Courtesy photo A veteran, center, poses for a photo with two organizers at the last Bay Area Veterans’ Fishing Derby. This year’s derby will be held on August 31.
ESCANABA — The Bay de Noc Great Lakes Sport Fishermen, a club that organizes activities and raises funds and fingerlings to promote conservation, improve area fishing and encourage youth participation in the outdoors, recently released a schedule of this year’s fishing tournaments.
The first, the Early Bird Walleye Tournament, is a catch-and-release event taking place on May 18. Registration begins at 6 am at the North Shore Boat Launch in Escanaba and closes when the rules are released at 6:45. The boats depart at 7 a.m., and upon returning to Escanaba Harbor at 4 p.m., the fish are taken from their live wells of fresh water, weighed, and returned to the bay. Awards and a barbecue will take place after the event at the Ore House Tavern on Sheridan Road.
June 15’s Sixth Annual Rusty Rail Walleye Bash is a coordinated fundraiser for the Cornell Volunteer Fire Department. This is a trailering event, which means that after the registration and rules meeting – which again is from 6 to 6:45 am at the North Shore Boat Launch – participants are allowed to bring their boats to any public boat launch that they chosen when the 7 am takeoff hits. The weigh-in takes place at the Rusty Rail in Cornell at 5 pm Right at the pub, those walleyes are filleted and fried for a community fundraiser. Raffles and others will follow the fish fry that night, with proceeds benefiting the fire department.
The Third Annual Bay Area Veterans’ Fishing Derby will be held on August 31 and differs from other club events in that there is no registration fee. Boaters volunteer their time and their boats to get veterans out on the water for the day. After the fishing excursion, a lunch is provided at Ludington Park, as well as prizes for all veterans. Local volunteers, businesses, and sports and veterans organizations work together to provide the experience.
On September 7 is the final tournament, aptly named Bay de Noc Last Chance. Registration at the North Shore Boat Launch begins at 6 am; rules are given at 6:45; take-off is at 7 a.m. Last Chance is another trailering event, so anglers can bring their boats to the launch of their choice. The weigh-in will be at Chenier’s Reef on Sheridan Road, followed by awards and food.
With the exception of the Veterans’ Derby, the tournaments conducted by the Bay de Noc Great Lakes Sportsfishermen follow a set structure. Teams can consist of one to three people, and the entry fee per event is $100. Teams have the opportunity to “enhance their payout,” as Director of Tournaments Jerry Plourde puts it, by buying into one or two optional pots. There’s the “Big Fish” pot, which anyone who reels in the biggest single fish takes, and the “Side Pot,” which is shared among the team – or teams, if there are enough contestants to award first, second and third prizes – with the largest aggregate catch.
Bayshore Bait and Hideaway, Bay View Bait and Tackle, Blade’s Bait and Tackle, Drifter’s Restaurant and L&M Fleet Supply all sponsor club tournaments. Events organized by the Bay de Noc Great Lakes Sportsfishermen are qualifiers for The Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s National Team Championship.
Questions about the Bay Area Veterans’ Fishing Derby can be directed to [email protected]; for information on other contests, Jerry Plourde can be reached at (906)420-0022.
