The Healthy Lake Committee did it again! Another successful ice fishing derby took place on the first Saturday in March. And even though the wind was brisk, the fishing was pretty good!
The Grand Prize winner of the quad was Mervin Waldner with his 101.5 cm northern pike.
In total 487 people were registered for the March 1st fishing derby, with a total of 104 fish registered through the Fish Donkey App.
Committee member Charlotte McConnell says with the entry fees, sponsorship support and 50/50 sales they netted about $10,000 to put towards maintenance costs and hydro bills for the lake's 2 aeration fields.
Due to changes in the Manitoba Angling regulations the Pelican Lake committee was forced to go a different route in recording the measurements of the different species. So, the Fish Donkey App was launched at last year's event. This being the second year for the Fish Donkey App, McConnell says there is still a learning curve for both their committee and their participants.
"We don't have a choice," she says. "We have to go this way now. In some ways it's been really great. It makes registration a breeze, and it makes running the derby on the day of for us a breeze, but it is limiting in terms of if you're savvy or not with technology and you have to be fishing with someone because someone has to take your picture for you. So, there are a few barriers that using an App brings in that didn't used to be there."
In retrospect, the fish are able to return to the water fairly quickly. And now, the females are heavy with eggs, and we want the fish to be as healthy as possible. So, bouncing over snow hills in a hair-raising ride to the measuring station is no longer a problem.
"It eliminates the need to throw your giant fish in a bucket and drive it across the lake to get measured. You can measure it right at the hole and then throw it right back into the water and keep fishing. And you can always see where your fish is in the standings, so if it's too small to be a prize winner then it can go back into the water pretty quick. So, there are definite advantages to it too," she adds.
"But it's been a learning curve, and everyone has been really good about it, and we just really appreciate that!"
The implementation of the App also made it easier to divide the one large event into two smaller ones: where kids, age 15 and under have their own ice fishing derby the following week, that being tomorrow March 8th.
"... it's all about teaching the kids how to fish handle properly and that kind of thing..."
"The kids' derby is always a really fun one! We give each of the kids a rod and reel," she explains. "Then we have volunteers walking around so that when the kids catch a fish, we can measure it right at the hole and release it. And that's how the prizes are won when we tabulate those results at the end. But it's all about teaching the kids how to fish handle properly and that kind of thing. So, we try to gear it towards families coming to this ice fishing derby and learn more about ice fishing. So, even if you've never done it before, you can come and have fun!"
McConnell says the kids' fishing derby fills up immediately and is capped at 250 kids. That takes place tomorrow at Pelican Lake!
With last Saturday's adult and 16+ derby, and tomorrow kids' derby, they're sitting at just over 730 participants, about 150 people less than last year.