The Big One Is Here!

One of the biggest and best fishing and family events of Arizona’s Centennial year is coming soon to Pleasant Harbor, Lake Pleasant, Ariz. Save March 16 through 18 for three fun-packed days of fishing, outdoor competitions, and activities for everyone, young and old (and in between).

The list for this event (no, make it these events) just keeps growing and growing, thanks to Kim Carter, general manager of Bill Luke Chrysler Jeep Dodge RAM; Don McDowell, event director of Bill Luke Bass Days and host of Shake, Rattle & Troll radio, and his large range of sponsors and participants.

Of course, there is fishing, fishing, fishing! There are IGFA seminars, bass competitions, kids’ fishing and casting events, fishing with military vets and their kids, crawfish fishing, striper angling, and bow-fishing for Carp.

And, the kids will be front and center during Bill Luke Bass Days. Besides their own fishing events, for them there are pedal cars, mountain-climbing wall, saw-dust piles and prizes, hot-dog races, wildlife classes, and some boat rides, just to name a few.

McDowell provided Western Outdoor Times/Arizona Boating & Watersports with a bullet-points listing of all aspects of Bill Luke Bass Days, as they stood at press time. There may be some changes and additions, but the following are currently in the works:

• Big Bass (Large and Small Mouth) hourly weigh-ins and $30,000 in cash prizes; big bass and T-shirt option cash; Biggest Bass overall takes home $10,000.00; $5,000.00 in Bonus Cash,

• Striper and bow fishing competition,

• Fishing and IGFA seminars: John Campbell, IGFA; Jerry Tate, JT’s Guide Service

• Kids’ fishing and mountain bike races, saw dust piles and prizes,

• Kids’ hot-dog races,

• Adult mountain bike races over our brand new 3.5-mile course, Endurance Race, Beginners’, Intermediate and Expert classes,

• Desert “Runners” competition over the desert terrain,

• Bow hunters’ Hidden Target and Smoker Round courses,

• Kids’ casting events,

• Sport-fishing education,

• Boating safety,

• Invasive species education,

• US Coast Guard boat inspections,

• FLW National Guard kids’ rock-climbing wall, pedal cars, Hum Vee, various other military displays,

• USS Arizona scale-model exhibits

• Fishing with military veterans and their kids,

• AZGFD geo-caching course,

• Kids’ crawfish fishing, use and consumption,

• Western Outdoor Times/Arizona Boating & Watersports 501 3c project: “Rock The Boat”

• Wildlife watching with Sandy Cates (Adobe Mountain Wildlife Center) around Lake Pleasant. Cates will conduct a short class to identify different animals and birds found in the area; the kids earn a patch and a boat ride to find the wildlife about which they have just learned.

• Food, beverages, snacks and products vendors,

• 12,000-square-foot vendors’ tent,

• Advertised on KNIX 102.5 FM, updates, tips and interviews on Shake, Rattle & Troll Radio KFNX 1100 AM and Voice of Veterans Radio NBC 1260 AM

• Lots of serious fun, competition and cash!