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Pictured are from L to R: Valentine Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Dean Jacobs, first place team of Zach Nadolski and Jim Hesse, and Ice Fishing Tournament Organizer Jeff Ohlmann. -
Cork Thornton Memorial Ice Fishing Tournament results -
Cork Thornton Memorial Ice Fishing Tournament results -
Pictured above is John Nadolski is holding the Big Catfish which weighed in at 12.38 lbs. At left top is a group getting the job done. On the far left is Chris Elliott who got the Big Bluegill which weighed at .50 lbs. Bottom left is a youth from Lincoln who learned that it takes a lot of patients to fish all day and not catch anything. Is a bad day fishing better than chores? Photos by Laura Vroman
Over 30 different towns were represented from three states: Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming, that participated in the annual Valentine Chamber of Commerce Cork Thornton Ice Fishing Tournament, Saturday, February 20, 2021.
The tournament had been postponed from January when there was not a bit of ice due to winds and warm temperatures. “This has been an unusual year. There’s only been one other time we had to cancel and that was because we didn’t have any ice. You don’t get ice back when it’s been gone like that. On the plus side of that, we started out from scratch. It was all good ice. We call that new ice - which is stronger and better,” said Valentine Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Dean Jacobs.
What they lost was teams. Last year there were 80 and he suspects that there could have been that many this year if the date hadn’t been postponed. But 50 teams, and new ice had the director “extremely pleased.”
The winners are as follows:
1st -Zach Nadolski, Jim Hesse, 23.48 lbs.
2nd – Dan Priel, Kent Priel, 19.58 lbs.
3rd – Aaron Hoffman, Paul Kautz, 19.03 lbs.
4th – Nathan Lindstedt, Tyler Britt, 17.89 lbs.
5th – Nick Larsen, Jay Elliott, 16.96 lbs.
6th – Steve Kerr, Scott Grooms, 16.42 lbs.
7th – Ted Lindstedt, Brandon Lindstedt, 16.41 lbs.
8th- Rusty Hagedorn, Scott Ladley, 15.84 lbs. 9th – JinLee Sayaloune, John
9th – JinLee Sayaloune, John Sayaloune, 15.42 lbs.
10th – Dan Beberniss, Jake Thornton, 14.76 lbs.
Big Fish Awards
Big Perch – Aaron Hoffman 1 lb.
Big Bluegill – Chris Elliott .50 lbs.
Big Crappie – Steve Kerr 1.42 lbs.
Big Bass – Aiden Thornton 3.35 lbs.
Big Catfish – John Nadolski 12.38 lbs. Big Rock Bass – Chris Elliott
Big Rock Bass – Chris Elliott .76 lbs.
Big Walleye – Lisa Mitchell 3.17 lbs.
Valentine Chamber of Commerce Board Member and Chairman of the Ice Fishing Tournament Jeff Ohlmann was also pleased, but not so surprised with the first place winning team. They’re a well known duo in the upper Midwest fishing circuit.
