in order to pave the way for such a fun time. To each of them, I am eternally grateful.
And our contestants were the best; overall, they brought in a couple of hundred pounds of mudfish throughout the day to be weighed in and all hung out, exchanging tips on mudfish angling as well as recipes and cooking tips. So much kindness and brotherly love everywhere, including our youth contestants.
Our first-place winner with the heaviest fish of the day, was Reece Bud. The second-place winner, with a handsome mudfish, was James Metcalf and Quinton Fuller finished third with a big old mud and an even bigger smile.
The youth contestants only had two participants turning in fish and Tanner Martin won with a real dandy of a mudfish, with Jim Dixon taking the number two spot with a last-minute catch. Jim’s mother told him, you were really lucky to catch that fish at the last minute. He answered her, “It wasn’t luck. God blessed me with that fish.”
Our winners each walked away with a beautiful trophy, courtesy of our Hernando Sun family, donated gifts and an envelope stuffed with money. I’d say that’s an incentive to come back next year and, again, try to break that record!
To everyone so generously associated with this event, I thank you. I love you and I pray you’ll be looking forward to the 2nd Mudfish Challenge as much as I will be. I am only too keenly aware that this 1st Annual Toby Benoit Mudfish Challenge nearly became the Toby Benoit Memorial Challenge. I was mighty weak still, but I am healing and growing stronger each day; next year, I plan to be a brand new man. Wait and see!
Any questions, comments or anything you’d like to share, reach out to me at [email protected]. God bless and good hunting….and fishing!
