The 9th annual Fish For A Wish Trout and Bass Tournament was held at Big  Cove Resort on Saturday August 3rd, 2013.
Benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation. 

         "Anglers Help Grant Wishes"

  Embodying the spirit of the Make-a-Wish Foundation, the ninth annual Fish for a Wish tournament raised over $70,000 on August 3rd to grant the wishes of five terminally ill children. 
  Anglers were up bright and early on the shores of Big Cove Resort and Marina, waiting in anticipation to cast their lines in support of making these wishes come true.
  As soon as the horn blew at 6 a.m., the light of the sunrise guided dozens of boats into Lake Almanor for a day of competitive fishing. Anglers were divided into teams of one or more people. Each team member had until noon to catch at least three fish, which were then sized up and compared against the totals caught by other teams.
  First- through third-place winners were selected in three different categories: kids, bass and trout/salmon. Winners were chosen based on each team’s total catch weight, which was calculated by weighing the team’s three biggest fish.
  Teams were also eligible to enter side pot competitions, which included biggest rainbow, biggest brown and biggest salmon.
  A total of $2,000 in cash prizes were paid out to the top winners. The amount each team received was based on a percentage of the total participants registered in each individual category; the biggest payout was $400.
Kids:
  Junior anglers were allowed to use their largest single fish as a basis for determining the winners.
  For his catch of a 4-pound 5-ounce brown trout, Derek Beckman won first place in the kids category. Talon Pleau’s 2-pound 10-ounce rainbow took second; and C.J. Weseloh’s 2-pound 3-ounce salmon earned third place.
Bass:
  With a total team weight of 11.4 pounds, Ken Sayer and Tom Oxford won first place in the bass category. According to tournament founder A.J. Casella, the team earned the highest payout of $400. 
  Justin Sparle and Robert Tibbett came in second with a total team weight of 7.6 pounds; and George Snook and Justin Botini caught a total of 3 pounds, earning them third place.
Trout/Salmon:
  Earning first place in the trout and salmon category, Doug Neal and Rod Overstreet’s total team catch weight was 9 pounds 15 ounces. 
  Placing second with a total catch of 9 pounds10 ounces was Paul Casella, Don Casella and Bill Demello.
  Jeff Rioux and Chuck Reeves’ catch weighed in at 9 pounds 8 ounces and earned third place.
Side Pots:
  Don Casella’s 4.4-pound rainbow earned him the pot for biggest rainbow.
  Doug Neal and Rod Overstreet’s brown was named biggest brown.
  Duncan McIntyre caught the biggest salmon, weighing 2.6 pounds.
Other Details:
  A total of 85 anglers participated in this year’s tournament and approximately 400 visitors were there showing their support.
  Through entry fees, in-kind donations, giveaway ticket purchases and silent auction bids, the event raised over $70,000. 
  Two raffles were conducted: one included various items donated by local business and sponsors; and the other was a grand prize drawing for a 46-inch Sony LED television.
  The highest bid-upon item for the silent auction was a seasonal campsite at Big Cove. It was sold at its approximate value of $3,500.
  In the upcoming weeks, A.J. Casella will be choosing five wishes to grant. The details will be posted on the event website, and Twitter and Facebook feeds.
  “I think the event always embodies what the Make-a-Wish Foundation stands for. Everyone who participated in the event could surely feel a personal connection with the foundation, and were able to see the benefits their support makes,” said Casella.
Article by Samantha P. Hawthorne -
 Staff Writer Chester Progressive

The date is set for 2014, it is August 2nd.

Entry forms, donations or auction item/prizes can be sent to:
Big Cove Resort
442 Peninsula Drive
Lake Almanor, CA.
96137