Big Bear, Ca, April 21, 2011, 4:00pm – In 1983 two men decided they wanted to create a trout tournament to help bring people to the Big Bear Valley in the springtime between the ski season, and summer. These two men were Jerry Eden and Jim Hall, and the tournament they created, then called the May Trout Classic, has become a major event in the Big Bear Valley for the past 29 years. Now known as the Jim Hall Memorial May Trout Classic, after the passing of Hall in 2001, this event brings thousands of people to the Big Bear Valley every year. “People plan their vacations around this,” said Jacque Hall, “This year we have people coming from as far as Oklahoma and Kansas to participate.” Jacque, the late Jim Hall’s wife, and their son Jason, with the help of countless volunteers, continue to organize and promote the event that Jim created. There is a maximum of 500 entrants each year, and many years they have filled all the spots. For this year’s event there are only 150 spots left, so interested parties should sign up now. Entry fees are $65 per person, with two divisions for children, who can join in the fun for free if a relative is participating in the tournament. The top nine anglers will split an $8,000 cash purse. Entry applications are available at Big Bear Sporting Goods, Big Bear Marina, the MWD offices, and Holloway’s Marina, or you can download one from the website at maytroutclassic.com.
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