HARRISON — After a hiatus of a few years, the Winter Fest Family Ice Fishing Derby is returning to Long Lake, Harrison Parks and Recreation Director Kayla Laird said.
The derby is from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, and is for area children and youth.
Laird and her husband used to take their two daughters to the derby.
“I definitely wanted to bring it back,” Laird said, who became recreation director in August 2016. “A lot of people are super excited for this. It has been shared a lot on Facebook.”
There are three age groups and prizes for the largest fish in each division:
• Infants to age 6, brook trout, brown trout, splake, togue, salmon, white perch, small and large mouth bass and cusk. Entry fee is $3.
• Ages 7-11, brook trout, brown trout, splake, togue, salmon, white perch, small and large mouth bass and cusk. Entry fee is $4.
• Ages 11-15, brown trout, cusk and salmon. Entry fee is $5.
Five fishing traps is the first-place prize; a tackle box full of fishing accessories is for second place; and an empty tackle box and gift card is the third-place prize.
Grand prizes are for three youth lifetime fishing licenses.
While children do not have to be Harrison residents to participate in the derby, they have to be Maine residents to win the lifetime fishing licenses. Prizes will be awarded at the boat launch at 3 p.m.
Preregistration is at the Town Office at 20 Front St. or up until 9 a.m. at the boat launch the day of the derby.
Freebies include:
• A heavy-duty skimmer for the first 20 children;
• A black beanie, rod and reel combo, bait bucket full of bait and a swag bag for the first 50 children; and
• Unlimited number of stickers, fishing bracelets and coupons.
There will a fire pit, three warming tents and burgers, hot dogs and hot cocoa available, with food and drinks at the boat launch.
Jeff Witham, owner of Jeff’s Bait and Tackle in Oxford, said he will be on Long Lake from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. teaching children how to ice fish and giving away traps, as long as supplies last.
“If anybody wants to come before the derby and learn, they are more than welcome,” he said.
He is also raffling off two special fishing traps — a regular camo and a pink camo trap. Witham teamed up with local photographer Jacenta Grover, who will take a photo of each child with their trap at the Harrison and Norway derbies and send it to their parents.
For more information on the Harrison Family Ice Fishing Derby, visit www.harrisonmaine.org or call Laird at 207-583-2241.
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