Stacey Penny of Hot Springs almost threw away a thousand bucks Sunday while fishing on Lake Hamilton.
Lucky for him, he didn't toss back the largemouth bass he'd just caught. He put the fish into his ice chest with some others. Only later did he spot the purple tag on the bass.
Penny called the phone number on the tag and learned he was $1,000 richer after landing prize fish No. 7 in the 2017 $86,000 Hot Springs Fishing Challenge.
It was the seventh fish caught so far in the 2017 Fishing Challenge and the fourth prize fish taken this year from Lake Hamilton.
Fifty-four prize fish worth $80,500 remain in Lake Catherine and Lake Hamilton including the elusive $15,000 Big Al.
The sixth annual Hot Springs Fishing Challenge will end at 5 p.m. on June 30. Big Al is the name given to a fish, this year a largemouth bass, bearing a lucky $15,000 2017 Fishing Challenge tag. Since the Challenge began in 2012, no one has ever caught Big Al. In 2016 Big Al was worth $10,000.
Big Al's species was revealed on May 1 and additional clues will be given out during June about Big Al if he has not been caught.
"We are continuing our great partnership with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, which has worked so well for us for the last five years," said Steve Arrison, CEO of Visit Hot Springs.
For additional information call Arrison at 501-321-2027.
Sports on 06/06/2017