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CNN Live At Daybreak

Shane Williams is Minnow King in Fox Lake, Illinois

Aired February 28, 2002 - 05:57   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now here's a fishy question. How many live minnows do you have to swallow before you get the title Minnow King?

Our Keith Oppenheim has the dubiously tasty answer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Off the shores of serene Fox Lake there's a little bar called The Aquarium. Legend here is 40 years ago some ice fishermen with a poor catch baited each other and began a tradition eating live minnows. A minnow could be swallowed or munched. And over time, the challenge became who could eat the most in one hour without regurgitating. Why?

GREG PAHL, OWNER, THE AQUARIUM BAR & GRILL: For the fame and glory, be the Minnow King -- Minnow King of Fox Lake.

OPPENHEIM: Enter the man who would be king, Shane Williams.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My bet's on Shane.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll bet on Shane, too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All the way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of a sudden, I'm Shane.

OPPENHEIM: The challenge for this 31-year-old toolmaker was to beat the record of 280 minnows set four years ago.

(on camera): Afterwards, how do you think you'll feel?

SHANE WILLIAMS, MINNOW KING: I got to go out to dinner later because I didn't eat nothing so I'm going to go out to get some breakfast.

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): But first, the main course.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.

OPPENHEIM: The first gulp of 30 minnows quickly followed by a second.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He might make it, but I don't think so.

(CROWD CHEERING)

OPPENHEIM: Shane beat the skeptics. And when it was all over, his fish feast raised about 400 bucks for charity and made him 350 minnows fatter. But this champion cannot rest.

WILLIAMS: I'm coming back here when they have it again, and I'm going to break the record again.

OPPENHEIM: In Fox Lake, Illinois, I'm Keith Oppenheim reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Hope you're not eating bagels and lox this morning.

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