The Jim Hall Memorial Trout Classic returns to Big Bear Lake next weekend, though the ever-popular fishing tournament has already sold out. As Hall’s wife Jacque, who now oversees the tournament with son Jason and volunteers, tells KBHR, “We sold out all 425 spaces by the 21st of April, and our registration forms only went out on the first.” This, the 27th annual Trout Classic, has been a fisherman’s favorite since 1983 when Jim Hall and Jerry Eden started the tournament, which has grown to include a nearly $6,000 purse. As Jacque explains, “This really is homegrown and, still, it is individuals making it happen. The entries pay for all the awards and fish, so it’s self-supporting. We will be spending $12,000 to stock the lake with trophy-sized trout, each from three to 14 pounds, and we’ve been doing this for 27 years, so there’s some big fish out there. Jim’s dream with the Trout Classic’s Fishing Association was to make Big Bear Lake a premiere trout fishery.” Anglers will take to Big Bear Lake as of 6am next Saturday, May 16 for two days of fishing, with the awards of the Jim Hall Memorial Trout Classic to be distributed in a 3:30pm ceremony at Northwoods Resort on Sunday, May 17.
Coming weeks will provide fishermen additional opportunities to participate in tournaments, as the Big Bear Lake Resort Association hosts the Fishin’ for $50K Trout Derby on May 30 and 31 (details at BigBear.com), and the Big Bear Municipal Water District hosts the 6th annual Carp Roundup on June 6 and 7, the same weekend that the Optimists Club hosts their annual Children’s Fishing Derby.