ear grin.