St. Anthony Kicks Off Fishing Season With Breakfast

What started as coffee and doughnuts 57 years ago, is now St. Anthony’s “Free Fisherman’s Breakfast” to welcome the start of the fishing season.

Alonzo Gonzalez said the sights and smells were well worth showing up at 4 a.m.

“Cause, don’t you get hungry in the morning?” said Gonzalez, 12.

Well sure, around 9, but by then Gonzalez was in line for his second round of steaming hash browns and the fan favorite: flapjacks fresh off the griddle.

“It’s just amazing,” said regular attendee Trevor Barney. “It tastes so good.”

These days, many burn off breakfast running around with friends. But Bob LaPier remembered the roots of a tradition he’s celebrated for about 50 years.

“Oh, my dad started bringing me when I was just a little boy,” said LaPier. “We stopped here before we’d head up to Island Park for a full day of fishing.”

The event started as a way to bring people into St. Anthony on their way to fish in Island Park, said Brett Mackert, co-chair of the breakfast.

Mackert said in it’s busiest year, the city served more than 12,000 people. That kind of number wasn’t expected this year because of wet and chilly weather. But it didn’t stop everyone.

“We like it whether it’s raining or snowing or it’s nice,” said LaPier. “Whatever. We always come up.”

“(It’s) not that bad,” said Caleb Norman, 12. “It’s just fishing weather.”

And that may have been the most appropriate way to welcome opening day on the water.

The annual event is hosted by the St. Anthony Chamber of Commerce and feeds about 4,000 on an average year.