Pastor Erny McDonough with the 1st -prize-winning marlin, donated for food for those in need.

To answer that question: approximately six large ice chests were loaded with the reds and speckled trout that had been caught on Friday and Saturday. They were then delivered to Fisherman’s Chapel on Main Street here in Port O’Connor, where its pastors, Erny and Joane McDonough had assembled a group of volunteers. These fish were then cleaned and filleted and packaged for freezing; they will later be distributed throughout this community from the Pantry.

The three prize-winning marlin also went to the Chapel where a team of workers from Hitchcock, Texas, members of the Chapel’s congregation and many friends gathered to clean and package the meat. Although the total weight of the marlins was approximately 1,386 pounds, only 40% of that weight is usable meat. But that creates a large amount of food which is sent to several large ministries, orphanages and other centers throughout our State.

Erny and Joane have been in POC since February of 1995, when he took over the ministry at Fisherman’s Chapel. At that time the tournament fish were being processed and then sent to a boy’s ranch in another area of Texas. When that need was no longer there, Erny found other ministries, including the Chapel’s Pantry that could benefit. And the Pantry, although not always supplied with fish, is always there for anyone in need in our community.

Back yard of Fisherman’s Chapel, July 21: Pat Prather (third from left) and Julian Garcia, along with members of Strong Tower Ministries and other volunteers, filleted the fish caught in the Poco Bueno inshore division. The fish were then packaged to be distributed to ministries and individuals who need them.