Cold Weather Promises Good Ice for Fishing Derby
Cold Weather Promises Good Ice for Fishing Derby
By Thomas P. Caldwell
Hesky Park in the Meredith will be the place to be when not out on the ice hoping to hook the largest fish in one of seven categories during the Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby on Feb. 13 to 14. Courtesy photo
With a few exceptions, this has been a pretty mild winter in the Lakes Region, raising fears among some fishermen that the 42nd annual Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby would not take place. Just a month ago, very little ice appeared on New Hampshire lakes, but in late January the temperatures plunged to signal that the derby should be able to go on as planned during the weekend of Feb. 13-14.
This year’s derby will offer more than $50,000 in prizes, with a first prize of $15,000 in cash, a $5,000 second prize, and a $3,000 third prize. The five heaviest fish each day in each of the seven categories will receive prizes of $50, $200, $150, $100, and $50, and there will be several ticket stub cash drawings each day.
There also will be two “Grand Cash Drawings” for $5,000, selected from derby ticket stubs, whether or not the person has fished.
Contestants are able to fish any New Hampshire lake to land their prize-winner, with last year’s entries coming from 25 bodies of water.
The Meredith Rotary Club held its first ice fishing derby in 1979 and the derby has continued every year since, although the club was forced to postpone it a few times to wait for better ice.
“Given the current weather forecast, it’s looking like there will be no need to delay,” said Tiffany Pena in response to questions about the lake conditions in late January. “We are monitoring the situation and any decision to postpone will be made two weeks prior to the derby.”
During the early years of the derby, the club provided merchandise prizes, such as a boat and trailer, but derby officials learned that most winners would have preferred cash, and many of them sold their prizes after receiving them. As a result, the club switched to cash prizes — in amounts that have increased over the years.
Other changes that have occurred during the life of the derby include which fish qualify for prizes. The grand prize used to go to biggest tagged rainbow trout, but the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department asked the derby to relieve the pressure on the trout population, so the club expanded the list of acceptable fish to seven species. Today, the list includes Cusk, Lake Trout, Pickerel, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, White Perch, and Black Crappie. The Black Crappie had not been on the list of acceptable fish prior to 2011.
One other change the club made was to replace its old trailer with a new one built by Rotary Club members.
This year’s derby changes the Saturday weigh-in deadline to its original time of 4 pm. The derby also has put in place special rules to meet state health guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic. Face coverings and physical distancing will be required of those in line to purchase tickets at Derby Headquarters, to enter fish at the weigh-in station, and to purchase merchandise at the club trailer.
To allow for longer lines, anyone waiting to enter a fish at the weigh-in station at the deadline will be permitted to continue through the line and have the fish weighed. The club website, MeredithRotary.com, will include a Min-Max report that is updated with each fish entered. Having that information will help people decide whether to go to Derby Headquarters to enter a fish. The fish board itself will be “virtual” this year, appearing on the club website.
Another change under the pandemic guidelines is that the grand prize drawing will be an online streaming event, with links on the website and on Facebook. A recording of the drawing will be placed on the club website as well. To qualify for the top three prizes, the angler must have had the largest fish in one of the seven categories and have a valid derby ticket. An angler can be entered in the Grand Prize drawing only once, no matter how many fish that person has caught.
The club has canceled the kids’ fishing clinics, but will allow youths with derby tickets to enter fish for prize drawings, whether or not they have cash-prize-winners.
The traditional fish board will be replaced by a virtual board this year to show the largest fish turned in at the Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby this year. Courtesy photo
The names of cash raffle winners will be posted to the club website as they are drawn, and winners will be notified by telephone.
In announcing the changes under COVID-19, the club emphasized what doesn’t change: Everyone needs a ticket to win; all prizes will be awarded; anglers can fish any public water body in New Hampshire; Derby Headquarters will still be in Hesky Park in Meredith; Derby merchandise will be available for sale; and prizes can either be picked up at Derby Headquarters or they will be mailed to winners.
Good luck, and happy fishing!
(Editor’s note: information as of press time, but please check the Rotary website at www.meredithrotary.com for updates on weather and ice conditions.)