HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — Visit Hot Springs has teamed up with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to host a competition that could turn a fish into a cash prize.
This competition has had fishermen like Charles Keller going to Lake Hamilton almost every day, and after more than 60 years he's got quite the catalog of catches and lessons to share.
"Now, if a fish hits it, you'll feel that pole bump," Keller said, "You gotta be patient. Oh, patience is a virtue."
Just last week, his patience was tested while on a fishing trip with a friend.
"He done caught about 12 fish and I only caught one and made a cast out there [and] missed several," he described.
However, on the very next cast, Keller said something bit.
"When I lifted up, I could see a pink tag sticking out of it. And I looked at the tag and it said Hot Springs money fish. And the flip side it said to call this number," he said.
So Keller called, and Alexis Hampo with Visit Hot Springs was on the other end of that phone call.
"I'm holding the fish phone right now. I can't leave it alone because I get too nervous," Hampo said. "You never know when somebody's going to call."
She explained how the 24/7 responsibility of the fish phone has been a years-long Hot Springs tradition.
"You call that number on the tag fish and it'll get you in touch with the right people to come and verify that catch," Hampo added.
The fish phone's purpose surrounds an annual Hot Springs Fishing Challenge with $110,000 worth of fish swimming in Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine.
"There are 66 tagged fish between the two lakes. There are four different species of fish that we have tagged," Hampo said. "[Visit Hot Springs has] been teaming up with Arkansas Game and Fish for a while to really incentivize people during the summer months to get out and come out to our beautiful lakes and enjoy fishing."
The prizes range from $500 all the way up to $20,000, with their most recent winner having seen his patience pay off, by winning a fish tagged at $5,000.
"It's taken me sixty-two years to catch one money fish but it's well worth it," Keller described.
He's hoping he can dial the fish phone again this season, as the competition runs through the end of July.
For now, he's just enjoying each cast in between.
"You're not gonna catch a fish every cast. You might not catch a fish for a couple of hours. But if you just come out and relax and enjoy yourself and enjoy the beauty of nature, that's worth more than anything," Keller explained.
With dozens of tagged fish still swimming in Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine, fishermen can try their luck anytime through July 31st.
You can find more information about the fish phone and the competition by clicking here.