The town of Meredith is the host of one of the Lakes Regions biggest
winter events; the Great Rotary Fishing Derby. Every year ice
fisherman from across the country gather in Meredith
for a weekend of fun, fishing, and seeing what your tolerance for
cold and frostbite is. In the end, the payoff is being one of the
lucky few who gets to experience the pride of having their catch
hung up on the wall of fame, and winning an amazing grand prize. So, if your driving around the Lakes Region
and find the frozen waters of Lake Winnipesaukee transformed into a
metropolis of fishing shanties of every shape, size, and color, the
fishing derby must be underway. If there is a sense of fierce
competition in the in the air, it must be near prize time!
More than $60,000 are up for grabs in prizes
this year. For a complete breakdown on what fish wins what prize, click
here.
First Prize
(value: over $25,000)
18' Pioneer Sport Fishing Boat and Trailer with 100 hp
motor, tackle box, and casting chair kit.
Second Prize
( value: over $6,000)
Honda Fourtrax Rancher ATV and Trailer.
Third Prize
( value: over $1,100)
Old Town Kayak and motor.
2010 Winners
Updated: Click
here to access the full list of derby winners.
Dave Waniski,
of Gilmanton Iron Works took home the grand prize.
Heaviest tagged rainbow trout, 3.05 pounds, 19 inches
Charles Robbins,
of Meredith took home the second place prize.
2nd Heaviest tagged rainbow trout, 2.12 pounds, 17.5 inches
Rick Ordway,
of took home the third place prize.
3rd Heaviest tagged rainbow trout, 2.09 pounds, 17 inches
Derby Weather Forecast
Sunday was the conclusion of the derby, and it
enjoyed fantastic weather. With temps warming into the middle 20's under
sunny skies, it feels downright balmy compared to the brutally cold weather at
the start of the event. This section will be updated as we near the 2011
fishing derby.
Lake Winnipesaukee Ice Status
Report
Recent rainfall has left the surface of the ice
extremely slick in spots, and the snow squalls of Thursday evening dropped just
enough snow to hide the surface. Use extreme caution while walking
around. Ice-in was officially
declared for Lake Winnipesaukee on January 16th. There are still some thin spots so please use caution
when venturing out on the ice. The current lake temp
is 32.2ºF and dropping slowly.
Tickets are $30
and are available at more than a dozen locations around Lake Winnipesaukee,
including AJ's Bait and Tackle,
the Winnisquam Trading Post, Skelly's
Market, Alton
Circle Grocery and at Paugus
Bay Sporting Goods. You can also purchase tickets directly at derby
headquarters in Meredith, or online via the link below. If the event is
postponed, your tickets cannot be refunded, but will be honored when the event
is eventually held. A cancellation is highly unlikely. If the ice conditions in
2002 didn't warrant a cancellation of the event, nothing probably
will.
The ticket revenue goes toward prizes and
generous donations to local organizations. It also goes toward the extensive
fish stocking of various Lakes Region bodies of water.
The town of Meredith is the host of one of the Lakes Regions biggest
winter events; the Great Rotary Fishing Derby. Every year ice
fisherman from across the country gather in Meredith
for a weekend of fun, fishing, and seeing what your tolerance for
cold and frostbite is. In the end, the payoff is being one of the
lucky few who gets to experience the pride of having their catch
hung up on the wall of fame, and winning an amazing grand prize. So, if your driving around the Lakes Region
and find the frozen waters of Lake Winnipesaukee transformed into a
metropolis of fishing shanties of every shape, size, and color, the
fishing derby must be underway. If there is a sense of fierce
competition in the in the air, it must be near prize time!
