The allure of more than $50,000 in cash and prizes proved to be an effective draw last weekend, as a record number of ice fishers flocked to 10 Aroostook County waters to participate in the 15th annual Long Lake Ice Fishing Derby.
A total of 1,659 anglers — an increase of 538 from the record set last year — registered for the derby. Anglers were allowed to fish on Long, Square, Cross, Eagle, St. Froid, Beau, Glazier and Portage lakes, Carr Pond and the St. John River.
Danny Paradis caught the largest landlocked salmon, which weighed 6 pounds, 3.4 ounces and was 26 ¾ inches long. He won $1,500 for the effort. Ian Bourgoin’s 9-pound, 9.8-ounce lake trout won that category and $1,500, and John Picard took home the $1,000 first prize for the biggest brook trout, which weighed 2 pounds, 8.4 ounces.
The win in the salmon division was particularly special for Paradis, who is the brother of the late Edgar J. Paradis. Since its inception, the derby has donated proceeds to the Edgar J. Paradis Cancer Fund.
Meagan Corrieveau won the top door prize, a side-by-side ATV, while John Bouley of Fort Kent Mills won a sport shack, and Craig Cilley of Waite won gear billed as “the ultimate ice fishing package.”
The complete results:
Adult: landlocked salmon: 1. Danny Paradis, 6 pounds, 3.4 ounces, $1,500, 2. Kathleen Parent, 5 pounds, 4.8 ounces (25 inches), $1,000, 3. James Bouchard, 5 pounds, 4.8 ounces (24 ¼ inches), $700; togue: 1. Ian Bourgoin, 9 pounds, 9.8 ounces, $1,500, 2. Brian Bosse, 8 pounds, 15.4 ounces, $1,000, 3. Travis Albert, 8 pounds, 12 ounces, $700; brook trout: 1. John Picard, 2 pounds, 8.4 ounces, $1,000, 2. Pete Daigle, 2 pounds, 7.0 ounces, $800, 3. Donna Thibodeau, 2 pounds, 6.6 ounces, $600; muskie: 1. Wade Kelly, 26 pounds, 9 ounces, $1,000, 2. Devin Cyr, 23 pounds, 15 ounces, $800, 3. David Brown, 16 pounds, 2.5 ounces, $600;
Any age: cusk: 1. Tracy Willett, 10 pounds, 4 ounces, $800, 2. Robert Hebert, 8 pounds, 3 ounces, $600, 3. Jacob Martin, 7 pounds, 12 ounces, $400; most perch: 1. Lucas Wardwell, 1,000 perch, $500, 2. Dana Saunders, 660 perch, $300, 3. Caleb Caron, 511 perch, $100; largest perch: 1. Diane Michaud, 1 pound, 4.4 ounces,(13¾ inches) $250, 2. Jason Wardwell, 1 pound, 4.4 ounces, (13½ inches), $150, 3. Dwight Nicklas, 1 pound, 3.2 ounces, $100;
Youth: brook trout: 1. Parker Bovine, 1 pound, 12.2 ounces, $500, 2. Carter Raymond, 1 pound, 10.6 ounces, $400, 3. Colby Tapley, 1 pound, 2 ounces, $300; togue: 1. Jacoby Bragdon, 8 pounds, 2.8 ounces, $500, 2. Drew Belanger, 6 pounds, 0.2 ounces, $400, 3. Jacoby Bragdon, 3 pounds, 8.2 ounces, $300; landlocked salmon: 1. Logan Laverdiere, 4 pounds, 5.6 ounces, $500, 2. Kamden Daigle, 3 pounds, 12.8 ounces, $400, 3. Emily Conrad, 3 pounds, 11.6 ounces, $300.
