Anglers reeled in some big fish over the weekend in the 27th annual Jim Hall Memorial Trout Classic and, tells event organizer Jacque Hall, “We had a 13.83 pound fish! It was actually the second largest fish ever caught during the tournament.” The largest fish caught in the trout classic was, back in 1995, a 14.69 pounder, which is also the record for Big Bear Lake (as confirmed by the Municipal Water District, of those catches that have been documented). But this year’s title belongs to George Burruss of San Diego, whose 13.83 pound catch earned him first place and the top prize of $2,025 in the annual event, which is run by the Hall family and the volunteers of the Fishing Association. Other top finishers in the Jim Hall Memorial were Randy Willis of Apple Valley (whose 6.8 pound catch netted him over $1100) and Alan Sharp of Big Bear Lake (with a 6.15 pound trout), with Kenneth Marshall of Glendora, Joan Eaton of Running Springs, Neal Stueve of Monrovia, Erik Anderson of Riverside, Gary Trumpler of Big Bear City, and Marlin Johnson of Grand Terrace rounding out the top nine. Jacque Hall tells KBHR, “We had such a great turnout, and the awards ceremony was phenomenal.” In addition to cash prizes and plaques for the top nine adult anglers, rods and reels, as well as trophies, were presented to those in the Junior division, ages 12 to 15, and the 11-and-under Pee Wees. Adds Hall, “The little guys—the pee wees, we call ’em—for 5 to 11 year olds outfished the juniors.” Seven-year-old Kaelee Haggerty of Redlands (whose mom Cheri works for the City of Big Bear Lake) reeled in a 5.56 pound trout, earning her first place. Other top anglers in the children’s divisions were 9-year-old Zachary Hernandez of Rialto, 11-year-old Hannah Wijnhamer of Big Bear City, 13-year-old Amanda Malinowski of San Bernardino, 14-year-old T.J. Sneath of Chino, and 15-year-old Alex Shields of Huntington Beach. As entry fees from the 27th annual Jim Hall Memorial Trout Classic allowed for $12,000 worth of trophy-sized trout to be stocked in Big Bear Lake, there are still many more out there to catch!
