Well, now we know: "Big Al," the $15,000 first-prize fish in the annual Hot Springs Fishing Challenge, is swimming the waters of Lake Hamilton.
So, that reveal should help anglers wanting to land the bluegill for big money at least not waste time elsewhere.
The AGFC stocked 71 different, tagged fish covering five species into Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine in late April in the lead-up to the Fishing Challenge.
Anglers have until 5 p.m. July 31 to land "Big Al" or any of the other remaining tagged fish in the event, put on by Visit Hot Springs.
Not only did Visit Hot Springs offer the precise lake to fish for "Big Al," they even revealed the GPS coordinates of where he was released in April: N 34 degrees, 28.968, W 93 degrees, 07.680.
Going by two years ago, when "Big Al" was caught (he was a she and a largemouth bass that year), this year's prize could be within a mile or so of where it was released. Or not. What do we know? It's a bluegill. And it has an orange tag.
Good luck.
At last check, 24 of the 71 prize fish had been caught in this year's challenge, totaling $24.500 in prize money. Anyone can participate in the contest as long as he or she has a valid Arkansas fishing license if age 16 and older.
Besides "Big Al,' there are three fish out there in Catherine or Hamilton worth $5,000 each, and 30 that are worth $1,000 each, plus 13 more with $500 tags.
The species, besides the "Big Al" bluegill, are channel catfish, white bass, redear sunfish and largemouth bass.
And, besides the cash prizes, there is other merchandise to win from the co-sponsors: Mister Crappie, FLW, Luck E Strike and the AGFC.
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