Fishing from a Subaru and 3 other Insane Fishing Competitions
Daniel Xu 02.29.16
How is that Subaru still floating? Or more importantly, are they actually landing any fish? If you ever find yourself asking these questions, you may be at one of the most insane fishing contests in the world. Fishing competitions, whether they be from a boat, kayak, on shore or ice, can already be high-octane events, but these tournaments take it to a whole new level. Here, we have listed the four craziest fishing tournaments we can think of. Did we miss any? What is one competition you believe should belong on this list?
The one where you run, fish, and drink beer
If trailrunning, fly fishing, and drinking craft beer all sound like activities you want to combine into a single sport, than this competition may be for you. It’s called the Rocky Mountain Flyathlon, and it will be sure to tie your stomach into all sorts of knots.
Held since 2013—although unofficially—the Flyathlon is actually governed by a strict set of rules. For example, during the 2015 events, rules stated “please don’t be a jack ass,” and “pretending to enjoy yourself in order to be fresh for the actual race may result in a DQ.” Keep in mind that these events are officially permitted by the US Forest Service, and have been taking place across Idaho and Colorado.
You can catch a glimpse of the marathon in the video below, or read more about its rules on the official website here.
The one where you beat carp with bats
Asian carp are a menace, and unfortunately, they aren’t exactly too receptive to being caught on rod and reel. So what’s the solution? Well, bringing bats of course! The so-called Redneck Fishing Tournament in Bath, Illinois is famous for having banned fishing poles from its annual carp-hunting contest, where the tools of the trade are nets, or if you’re feeling adventurous, just about anything. Of course, this doesn’t appeal to everyone—and not a few find some of the methods distasteful—but the tournament does bring attention to the Asian carp problem in Illinois.
Other smaller off-shoots of the original have sprung up, including ones where people have resorted to using medieval weaponry on the fish. Remember, just because it’s legal does not always mean it’s safe or encouraged. As much as we all want Asian carp put of our rivers, bringing a cheap, gift shop katana to the fight will only do so much.
You can watch a video of the 2014 event below:
The one with 10,000 ice fishermen
The annual Ice Fishing Extravaganza in Minnesota’s Gull Lake is nothing too out of the ordinary. At least, if you don’t consider the fact that it draws more than 10,000 anglers to the lake, fishing out of 20,000 holes and raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity. If you’re the sort of angler who likes their privacy, than this mega-event may not be for you.
You can read more about the Ice Fishing Extravaganza from a first-hand account here, or catch a glimpse of the world’s largest icefishing competition below:
The one where you “improvise”
Have you ever tried fishing out of a Subaru or a used couch? They are not exactly the most practical ocean-faring vessels—not that a new couch would be much better either. Last year coastguards in Auckland, Australia shut down a tournament where the goal was to catch fish out of the most improbable vessel ever, and the list included cars, furniture, a stack of tires, random objects pulled by dinghies, and other improvised vessels. There was also a bit of racing involved.
Despite the obvious dangers involved, contestants said the unnamed event had actually run for several years. The coastguard chided the anglers but did not issue any tickets, and noted that the boaters had been wearing life jackets. Participants said that safety was a main concern.
You can see the Subaru get into the water below:
