Senior Citizens Free Fishing Day

Senior Citizen’s Free Fishing Day

Wednesday July 14^th the South Dakota Walleye Classic & Festival and several sponsor’s from surrounding Town’s hosted a Senior Citizen’s Free Fishing Day.

There were 38 Senior Citizens registered and gathered by 9:00 a.m.  at the Akaska Bait Shop with 15 Guides with Boats, and a group of volunteer’s to help get all of the people down to the Boat Dock at Swan Creek, and get loaded on boats and pontoon’s.

The weather forecast was for 10 to 20 mph northwest winds later in the day, and the fishing report was good fishing on the Swan Creek sand bar. So 15 boats got loaded and headed for the sand bar, as they rounded the corner at the mouth of Swan Creek into the Missouri River, the winds were blowing at least 20 to 30 with some gusts higher. Some boats turned around and went into Swan Creek out of the wind and began fishing, while other’s braved the winds and drifted the sand bar. By 11:00 most all the boats and pontoons were in Swan Creek out of the gusty 40 mph wind. The senior’s were all having a bafun, being in a boat on the water, and some local senior’s had never been on the Missouri River in a boat. I think everyone caught fish (except Marie Starks), and by 12:30 everyone was heading to the boat dock to load up and head into Akaska for lunch. It had been decided because of the wind to have lunch at the Community Center instead of at the Swan Creek campground.

Jim Houck and his volunteer’s were waiting for all those hungry fishermen & women to get in line for some of the best “Pork Sandwiches” with salad, chips, watermelon and your choice of drinks. A special cake provided by Payless Foods of Mobridge with the South Dakota Walleye Classic & Festival logo was topping on a very good lunch. A group picture was taken, and we sent all the Senior’s home looking forward to next year’s Senior Citizen’s Free Fishing Day.