The Village of Ephraim’s Marinas and Moorings Committee met on Wednesday morning, with the main topic of how to handle overflow traffic from professional fishing tournaments like the one held in Sturgeon Bay last month. Roy Ehlquist from Wilson’s Ice Cream Shop petitioned the committee specifically about having to barricade off a lot dedicated to his establishment from overflow trailer parking at the marina. Members noted that having a nationally prominent event in the heart of the summer season created significant problems. Administrator Brent Bristol says Ephraim’s elevation changes make remote parking difficult.
The issues happened the weekend before the tournament. Once it kicked off, all participants launched from the host city, in this case, Sturgeon Bay. Some ideas that were presented included new signage on the state highway warning fishermen that parking on the shoulder could result in the towing of their trailers by the Department of Transportation. Additionally, an ordinance mandating that the tournament organizers provide transportation from downtown parking to the marina via shuttle was suggested. No final determination was made, and the committee will be reaching out to Gary Nault of Sturgeon Bay to see what kind of regional cooperation can be done.
Major League Fishing was supposed to have the event in Vermont, but COVID-19 restrictions forced it to relocate. The tournament was a smashing success from a results perspective. Several records were set for the amount of bass reeled in, both on an individual and cumulative basis. A return visit is expected from the tour.
