For those devoted to ice fishing, Valentine’s Day Weekend this year was filled with love and joy to participate in their favorite sport once again.
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| Adam Hamilton won first place in the togue category during the 25th annual Sebago Lake Ice Fishing Derby by catching a 17.45-pound, 38.34-inch togue on Saturday, Feb. 14. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
According to Cyndy Bell of the Sebago Lake Rotary Club, the popular ice fishing contest once again proved to be more than just an excuse to get outside for time spent fishing. She said that proceeds from the 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 food pantries in the Lakes Region of Maine.
Bell said the event brings together people from all walks of life, helps forge new friendships among those fishing in the contest and produces great stories to share with their friends and families about their experiences out on the frozen lake.
Besides Sebago Lake, contest participants also fished in the 20-plus remaining lakes and ponds within the weighing area and unlike in recent years, they had adequate ice to ensure safety and found an abundance of perch, pickerel, pike, and togue fish ready to be caught.
“As in years past, participating fishermen continued to donate their catches which were delivered to Nova Seafood to be processed and delivered to assist in feeding the homeless and those facing food insecurity,” Bell said.
Tom Noonan, a Sebago Lake Rotary Club member, is credited with coming up with the concept for the original Rotary Ice Fishing Derby in 2001 in cooperation with the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Department.
Since then, the event has grown quite a bit to become the Sebago Lake Rotary Club’s largest annual fundraising initiative and through the years 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 nationally in June 2014,” Bell said.
Here are the 25th annual Sebago Lake Ice Fishing Derby winners:
· The $5,000 Grand Prize recipient was Chris Hansen.
· Traves Rocket won a half-day guided tour offered by Sebago Sport Fishing.
· Frank Chepke won an Otter Ice Fishing Shelter offered by Sebago Bait.
· The 50/50 raffle winner was John Thomes, who received $1,890.
Adam Hamilton took home the first-place trophy for the Togue category. His togue weighed in at 17.45 pounds and measured 38.34 inches in length.
Second-place in the Ice Fishing derby’s Togue category went to Lance Sistare with a 12.98-pound togue that measured 34 inches in length.
Dave Sheldrick received third place in the derby’s Togue category with a 10.77-pound togue measuring 29.34 inches in length.
In the pickerel category, Brian Rocray won first place was a 3.44 pound, 24 1/8-inch catch.
Ben Carlin was second in the pickerel category with a 3.28 pound, 24-inch catch.
Third place in the pickerel category went to David Dunnells with a 2.95 pound, 23 3/8-inch catch.
Mike Canton took first place in the perch category with a 1.62 pound, 14.7/8-inch catch.
Dan Remmington was second in the perch category with a 1.44 pound, 13.5-inch catch.
Finishing third overall in the perch category with a 1.44 pound, 13.5-inch catch was Jared Terroni.
Among pike catches, Ben Carlin was first with eight, followed in second place by Joe Carlin with six.
Arthur Mullin was third overall in the pike category with five pike caught. <
