Opening Day honors local man

By Editor | March 6, 2024 |

Hatchery Manager Tom Whelan counts down the seconds on his watch as Maria Lewis prepares to fire the shot to open catch-and-keep trout season at Montauk State Park Friday morning.

Fishermen were busy netting fish during the first minutes after the season opened.

Mason Heavin, of Edgar Springs, brought in one of the first lunkers, a 6 lb., 2 oz. rainbow trout. Miss Salem Second Runner Up Neely Leathers checked in lunkers and kept the board up-to-date.

Christian Hawn, of Licking, was among the first few on the lunker board with his 3 lb., 10 oz. catch.

This electric vehicle charging station proves that times are changing, even at Montauk State Park.

By Shari Harris

Publisher

This year’s opening of catch-and-keep trout season paid tribute to the memory of Jim Oligschlaeger. In his honor, Oligschlaeger’s daughter, Maria Lewis, fired the starter pistol from the bridge to mark the opening of the 2024 season.

Lewis said her father was supposed to fire the shot last year and was really looking forward to it. After a fall in February of 2023, he was unable to stand long enough to do the honors. Oligschlaeger passed away in December, and Lewis was more than happy to fire the pistol this year in his memory.

Oligschlaeger retired in 1990 for two weeks before taking a job at Montauk Lodge. From July of 1990 until his 90th birthday, more than 20 years, he worked at the lodge five days each week, taking off on Tuesdays and Fridays. He became a fixture at the lodge, and even after he was unable to work due to his health, previous customers would stop by his house to visit. Lewis related that her father’s job selling trout tags wasn’t really like working to him. He enjoyed visiting with customers and was always smiling.

Lewis said she would frame the #0001 tag she received Friday as a memento of her father – that was his job – selling tags.

A total of 2,910 tags were sold on opening day this year, with 2,622 of those adult tags, and the remaining 288 youth tags. This tied the record for a Friday opener, set in 1985. The most tags sold on an opening day was 3,921 on a Sunday opener in 1992.