Hebgen Lake NAIFC results!

[PerchAssault]

Congratulations to Shane Hofstad (Bighof) and Brent Cummings for their win at todays NAIFC. Their 6 fish weighed in at 10.51#.

Cindy and I took a close second with 9.52.

Sean Warner and Eric Wolfe traveled from Minnesota and S. Dakota to take third with 6.72

65 teams hit the ice, 25 weighed fish and only three teams weighed a limit of six rainbows.

Ice conditions were about the same as last year, with huge slush pockets, sections of frozen slush areas right next to soft slush areas...but a much nicer weather day!

Lets hit 100 teams next year. Cindy and I had never fished Hebgen before, but with some internet research, talking to locals and some hard pre-fishing, we were able to make a strong showing.

Look for www.naifc.com for complete results soon!

Mike Howe
www.aablefishing.com

[steelerod]

Congrats!! glad to see you guys were able to get away from running the show to stealing it(almost )! way to go!

[Quantoson]

Sounds like an awesome turnout and congratulations to the winners!

[bighof]

It was a heck of a good time and it was good to meed you guys Mike!

Herb (quantosan) you and your ugly ass sweater were missed this year... myabe you can talk neptune into taking that adventure with you again next season! 

I will get some pics up on here later on.

Hof

[Quantoson]

Herb (quantosan) you and your ugly ass sweater were missed this year... myabe you can talk neptune into taking that adventure with you again next season! 


Hof

I am almost finished personally sewing up my new sweater for next year.  Wear dark glasses next year cause it certainly will hurt your eyes or cause the bed-spinning nausea.

Congratulations on your win! 

[Griztrax]

Congratulations guys and gals!  Do you plan on attending the National Championship next December?  What a blast that would be!  I'm curious if anyone knows why Hebgen is the lake of choice for this tournament in Montana?  It seems odd that they would hold it at a lake that is apparently so difficult to fish?  40 of 65 teams did not even catch a fish!  It is a beautiful area in the winter and lots of winter recreation down there so it makes sense from that standpoint.  Congrats again!

[Stevedave]

I would not be so sure that 40 of 65 teams were skunked just because they did not weigh fish in. Some people may have assumed they were out of the money and chose not to even weigh their catch.  Then again, maybe they did get skunked.....

[golfmechhs]

Congrats on the win Hof. Good to meet you on Saturday. Glad to help you out with the shovel on Saturday also. Wish we could have found some fish,but it wasn't meant to be. Yes our team got skunked. We saw no one around the Marina catch any fish. Hopefully next year conditions will be better and I can get around better. Again Congrats to everyone who actually was able to get some fish.
 Arnold Team 1206

[Desperado]

 I believe the primary reason why Hebgen is the MT site for NAIFC would be
The phenomenal efforts and hospitality of Kirkwood Resort and the West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce/Tourism

[Quantoson]

I believe the primary reason why Hebgen is the MT site for NAIFC would be
The phenomenal efforts and hospitality of Kirkwood Resort and the West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce/Tourism

Big +1

Congratulations guys and gals!  Do you plan on attending the National Championship next December?  What a blast that would be!  I'm curious if anyone knows why Hebgen is the lake of choice for this tournament in Montana?  It seems odd that they would hold it at a lake that is apparently so difficult to fish?  40 of 65 teams did not even catch a fish!  It is a beautiful area in the winter and lots of winter recreation down there so it makes sense from that standpoint.  Congrats again!

NAIFC I am sure were seeking a Lake with a beautiful backdrop that had hosting potential for hotels, restaurants, low winter fishing impact and still challenging.  Just my opinion that the choice was excellent.  West Yellowstone is a real hoot and the people that live there make it that way.

[TightlineMT]

A big congratulations to Bighof, Mike and Cindy, and Kyle. They did one hell of a job getting into rainbows when it was not an easy day of fishing and even more difficult to get anywhere. I can not recall ever having that much soup on top of the ice. I have been a fishing outfitter and guide here for 20 years now and I can tell you that these teams did an outstanding job.

My team was skunked on rainbows. I lost one rainbow at the hole, lost another unknown after brief fight, and iced 2 browns. My partner had one hit. After a couple of hours I was tempted to move but after losing the auger and half our gear only a few hundred yards out of the gate in the soup... well that idea was quite temporary. It was a challenge to circle back and get within a hundred yards of the sport sled cover and auger without sinking the sled.

But it was a beautiful day and glad that there are some out there that can catch fish on my home lake. Congrats guys!

I am only kicking myself for not bidding $65 on Bighof in the calcutta!

...

[BackCountry Kyle]

Also congrats to Iceshanty team Jason Watts and FlylineMT on the big fish The slush couldn't keep that good team down!
Seems like those adverse conditions bring people together. Really enjoyed everyone's company Congrats to everyone, can't wait to compete again. It's a lot of fun when we all get together.

[PerchAssault]

We will be in St Paul for the big ice show again the first weekend in Dec, so we will most definately be making the nationals! We will also do everything WE can to help get some sponsorship so we can send as many western teams as possible. 

There are WAY too many good anglers who participated in this weekends event to not do everything possible to see the west get represented there!

And yes, the primary reason for it to be held at Hebgen is as Desparado stated...but be forewarned, there is a DISTINCT possibility that 2014 will see two NAIFC events in Montana...and Perch just might be on the menu...

Again, great job by all, and congrats to everyone who caught fish, it wasn't EZ.

Mike
www.aablefishing.com

[Desperado]

Yup; with the way an NAIFC tournament works, they need some involvement and efforts from the host community
(promotion of the event, supply venue for tourney headquarters and for the indoor portion of the kids clinic, assistance in dealing with local Dept of Fish&Wildlife/Dept of Natural Resources agencies to get tournament permits, etc, etc) 

There's a ton of preparation and a myriad of things that need to be in place which most of us never think of.

Would be great to see a "Montana community familiar with Perch tournaments" get into the mix.

[bighof]

I am only kicking myself for not bidding $65 on Bighof in the calcutta!

...

Thanks for that tightline... haha.  After taking 3rd in this tourney last year I was pretty happy that we were able to buy our own team for $60. 

It was a really fun week with lots of fiascos leading up to Sunday.  We got the opportunity to see lots of old friends and make plenty of new ones as well.  Hopefully we will be able to make the trip to MN this December to represent the west as well as Steve Stoddard and Scott Wetzel did last year.

Mike and Cindy Howe... It was great to meet you guys.  This team is the real deal people... they take fishing seriously and I think we all knew they were going to do well.  We look forward to competing against you guys again in the future. 

Kyle made a strong showing as well at 6th place! He iced 4 bows, probably would have been in the "wood" if his partner would have helped out at all!  (lol sorry Sayre) 

Only thing thgat was missing this year was Herb and Jeff! (quantosan and neptune)  No excuses next year!  Start planning now so you can make it happen!

Hof

[Desperado]

Congrats Hof
We gonna get to meet ya at Mille Lacs ?
(oops just re-read your post and saw the part where you said "hopefully you'll be able to make the trip to MN)


Hopefully you'll be able to make it, would be great to meet a few more of the up and comers from my old stompin grounds.
Kyle; it's been a couple yrs, would be fun to have you here again too.

[flylinemt]

Also congrats to Iceshanty team Jason Watts and FlylineMT on the big fish The slush couldn't keep that good team down!
Seems like those adverse conditions bring people together. Really enjoyed everyone's company Congrats to everyone, can't wait to compete again. It's a lot of fun when we all get together.

Thanks Kyle, Congrats back at you!! Congrats to the top 3 Teams & any team that ventured out onto Hebgan,what a challenging place to fish.We are planning to go back to Mille Lacs For the second year,it was a blast fishing there.Cant wait for Hebgan Tourny next year.Thanks to NIAFC & everyone at Hebgan & West Yellowstone for getting this tournament

[BackCountry Kyle]

Thanks for that tightline... haha.  After taking 3rd in this tourney last year I was pretty happy that we were able to buy our own team for $60. 

I can gaurantee that will not happen again!

I hope to make it to the finals next December. To get better at anything you have to challenge yourself and be able to learn from the best. Then to be the best,... you have to beat the best. I hope to get that opportunity....

[Desperado]

Look out NAIFC Old Guard
the "406 homies" are set to represent

[Desperado]

sorry guys, I know that ain't Montana speak (it's not MN speak either)
but when I want my NAIFC buddies from Chicago and Detroit to listen up and take note ...

[bighof]

I can gaurantee that will not happen again!

I hope to make it to the finals next December. To get better at anything you have to challenge yourself and be able to learn from the best. Then to be the best,... you have to beat the best. I hope to get that opportunity....

We gonna carpool?  haha.... get a burban and a trailer and haul the whole crew out!  We can get you set up with a couple more of Brents Custom Rods and you will be taking home the wood in no time!!

[BackCountry Kyle]

Sounds like a plan to me....I'm gonna spend some winnings on a new reel for that rod and then,...... wham! ,.. the fish will never know what hit 'em