Win $10,000 in Cash!

The chamber of commerce of a small town in New Mexico is offering a $10,000 cash prize for anyone who catches a state record smallmouth bass.

As a member of the Elephant Butte Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors and an avid angler, Ron Gilworth conceived the Angler Challenge.

In 2006, Cale Sanders set a state record of 7 pounds, 3 ounces at Ute Lake, but he believes Elephant Butte Reservoir has a smallmouth capable of challenging it.

As the largest lake in New Mexico, Elephant Butte, containing 36,500 acres, has produced some nice smallmouth.

A neutral witness must witness the weighing and measuring of the potential record fish in New Mexico.

A side-view photograph is also required. http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/fishing/fishing-challenges/record-fish-award/

“But the last five years, nobody had a place to go weigh fish,” Gilworth told the paper. “If you walk downtown to a meat market, the fish would probably die. I know when somebody catches a champion fish, they want to keep them and mount them. But we want to practice catch and release when possible.”

Therefore, not only did the business boosters of this town of 1,400 provide the prize money, but they also installed a certified mobile scale in the Butte General Store.

Call them, and they’ll send someone to the boat ramp for an official weigh-in. (Ask nicely, and they might even deliver Stephanie’s Gut Grenade Burritos.)

Anglers appear to be eagerly biting the hook, according to Gilworth who is seeing more boats and bank anglers frequenting the lake than he has in years.

Smallmouth bass have been biting well on creature baits and Senkos, although no one has yet made a serious attempt at breaking the state record.

Fishing must take place during daylight hours, as dictated by the rules which can be viewed at the Chamber of Commerce office and various business establishments.

The weightier of any two fish that set records together will be deemed the winner, so there won’t be an announcement until September 30th when the contest ends at sundown.

Until then, the opportunity for reeling in a bronzeback bounty remains available.

 

Sources: Fieldstream