It’s officially ice fishing derby season and there are a few of them this weekend.
The biggest one is in Aroostook County. The Long Lake Fishing Derby is a classic and usually attracts large crowds. The derby will be held Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 27 and 28, at a cost of $20 for a day and $30 for the weekend to enter. The waters include Long, Cross, Square, St. Froid, Eagle, Glazier, Beau and Portage lakes, Carr Pond and the St. John River. Prizes will be awarded for the biggest of several species of fish. For information, visit https://longlakeicefishingderby.com/ or call derby organizer Paul Bernier at 207-227-5252.
Holland Strong Ice Fishing Derby will be held Saturday, Jan. 27, at Wilson Pond in Wilton. Online registration ends Friday night, but in-person registration is allowed the day of the tournament, beginning at 5 a.m. There is a Facebook page with more information. The derby is a fundraiser for community projects through the Holland Strong Community Foundation, established in memory of Maine resident Michael Holland who perished when the El Faro sank off the Bahamas during a hurricane in 2015. Contact is Deb Roberts at 207-491-0827.
Calais Lions Club will hold its first fishing derby, which they hope will become an annual tradition, on Saturday, Jan. 27, at Round Pond in Charlotte. The entry fee is $5 per hole. The club has a Facebook page. The contact is Colin Brown at 207-726-4434.
The Operation Reboot Outdoors Fishing Derby will be held Saturday, Jan. 27, at the Great Pond Outdoor Adventure Center in Hancock. Entry fee is $5. The group has a Facebook page, and the contact person is Nicole Waite at 207-491-6209. There will be festivities on Friday evening.
Lake Thompson Fish and Game Association in Oxford will hold a fishing derby from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 27 and 28. All legal fishing waters statewide are eligible. Weigh-in is at the clubhouse at 44 Paine Road in Oxford. Tickets are $1 for the derby and raffle. Cash prizes for adults. The club has a Facebook page. The contact is Cynthia Ouellette at 207-485-6347.