Just slayin' at the ice fishing fest

With the success of the third annual Just Slayin Outdoors Ice Fest fishing tournament, organizer Doug DeBoer Jr envisions a strong future for the sport and the community.

This was the first year entrance to this competition involved a fee, but DeBoer's reasoning is not to make a profit, but to encourage growth and interest in the annual tournament.

"The last two years, it's been a free event – no entry fees. You just pretty much show up and fish," DeBoer explains.

"This year, we decided to make it a little bit bigger. People wanted to play for money, so I went around and got door prizes from all my sponsors again and we got 35 entries at $40 a team; we had $1400 that we paid right back out to everybody."

The prizes included fishing rods, underwater cameras, lures, tackles, heaters, sleds and certificates for groceries from the local market as well as "R" Place Bar and Grill.

"Bait and tackle companies from across the nation donated to us," he says.

The construct of this year's tournament was more oriented to the actual sport, according to DeBoer.

"I did not do 'little kid' categories this year because we are playing for money. Kids can sign up, but the kids still paid because we are doing a tournament," he says.

He explains that the kids who compete receive raffle tickets just like the adult competitors and could win cash and were part of the drawing at the end of the day. At this event, an underwater camera was the final prize to be given in the raffle, "That was our biggest prize and a kid won the camera."

DeBoer is passionate about fishing and is already planning for the next competition.

"Next year's going to be bigger. We're going to do one division, I believe. We're going to make a crappy division and go bigger with entry fees and get bigger sponsors..." he says.

"My main goal, right now, is to get people who are real competitors and...want to come out to Keyhole. Hopefully, we invite people from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and New York, places like these and bring them down here... and help Moorcroft and Pine Haven generate revenue during the wintertime, when it's super slow."

Why does the fishing enthusiast love the sport?

"If it wasn't for ice fishing, I wouldn't be here today, I wouldn't have the family and things that I do. It's nice to see people get out, get off their phones and do something good for not only themselves, but for their kids and their community," he says.

"Why do I do it? Why do I put myself through all this stress? Because I like to see people happy. I like to see people not on drugs and alcohol. I was an alcoholic and drug addict and fishing saved my life. I come from a crazy past and I'm sure a lot of fishermen do; that's why we all love the sport so much and we're all so passionate about it. That's why I do it."

The avid ice fisherman is just beginning to see the realization of the next step of his efforts.

"I've worked my butt off for four years to grow my group. I've actually just hit four years of doing my fishing thing with the group, the logo and the brand I'm creating for myself," he says.

"One of my good friends, Rick Weight, prints and designs all my graphics and helped me organize this entire event this year. He reached out and got some pretty big sponsors; if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be as far as I am. We have people from across the nation watching us right now. I have huge sponsors that help us every year."

Over 100 fish were caught during the event. After the tournament, according to Wyoming law, said DeBoer, the fish are considered a harvest catch and are kept or shared by the fishermen who caught them.

Winning teams were Master Baiter with a 17 ¼ inch walleye; Frigid Fishers with a 12 ½ inch crappie; Fat Slabs with an 18-inch bass; Auger Jockeys with a 10 ½ inch perch; Croppie Goblins with a 34 total inch croppie stringer; and Shanty Droppers with a 40-inch multi-species stringer.