Dixon lands catfish tourney
DIXON - The city has reeled in a big catch that has the potential to be a money maker. A catfish tournament sponsored by national outdoor sports retailer Cabela's will be held June 6, local tourism officials said Friday. The event will be a part of the Cabela's "King Kat Tournament Trail," which runs March through October with other stops in Texas, Alabama, Missouri and Kentucky. The catch-and-release tourney could bring at least $70,000 to the local economy by luring anglers from around the country, who will be spending money at restaurants, hotels and gas stations, organizers said. "Typically with these tournaments, you'll have guys that aren't from this area come in and going to spend 2, 3 or 4 days pre-fishing because they don't know the river, they don't know the spots," said Dave Rodebaugh, owner of Kodiak Outdoor Sports. "It's going to be huge. We want to promote this as big as possible." At least $10,000 in prizes will be awarded, based on participation of at least 30 two-person teams. The more teams that participate, the more award money there will be. "It is about time the Rock River gets this kind of publicity, both locally and nationally," said Colleen Brechon, president of the Dixon Tourism Board. Dixon will be the center of the tournament; participants will be able to fish the Rock from Rockford to Rock Island. "You've got a big [portion] of water to fish," said local guide Matt Jones of Prophetstown tournament organizer and owner of the online Catfish Academy. "It gives the impression of largeness. Anybody could win this tournament, and it presents the challenge that most bodies of waters don't, with all the deep runs and all the shallow water." Cabela's approached Jones about having a tournament in northern Illinois. "They've been trying to get in to the northern part of the country," Jones said. "A lot of the northern fisherman get left out of this because of the popularity of fishing in the south." Organizers would like to see the tournament, which is open to anyone, become an annual event. They also hope to put together a festival to take place the same weekend. "This is going to be a huge," Jones said. "This will be bigger than the Petunia Festival, either the first year or the second year. That's a great thing. You've got two great festivals in the same town; you've got the people who like flowers and people who like fish." Kids can sign up to release the catfish back into the river after they are weighed. "Not one of these fish that is caught in this tournament will die," Jones said. "Every one of these fish is released."
