Day.Old.Pizza Loc: Maple Grove, MN

The hamlet of Gay, Michigan goes all out on the 4th of July: a parade, rummage sale, and some live music. The population of the town more than triples on this day. I’d say “fourples” but I don’t think it’s a word! The Gay Bar (remember where we are now) promotes a “Fish Toss” event as a part of the other activities going on that day. Simply put, whoever throws their fish the farthest, no matter in what direction it spurts loose, wins a prize.
The competition is broken down by age and gender. 7-18 and over 18, or as one of the regular attendees explained it to me, “sober or drunk”. His definition proved to be both succinct and fairly accurate. Those over 18 are blindfolded, handed a Lake Trout, spun around 5 times after which they are to throw the fish as far as they can.
The spectators, and there are a lot, are warned to be on their toes, because fish and parts of fish are raining down after every toss. Not to worry, because there is a bottle of Joy soap and some lemon juice at hand to make you smell fresh again.
The photos are not great, critique if you wish. It was bright sun, hot, cloudless, early afternoon and I was shooting toward the sun. I was standing down-range, hopefully far enough away to give myself a second to react if something happened my way. I wasn’t hit, but I had 2 go over my head and 1 whizzed past my left shoulder.
The pictures pretty much explain themselves. My favorite is the one in which a spectator, holding a P/S camera, is staring down the barrel of a fast approaching 20 inch “Laker” which was deftly avoided by the man in front of him. Mr. P/S was not nearly as deft or as lucky... Pass the Joy and lemon juice please!

Swamp Gator Loc: Coastal South Carolina

Seriously?!? People throw real fish around?!
For entertainment? Who the *&#% came up with this idea?
Besides being gross that's messed up.

Turbo Loc: Raleigh, NC

Sounds like ... fun, well I'll pass !

Day.Old.Pizza Loc: Maple Grove, MN

Nobody said "Yoopers" were normal, but we know how to have fun! :D

Day.Old.Pizza Loc: Maple Grove, MN

I don't know who was having more fun, those throwing the fish or those dodging them. It is a popular event with the crowd.

mollymolly Loc: In the heart of the Everglades.

WTF!!!

Day.Old.Pizza Loc: Maple Grove, MN

This event, among others, is going towards turning the Gay School into the Gay Museum (wipe that grin off your face). Gay was a copper stamp mill town at the end of the 1800's and early 1900's. There is a lot of history here. We had a Copper rush before California had a Gold rush.

cheliman Loc: NW Pennsylvania

Handgranades disguised as fish! New inovative technology!

tk Loc: Iowa

Are you seriously saying they catch the fish (and lake trout to boot) just to be throwing them? I want to make sure I'm not misunderstanding. Not just left over carcass after filleting. I noticed the heads were cut off.

Day.Old.Pizza Loc: Maple Grove, MN

They start with whole fish, except it has been gutted. The heads are left on. The fish are not "fresh" so the meat softens. The head and gills provide a good grip for throwing, but if the fish gets too soft, they can come off after repeated throws. Some throwers grasp the head, some just below the tail while others hold in the middle. The farthest throw I saw in the women's division was 86 feet. I had to leave before the guys began throwing.

Archy Loc: Lake Hamilton, Florida

Cool..............

Day.Old.Pizza Loc: Maple Grove, MN

For more historical info you can google TheGayBar (Gay, Michigan)

Swamp Gator Loc: Coastal South Carolina

I'm thinking of a few terms which would describe this activity but "fun" is not one of them.

Day.Old.Pizza Loc: Maple Grove, MN

I like your Avitar... I hear some folks in the south will wrestle them on occasion. Throw a dead fish or wrestle a live gator? Hhhmmmm. Takes all kinds to make the world go 'round.

tk Loc: Iowa

Photographers do not wrestle alligators and do not sanction it. His avatar has nothing to do with his or my opinion of this "game".

My opinion is also not a game. Waste and cruel.
I hunt and fish, but I use the process for eating. I would not have a problem with this if it would have been the processed carcasses and not a fish that is being wasted.