The Helen Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the 34th Annual Helen Trout Tournament, 6 a.m.- 2 p.m. Saturday, April 1. Participants of all ages can compete for $4,000 in prizes.
A $25 entry fee includes one raffle ticket for all entries and a tournament tee shirt, while supplies last.
The chamber will stock a stretch of the Chattahoochee River with more than 400 pounds of specially tagged trout for the event. Anglers of all ages may line the tournament boundaries, trying to hook tagged trout from the river access area on Escowee Street (just upstream from Hofbrauhaus Restaurant) downstream through Helen to the first Brucken Strasse bridge at Cool River Tubing.
A Georgia fishing license and trout stamp are required, and all participants must follow rules of fishing in the Chattahoochee River in Helen.
To win prizes, anglers must catch a specially tagged trout and present it at the Festhalle for weigh-in between 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. The prize awards ceremony and bucket raffle drawing begin at 2 p.m.
Prizes include:
- 1st place $1,000 fish
- 2nd place $500 “Milton Davis” fish
- 3rd place $300 fish
- $50 for each of the next 25 tagged trout by weight
- $25 for the remainder of the tagged trout by weight
Even if you don’t land a specially tagged trout, the beautiful stretch of the Chattahoochee that flows leisurely through Helen is teeming with trout and has been known to produce trophy native trout. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources will also be stocking the river for the tournament. However, only 2023 officially tagged trout qualify for prizes.
Participants can print an entry form, have it postmarked by March 24, and mail to: P.O. Box 192, Helen, Georgia 30545. Online registration is online, where registrations will be accepted through March 29. In person registration is from 4-7 p.m., Friday, March 31 and 6-9 a.m., Saturday, April 1, at the Helen Festhalle, 1074 Edelweiss Strasse, Helen, Georgia.