Cumberland County Ice Fishing Derby anglers overcome challenge to assist charities

By Ed Pierce

For the second consecutive year, a lack of ice on Sebago Lake couldn’t ruin the fun for participants in the annual Cumberland County Ice Fishing Derby on Feb. 17 and Feb. 18.

Travis Sparks of Bowdoin, left, finished in first place in the
Pickerel competition during the Cumberland County Ice
Fishing Derby sponsored by the Sebago Lake Rotary Club
on Feb. 17-18. Shanna Hudgin of Poland, right, was the
winner of the Perch competition. SUBMITTED PHOTOS
   

Moving to some of the 20-plus remaining lakes and ponds in the outlying area with adequate ice to ensure for their safety, participants fishing in the annual Cumberland County contest sponsored by the Sebago Lake Rotary Club found an abundance of perch and pickerel readily available and waiting to be caught.

This was the 23rd year for the Ice Fishing Derby and despite warmer temperatures preventing the buildup of ice on Sebago Lake again this year, the popular contest proved yet again to be more than just an excuse to get outside for time spent fishing. Proceeds from the Cumberland County Ice Fishing Derby benefit local charities and nonprofit organizations that the Rotary Club donates to, including “Feed the Need,” which assists with funding for 12 different food pantries throughout the Lakes Region of Maine.

Participants found that searching for suitable ice was challenging but the event brought together people from all walks of life, helping forge new friendships among those fishing and leaving them with great stories to tell about their experiences that probably will be shared over the course of their lifetimes.

The warm temperatures and subsequent cancelation of contest fishing on Sebago Lake held down the overall number of registered participants compared to numbers registered in previous colder years, but many dedicated fishermen did sign up for the event, said Cyndy Bell of the Sebago Lake Rotary Club.

Bell said in keeping with tradition from years past, many participating fishermen donated their catches which were then delivered to Nova Seafood to be processed and delivered to assist in feeding the homeless and those facing food insecurity in the Lakes Region.

The Ice Fishing Derby concept itself is credited to Tom Noonan, a Sebago Lake Rotary Club member, who came up with the idea in 2001 in cooperation with the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Department.

Since then, the event has grown substantially to become the Sebago Lake Rotary Club’s largest annual fundraising initiative and has supported hundreds of charities over the past two decades, with more than $1 million donated to local causes.

“Under the leadership of Sebago Lake Rotarian Toby Pennels, the derby gained additional national notoriety as one of only four fishing derbies in the United States to be featured in a television program filmed for the National Geographic Channel that aired in June 2014,” Bell said.

An Otter Ice Shelter for the event was donated by Sebago Bait’s Rick Boutot. An Ice sled was donated by Sebago Bait’s Shannon Hallgren and a shelter for Ice Fishing Derby participants was donated by Cabela's Sam Eckle.

Here are the 2024 Cumberland County Ice Fishing Derby winners –

Top Prize Winners

The winner of the $5,000 cash grand prize was John Godbout.

Stephen Tufts won the 50/50 raffle drawing of $640.

Pickerel

First place: Travis Sparks of Bowdoin, 3.9 pounds, 25 1/4 inches

Second place: Adam Bryant, 3.86 pounds, 27 inches

Third place: Peter Reinhard, 3.66 pounds, 24 1/2 inches

Perch

First place: Shanna Hudgin of Poland, 1.74 pounds, 15 3/4 inches

Second place: Mark Plowman, 1.57 pounds, 14 inches

Third place: Greg LaChance, 1.56 pounds, 13.75 inches <

2022 Ice Fishing Derby thrills anglers

Caleb Slocum of North Yarmouth caught the largest togue
during the 2022 Sebago Lake and Cumberland County Ice
Fishing Derby last weekend. Slocum's first-place catch
from Sebago Lake weighed in at 15.86 pounds and 
measured 36.5 inches in length. PHOTO BY BRIAN BOYT

By Ed Pierce

A few hours of braving the cold and icy conditions together during the Sebago Lake and Cumberland County Ice Fishing Derby last weekend helped forge new friendships among anglers and created some stories that undoubtably will be shared for a lifetime.

Sponsored by the Sebago Lake Rotary Club, the 21^st year of the ice fishing derby was more than just an excuse to get outside for time spent fishing, it also was yet another successful fundraiser for charities and nonprofit organizations that the Rotary Club donates to, including “Feed the Need,” which assists with funding for 13 food pantries in the Lakes Region of Maine.

More than 800 participants tried their luck in fishing holes all over Sebago Lake and fishing ponds across Cumberland County this year in the derby as temperatures across the region dipped into the mid-20s with a light drizzle as the weekend progressed.

“There were fewer fish caught this year as fishermen mentioned the togue out of Sebago seemed to be thinner and fewer biting,” said Cyndy Bell of the Sebago Lake Rotary Club. “But contributions of fish from Sebago and all other lakes and ponds in Cumberland County were still top of mind for fishermen.”

Bell said that derby registrations have dipped about 20 percent for the past few years but attributed that to the fact that 38 other derbies were held in Maine this year on the exact same date.

“The free fishing weekend might have contributed to the increased number of derbies that weekend,” Bell said. 

Nevertheless, fishermen continued to donate their catches which were delivered to Nova Seafood and will be processed and delivered to assist in feeding the homeless and those facing food insecurity. 

Bell said that the exact number and weight of fish donated from the derby was still being compiled, but last year a total of 7,500 pounds of fish was collected, flash-frozen and donated to food pantries in the Greater Portland area.

Tom Noonan, a Sebago Lake Rotary Club member, is credited with coming up with the concept for the Ice Fishing Derby in 2001 in cooperation with the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Department. 

Since then, the event has grown substantially to become the Sebago Lake Rotary Club’s largest annual fundraising initiative and has supported hundreds of charities over the past two decades, with more than $1 million donated to local causes since its inception.

“Under the leadership of Sebago Lake Rotarian Toby Pennels, the derby gained additional national notoriety as one of only four fishing derbies in the United States to be featured in a television program filmed for the National Geographic Channel that aired in June 2014,” Bell said.

Here’s a list of winners from the 2022 Sebago Lake and Cumberland County Rotary Ice Fishing Derby:

Top Prize winners

Grand Prize winner, Alex Sparks of Saco, Windham PowerSports ATV

50/50 winner, Lisa Thibault, $1,915

5HP Mercury Outboard winner, Alan Rouillard of Buxton 

Togue

First place, Caleb Slocum, 15.86 pounds, 36.5 inches

Second place, Jonathan Sarbins, 10.55 pounds, 30.5 inches

Third place, Andrew Dalton, 9.80 pounds, 32 inches

Perch

First place, Greg Lachance, 1.54 pounds, 14.5 inches

Second place, Michael Breton, 1.42 pounds, 13.5 inches

Third place, Joseph Libby, 1.36 pounds, 12 5/8 inches

Pickerel

First place, Devin Prue, 3.76 pounds, 25 ¼ inches

Second place, Bob Zutaut, 3.64 pounds, 24 inches

Third place, Brian Boucher, 3.5 pounds, 23 inches

Pike

First place, Ben Carlin, 9.48 pounds, 35 inches

Second place, Ben Carlin 8.8 pounds, 34 ¾ inches

Third place, Ben Carlin, 7.38 pounds, 31 inches

Ice Shack

First place, Tim O’Neal

2nd place, Sunset Paul Huchro
3rd place (tie), Dakota Dunphy
3^rd place (tie), Becky Grooms <

‘Greatest Show on Ice’ hooks 2021 Ice Fishing Derby participants

Greg MacIntosh of Nottingham, New Hampshire
displays his winning togue caught during the
2021 Sebago Lake Rotary Ice Fishing Derby.
It weighed 10.78 pounds and was 32 inches
long. SUBMITTED PHOTO

By Ed Pierce

The ‘Greatest Show on Ice’ lived up to its reputation last weekend as more than a thousand fishing enthusiasts from across Maine and points beyond descended upon Sebago Lake and the Lakes Region to try their luck and possibly take home a prize in the 2021 Sebago Lake Rotary Ice Fishing Derby.

Participants braved chilly temperatures on the lake for a chance to take home the grand prize, a 2021 ATV from Windham PowerSports. This year’s derby welcomed a new Gold Sponsor, General Dynamics/BIW and official media sponsor, Channel 8 WMTW | Maine’s CW for 2021, according to Sebago Lakes Rotary Club member Cyndy Bell.

A total of 1,071 fishermen registered to compete in this year’s derby with 2,500 fish weighed and processed during the event. more than e Over 2500 fish were processed during the derby.

“Approximately 7,500 pounds of fish from the 2,500-plus collected was delivered to Nova Seafood to be processed, flash frozen and will be delivered to food pantries,” Bell said. 

Sebago Lake Rotary Club member Tom Noonan is credited with coming up with the idea to create the Ice Fishing Derby in 2001 in cooperation with the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Department.  Since that time, the event has grown to become the rotary club’s biggest annual fundraising effort and has supported hundreds of charities over the past two decades, accumulating more than $1 million to donate to local causes during that timeframe. 

“Under the leadership of Sebago Lake Rotarian Toby Pennels, the derby gained additional national notoriety as one of only four fishing derbies in the United States to be featured in a television program filmed for the National Geographic Channel that aired in June 2014,” Bell said.

While many families embraced the annual derby as a chance to get outside during the long winter, participants this year also had to adapt to the reality of 2021 as derby requirements followed the CDC’s COVID-19 protocols, including mask wearing and social distancing to avoid spreading the coronavirus.

According to Bell, proceeds raised from the derby will benefit the Salvation Army, food pantries and other Rotary focused charities and this year the club added an ice shack contest and a 50/50 raffle to benefit wildlife conservation programs.

Here’s a list of winners from the 2021Sebago Lake Rotary Ice Fishing Derby:

Top Prize winners

Grand Prize winner, Chris Grant, ATV from Windham PowerSports

50/50 winner, Josh Sparks, $2,055

5HP Mercury Outboard winner, Dan Stanton

Togue

First place, Greg MacIntosh, 10.78 pounds, 32 inches

Second place, David Ferris, 8.36 pounds, 29.5 inches

Third place, Rick Laney, 8.35 pounds, 29 ¼ inches

Perch

First place, Jacob Burrows, 1.90 pounds, 14 ¼ inches

Second place, Randall Breton, 1.60 pounds, 14.25 inches

Third place, Christopher Cook, 1.56 pounds, 14 inches

Pickerel

First place, Fran Orcutt, 4.98 pounds, 25 ½ inches

Second place, Wayne Roma, 4.71 pounds, 25 7/8 inches

Third place, Glen Sparks, 4.1 pounds, 25 ½ inches

Pike

First place, Ben Carlin, 9.44 pounds, 34 ¾ inches

Second place, Ben Carlin 9.24 pounds, 33 inches

Third place, Billy Groton 8.44 pounds, 32 inches <