MCAA charter members Mike Olinger and Frank Rink took first and second place respectively in the “Rough Fish” Division of the 2009 Kankakee River Valley Fishing Derby sponsored by the Northern Illinois Anglers Association.


The ten-day event, which ran from June 26 through July 5, 2009 had nearly 300 entries and featured a venue that spanned the Kankakee River and its tributaries on a 70+ mile stretch from the Indiana border to the river’s confluence with the DesPlaines River near Joliet.

The race could not have been closer with the two top fish weighing within one ounce of each other! Mike’s 16-8 winning carp was caught with just an hour to go on the last day of the tournament (7/5/09) and was captured in the exact same spot that Frank had landed the 16-7 second-place carp on the first day of the event (6/26/09).


A mid-tourney cold front and a deluge on July 4 that had Mike scaling a mud-mountain bank with the aid of ropes tied to trees kept the numbers and sizes down, but we did manage to take the top two spots.

Mike took home the Champion’s plaque and $250 for his 16-8 carp, and he joined the ranks of previous Kankakee River Valley Derby Rough Fish Champions Bill Hodge, Ed DeLabre III, and Danny Davison.


Frank’s 16-7 won him a $100 prize for the biggest rough fish on Derby Dollar Days' “Buffalo Roamin’ Day” (6/26) and also earned an additional $150 for the second biggest carp overall.


It was a fun event at an idyllic setting, and we invite other MCAA members to enter the derby next year!


Click here for the official tournament leaderboard.

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