Not sure I understand what you are asking? There was one big fish prize awarded I think. And I think that they gave an award or prize for the second biggest fish caught during the tournament.
Here is what I found on the CUSA web site:
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Big Fish Award
Taking big fish of the event was the team of Craig and Steve Money of Fort Branch, IN with a 2.35 pound Patoka Lake crappie which netted them $609.00. Second place in the big fish contest was the team of John Bledsoe of Noblesville, IN and Randell Walker of Arcadia, IN with a 1.72 pound crappie and receiving $261.00.
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I would love to have seen that 2.35 lb fish. Even the 1.72 lb fish would be a huge fish. I once caught a White Crappie at Patoka lake that weighted 1.5 lb on my dads old deliar scale. That's the spring loaded scale with the tape measure inside it. I forgot that it had a tape measure inside it and failed to measure the lenght of my fish. But it was one of the nicest crappie I have caught on Patoka Lake. It was the biggest crappie that I have ever caught on Patoka Lake. but I have caught as big or bigger crappie on KY lake or Barkley Lake in the past. But back in those days we just put them on a metal stringer and cleaned them when we got back to the boat dock. We only measured and weight the big 4 lb and bigger bass. Catching crappie was for food not for tournaments back in those days. But then there was the time they have the Crappie that had a tag on it that was worth money if you caught it.
I could be wrong. I know in the past they award some prize money for the biggest crappie caught during the tournament.
Maybe the second largest fish caught is just bragging rights.
I caught a 1.5 lb White Crappie at Patoka back in 2003 spring. April 2nd 2003 around noon to 2 pm. I was fishing alone side Frank Ison who was the winner of the tournament the year before and he and his partner Brian Ethridge won the spring CUSA tournament again in 2003. I saw Frank fishing as I was motoring out of a cove and stopped to talk with him. He was very friendly and helpful. He helped me learn a system that catches lots of crappie. I have two or three rods and reels setup on my boat ready to go using his system. But I have other systems that I use too. I don't stick with just one system. I carry about 7 or 8 rods and reels in my boat at all times while crappie fishing by myself. I take a few out when I take a friend with me. Have to make some room for his rods and reels. Basically Frank was using the Float and fly method. ie slip bobbers. He gave me some crappie nibbles, some bets foam slip bobbers, a couple of 1/16 oz jib heads and some BPS White Lightning #18 color code plastic Squirmin Squirt Jig bodies. These are the tentacle type hollow plastic jig bodies. That along with some 6 lb test mono and a long rod and reel and I was setup to go. Add a crappie nibble to the mix and you can catch some big fish. Frank has been fishing this spot out of a small john boat. He was sitting up in the front where the bow mounted trolling motor was located and operating the trolling motor with the handle. The speed adjustment was on the long handle making boat control easier in the Patoka Lake winds. We were fishing in open water where there were some submerged trees. This was a flat area but there is a creek and a river bed within 300 yards of the spot. There is one ditch that runs though the area across the bay and into the creek that the bay's named after. And there is a long submerged peninsula that juts out from the shoreline all the way to the river channel. I think that this is a staging area. The fish have many spots to spawn on in this area. And the bottom is full of rotting wood or vegetation. There's lots of bubbles coming up from the bottom. Maybe that was big fish farts? LOL . I fishes this area the month after Frank did and caught over 100 smaller crappie in one day. The place was full of small young of the year crappie. So that tells me that it's a hot spot. You will have to wade though the area's smaller fish to get the big ones to bite.
I caught my big one by having lots of patience. Give the big ones some time to bite and it helps to be really quiet and still. The slip bobber approach or a very long rod helps to get the bait out away from the boat.
I saw Frank throw back about 10 big crappie that day in April 2003. He returned them to the lake and held up each one to give me a good look at each fish. I have not seen that many big crappie at one time on Patoka Lake other than at the Weigh in that year. Back then they weighed in the 10 biggest crappie in the CUSA tournaments. Now they only weigh in 7 fish per team.
Originally Posted by raporter
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