The event was sponsored by the New Ulm Area Sport Fishermen (NUASF) and is put on annually to promote fishing to a younger audience and reel them in for life.

The free tournament saw kids receive a ticket for a free hot dog and several other prizes, such as fishing poles.

“We have a bunch of rods that a couple of members of the club went through and refurbished,” NUASF member Jim Hulke said. “They can take them home. We’ve just got more at the clubhouse to give out more next year.”

The contest, which started at Clear Lake, has drawn strong numbers for years and the interest hasn’t waned.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau From left to right, contest winners Madelin Mielke, Ava Lang and Alice Rehbein, along with NUASF member Jim Hulke, stand near the top fish board at Riverside Park on Wednesday at the conclusion of the Hooked on Fishing! youth contest in New Ulm.

“We started out at Clear Lake, we actually used boats and pontoons, but now there’s just too many kids,” Hulke said.

This year, there were 133 total anglers and more than 260 people total at the river.

One young fisherman was in his first contest in 2-year-old Matthew Honstad of New Ulm.

Honstad, who just turned 2 early August, was also using his first fishing pole that was gifted to him earlier in the day by his aunt Mandy Griebel.

While Honstad didn’t have luck catching fish, he did catch a stick and the back of his aunt’s shirt with his hook when casting. Honstad practiced casting earlier in the day with his aunt at home and was eager to get down to the river shores and test out his fishing pole.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Alice Rehbein holds her first-place winning catfish after the Hooked on Fishing! contest at Riverside Park in New Ulm.

Despite not reeling any fish in, Honstad’s aunt said her nephew had fun.

After three boys took first, second and third in the contest last year, it was the girls turn to rule this time as the top three finishers were Alice Rehbein, Ava Lang and Madelin Mielke.

Rehbein took first with a 6-pound, 7-ounce flathead catfish. Rehbein, who turns 12 in October, has lived in Sleepy Eye since second grade.

She said she doesn’t like fishing on lakes but loves coming to New Ulm to fish on the Minnesota River. This was also the biggest fish she’s caught in her life.

This was her second year competing in the contest and she hooked her first-place catfish with a chub minnow around 5:15 p.m.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Three young fishermen get their lines in the water during the Hooked on Fishing! youth contest Wednesday at Riverside Park in New Ulm.

Rehbein also caught another catfish, a 2.3-pound one that was the fourth biggest fish caught at the event.

Lang’s 3.22-pound carp took second place, while Mielke’s 2.62-pound carp took third.

Seth Gordon caught a 2.1-pound carp for fifth place, while Conner Meier caught a 1.92-pound catfish for sixth and Caleb Reinhart caught a 1.87-pound catfish for seventh.

Five-year-old Josie Johnson caught the first fish of the contest.

There were also several sheepshead caught.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Josie Johnson, 5, poses for a photo with her fish at the Hooked on Fishing! youth contest at Riverside Park on Wednesday. Johnson caught the contest’s first fish.

The contest went from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The NUASF organization was first formed in 1986. The club also sponsors an Ice Fishing Contest in February.