Fishing for fun; Big Lake derby slated for Saturday

BIG LAKE — It might be your last chance to get a line in the water without having to cut a hole in the ice first.

And, if you’re lucky, you could go home $250 richer. Also, there’s a free pancake breakfast.

Seriously, why wouldn’t you come out for the third annual Big Lake Chamber of Commerce Fall Family Fishing Derby?

“It’s a great family event to bring the kids out, to get them fishing before snow comes,” said Katie Gittlein, who is helping organize the event. “Weather depending we have between 40 and probably 100 people.”

Categories this year are a little different. Gittlein said that there’s a brand-new kids category.

“The kids we will not give money out to the kids but they will get trophies as well as prizes for bringing in fish,” she said.

Also, they got rid of the pike category.

“We used to have pike category,” she said.

But in two previous years they only saw one pike — it ended up taking first second and third. Which means it was a $500 fish.

“We have come to terms with it — and it’s probably a good thing — that there are not as many pike in the lake on our end,” Gittlein said. “People beg to differ but we have only seen one pike.”

The other two categories are familiar ones — trout and Dolly Varden. First second and third prize for the adults are $250, $150 and $100.

Gittlein said the chamber likes to encourage catch-and-release, so fish brought in alive in a cooler or a fish well get an extra half-inch tacked onto their measurements in the rankings.

A lot of folks move back and forth from the lake to the weigh station with multiple fish all day. The derby ends at 4 p.m., though, with winners announced and raffle tickets picked at 4:30 p.m.

The $20 entry fee buys free parking and boat launching at Burkeshore Marina. And the first 50 boats through the gate get a free goodie bag.

Oh, and that $20 ticket doubles as a raffle ticket. A lot of folks, Gittlein said, actually just buy it for that, considering the raffle prize is an $800 custom fly rod.

There’s also all kinds of lesser prizes — from fillet knives to gift certificates for a free dinner. The $5 kids entry fee doesn’t buy entry to the

raffle.

Contact reporter Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.