By LuAnn Schindler
Publisher
40th annual tournament draws 35 teams
Belik, Brandt win Royal ice fishing tourney
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January 12, 2023
Clay Curtis | For SAM
Jigging • An unidentified contestant checks a line in a hole during Sunday's Royal Fire Department Ice Fishing Tournament at Grove Lake. Brock Belik and Justin Brandt caught 12.75 pounds of fish to edge out second-place finishers Corey Curtis and Max Hieter, who caught 12.09 pounds.
Brock Belik and Justin Brandt, of Orchard, caught 12.75 pounds of fish during Sunday's Royal ice fishing tournament at Grove Lake, sponsored by the Royal Volunteer Fire Department.
The poundage was enough to tip the scales in the duo's favor. The second-place team, Corey Curtis and Max Hieter, of Royal, caught 12.09 pounds.
Derek Price and Rod Jonson, of Pierce, finished third, with 11.83 pounds.
Spencer Strope, of Orchard, and Tanner Hart, of Clearwater, caught 11.74 pounds, finishing in fourth place.
Jeremy Kumm and May Kichler, of Osmond, finished fifth. The duo caught 11.54 pounds.
Sixth place went to Bryan Bittner and Paul Bailey. Their bounty weighed in at 10.81 pounds.
LuAnn Schindler
Angler awards • Winners in the Royal Ice Fishing Tournament gather with their hardware, Sunday, at the Royal Auditorium. After fishing at Grove Lake, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., contestants weighed their catches outside the auditorium, under the watchful eye of the area Nebraska Game and Parks officer. Members of Royal's volunteer fire department weighed and recorded catches and presented awards.
Mike Hoferer and James Hoferer finished seventh, with catches totaling 10.56 pounds.
Jeff Macke and Rick Brandt took home the eighth-place trophies, with a total of 10.32 pounds.
While no trout were caught during the tournament, blue gill, perch, bass and crappie were considered in- species fish categories.
The biggest blue gill weighed .77 pounds; perch, .65; bass, 3.38; and crappie .84.
Since fishing is a lifelong activity, the Royal Volunteer Fire Department presented awards to the oldest and youngest competitors. Max Hieter, 79, of Royal, earned the award for the oldest competitor.
Bayne won the youngest female award. She is five years old.
Joseph Sabata, age 5, was awarded the youngest male fisherman trophy.
The 2024 Royal ice fishing tournament is scheduled for Jan. 14, dependent on weather and ice conditions.
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