Published: April 30, 2009 11:45 pm      

20th Annual Sandy Ridge Bream Tourney

The 20th Annual Sandy Ridge Bream Tournament for kids will be held Saturday May 9th at the farm of Frank and Evelyn Tillman. Many tournaments and events hold the title “Annual”, but few fishing tournaments or kid’s events last 20 years. To sponsor a successful tournament for 20 years is almost unheard of.

Originally, the bream tournament turned out to be a solution to the lake’s overcrowded bream problem.  Frank Tillman told Roger Carlisle about his stunted bream and Carlisle offered the bream tournament as a possible solution to the problem. Though somewhat skeptical at first, Tillman decided to give it a try.

The first tournament was a success and Mr. Frank enjoyed it so much that he decided to do it again, and again, and again. And finally 20 years later the bream tournament is still going on and Mr. Tillman’s overpopulation of bream is no more.

Of course by now you may have guessed that the tournament has become more than just a tool to help manage a bream population. Yes, the annual tournament has become a labor of love for Frank Tillman as well as his many volunteers. For all of the good it has done for the local children, there is more to the story than just kids and fishing. Tillman decided that the only entry fee in the tournament would be a donation of 2 can goods from each participant.



Good cause



The resulting donations are given to the Wesley House and The Baptist Crises Center. While the tournament offers local children a chance to participate in a day of fun and fishing, it also gives them a chance to donate to less fortunate people.

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Or so goes an old saying that is filled with truth and wisdom. Through his annual tournament, Tillman has provided an opportunity for parents and grandparents to introduce their kids to the sport of fishing. In so doing he has ultimately helped lead many of them to a love of the outdoors and fishing in particular.

“Mr. Tillman, when are you going to have your tournament?” Such is a well worn and popular question asked of Mr. Frank practically all year long. Of course he’s tickled that children of all ages come up to him on the street and in different areas with stories about their love and appreciation for his bream tournament.

Though Mr. Frank and Mrs. Evelyn Tillman have been active in many facets of their community and town throughout the years, the Sandy Ridge Tourney is no doubt their best known and revered accomplishment among the throngs of kids. And many of those kids now bring other kids to the tournament.



Learning to fish



Though Tillman can’t provide every child with a place to fish all the time, he can offer a day such as this to get them started on the road to a lifetime of fun through the great sport of fishing. While many sports take a lot of money to get involved in, fishing only takes a pole, line, and hook to get started. Catch, or dig some bait and you’re in business and ready to go!

Twenty years of fishing fun and fellowship and introducing boys and girls of all ages to the great sport of fishing. Can it get any better than that? Well, Mr. Frank sure tries to make it better every year and it seems to get bigger and better each year.

Though every kid can’t win a prize, every child usually takes home a cap, shirt, or tackle bag, whatever may be available that year. And each kid leaves the lake with a memory that will last a lifetime. I know my own children have made many wonderful memories on the banks of Frank Tillman’s lake. For more information contact the Tillman’s at 601-693-1531.