Perfect ice fishing weather helped buoy attendance at a pair of already popular fishing derbies last weekend, with record turnout recorded at both.
The derbies targeted several of the state’s most famous fishing waters: Moosehead Lake, the state’s largest lake, Long Lake and other productive salmon, trout, togue and muskie waters in Aroostook County.
In Greenville, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife regional fisheries biologist Tim Obrey said the eighth annual Moosehead Lake Togue Derby with Ricky Craven was bolstered by a change in the rules this year.
One lucky angler, Nathan Paradis of Biddeford, set a derby record by catching a 20.66-pound lake trout — or togue — that was 37.5 inches long.
“In addition to setting the record for the biggest derby fish, ticket sales also set a new high in 2015,” Obrey said via email. “Ticket sales for the derby have been in the 200 to 300 range for the past few years. This year [the Natural Resource Education Center, which organizes the derby], changed the format to include obtaining sponsors, big door prizes, advertising on social media and Internet ticket sales. NREC sold just over 700 tickets to this year’s derby.”
A big reason for the increase in participation was that everyone who bought a ticket this year was eligible to win some high-value door prizes, whether they actually ventured out onto the lake to fish or not.
In all, people from eight states and 192 towns in Maine bought tickets this year.
Obrey said Paradis bought his ticket at Lucky Bait and Tackle in Greenville and proved lucky himself. In addition to winning $1,500 for the biggest togue caught, Paradis’s name was drawn to win a door prize — a guided fishing trip he will take this summer.
Josh Nelson of Gouldsboro took second in the derby, with a 10.45-pound togue. Mark St. Amand was third with a 5.86-pounder.
Justin Moore of Skowhegan won the top door prize — his choice of three vacation trips or $1,500 cash. Morgan Whitten of Winter Harbor and Willie Strid of Greenville won firearms in the door prize drawing. Jason Crea of Brookline, New Hampshire, won a fishing package. Keith Palmer of Dexter earned $250 in a door prize raffle.
In Aroostook County, anglers flocked to six lakes in the St. John Valley — Long, Cross, St. Froid, Square, Glazier and Beau — to compete for a variety of prizes.
Participation took another leap forward — about 740 people took part in 2014, while a record 839 anglers bought tickets this year — and the weather participated, with temperatures in the teens and 20s and no wind.
“This year’s derby was another success, and we thank all the registrants and fishermen who continue year after year,” derby chairman Paul Bernier said in an email.
Bernier said derby organizers hope to donate another $6,000 to the Edgar J. Paradis Cancer Fund after expenses are covered. That would bring the 10-year total donation to about $43,000.
Long Lake is known as one of the state’s top landlocked salmon waters. Results this year again proved that the famous “Long Lake footballs” — so-named because of their shape — still are plentiful.
Real Pelletier of Madawaska caught the derby’s biggest salmon, which weighed 5 pounds, 10.4 ounces. He won $1,500 for his efforts. Koby Searles of Hamlin won the youth salmon division for anglers age 13 and younger. He earned $300 for a fish that weighed 2 pounds, 12.6 ounces.
In the brook trout competition, Wayne Raymond of Presque Isle topped the field, winning $1,000 for a fish that weighed 1 pound, 11.6 ounces. Emily Labbe of Eagle Lake topped the junior class at 1 pound, 1 ounce.
James O’Clair caught the derby’s biggest togue at 7 pounds, 13.6 ounces, winning $1,500 in the process. Leroy Underhill of Lincolnville landed the top muskie — 11 pounds, 9 ounces — and won $800.
Travis Chasse of Ashland proved victorious in the cusk competition, taking home $800 for his 11-pound, 10-ounce cusk. Sue Duprey of Frenchville landed 415 perch and took home $400. Dalton Ouellette of St. David caught the largest perch — 1 pound, 3.2 ounces — and earned $150.
