FISH FOR A WISH

KNIK — This year’s Gettin Jiggy 2010 Kids Ice Fishing Derby at Knik Lake surpassed last year’s attendance numbers and temperature by noon Saturday. With more than 300 kid participants signed up and sunny, clear weather, this year’s derby was one heck of a fish tale.

Participants were in good moods with several making fires, grilling out, helping their children fish and setting up for the afternoon games of ice bowling, distance casting and backyard bass fishing sponsored by the Mat-Su Angler.

The derby, in it’s second year, was set up by angler Paul Reed of themasterangler.com, who wants to help get kids and families around the Mat-Su Valley familiar with fishing and benefit the Alaska Make a Wish foundation.

“You know, my dad taught me to fish and I wanted to help teach other people, so we teamed up with the Alaska Make a Wish Foundation to help benefit kids and just went from there,” he said. “Plus, it is a way to help get your butt up off the couch in the winter and do something.”

For little fishermen and women like Brodie Young, 5, and Lauren Hobbins, 4, the chance to peer down an ice fishing hole was more than they could ask for. Young, who was manning the pole, said he had some bites but had not caught anything yet. But for his partner Hobbins, who was on the lookout for fish swimming by, things were looking up. One hole over her dad, Bill, was pulling out a small 4-inch trout.

The event wasn’t all fishing, however. Mark and Robin Bratten with Expedition Log Homes held a hand ice auger contest and kids geo caching lessons around the lake. Busch Whacker Decoys’ Greg Busch had an underwater camera set up for a glimpse of what it looks like beneath the ice. He also had a fish spearing pole in case someone wanted to try and spear a fish.

The event itself was set up for kids and families to have a fishing experience that was more fun than work. For those with no experience or gear there were lessons provided with poles.

Julie Busch of Busch Whacker Decoys said there were a lot of single parents who just didn’t have gear or the know-how, so an was area set up for short lessons.

“We had some holes drilled and ready and provided them with the poles,” she said.

For a single parent who hasn’t fished, he or she might not have wanted to buy a pole. There were a lot of people who showed up but just didn’t have gear.

Nicole Sheldon, regional director for Make a Wish, said the fishing derby is a big help.

“A lot of people are under the assumption that since we are able to grant so many wishes to kids each year that we are a wealthy foundation,” Sheldon said. “But hat really is not so. It takes about $5,000 on average to help grant a child a wish, so we are hoping that all of today’s proceeds can go to helping a child.”

Sheldon is quick to acknowledge and thank Reed for his hard work.

“Paul really got this thing going and put together. He did all the work, all the public relation, he contacted all the sponsors and did all the marketing,” she said.

This year’s event raised more than $4,500.

“It was a lot bigger than I expected.” Reed said. “It went really well. We had people in motorhomes camped on the lake last night waiting for the start when I showed up at 6:30 this morning.”

It is all for the kids, Reed said. “We’re really out here to have kids helping kids, and 100 percent of (the) derby’s proceeds are donated to the Make a Wish Foundation.”

With this year’s turnout a success, plans are to hold the event again next year, Reed said.

The overall winner Saturday was Travis Recer, 9, with a 22-inch trout. Second place was Jordan Kofoad, 11, with a 21-inch trout and third place was 12-year-old Blake Umhauer’s 20.5-inch trout.

Those interested in helping the Make a Wish Foundation grant a child’s wish can contact Sheldon at 907-258-9476 or visit www.northwestwishes.org.

Frontiersman intern Lanier Hutcheson contributed to this story.