Portage Collegiate Institute (PCI) students made waves — or rather, ice cracks — at the second annual MHSAA Ice Fishing Derby last week, joining over 1,200 students from 70+ schools across the province. Among the anglers was a Grade 10 student named Adam, who landed a prize-winning northern pike in a competition where fewer than 20 fish were caught all day.
The event, sanctioned by MHSAA, saw students scramble across frozen terrain after a horn signaled the start of the derby. PCI teacher Darren Reichart, who helped chaperone 23 students from grades 9 to 12, describes the chaos-turned-triumph.
“At 9:30, the horn went off. All the students gathered outside of the grid, and then the grid had all the holes drilled inside of it. Twelve hundred students all ran at the same time to find a hole. It was quite a sight,” Reichart says.
Despite the fierce competition, PCI stood out. Two Grade 10 students, Adam and Kailum, snagged prize packages for their catches. “Less than 20 fish were caught in total,” Reichart notes. “For our school to catch two of those with only 23 students? That’s pretty decent.”
Prize-winning perspective
Adam’s 22-inch northern pike earned him bragging rights and a tackle haul. “I won two rods, a bucket for random things, and a nice hat,” he says. His secret? Pure luck — and a well-timed joke.
“We were making fun of one of my [friends] because his line was never in the water. Then I looked back at my rod, and it was bent. I pulled it up, and there it was!”
His friends’ reactions? A mix of awe and disbelief. “Some of them didn’t believe me,” Adam laughs. “But it was a fun ride home.”
Hooked on the future
Both Reichart and Adam hope PCI returns to the derby next year. “We’re always looking for opportunities for students to experience land-based learning,” Reichart says. Adam, who has two more years of high school left, agrees: “I hope the school does it again. So many great memories were made.”
The event, which emphasized catch-and-release conservation, left a lasting impression. For those curious about the scale, Reichart recommends checking out the drone footage on YouTube: “It gives a really good aerial picture of what it looks like for that event to happen live.”
As for Adam, his new fishing gear is ready for next winter’s challenge — and his hat? “It’s already my favorite,” he says.