Friends, family and fellow Fish & Game members of the late Mike Norris hosted the 14th Annual Mike Norris Memorial Ice Fishing Derby on Raquette Lake on Saturday, January 25th.
Ninety-four adults and 14 juniors braved the cold weather conditions to participate in this great annual event.
Thanks to Tioga Construction (Mike’s employers) for a generous annual donation that helps secure the door prizes.
And special thanks to Mike Burke and Lew Harrington who shop at Triple S Sporting Good Show held in Buffalo.
Their careful spending helped secure an electric ice auger, Heritage Laker tip-ups as well as variety of Hi-Tech ice fishing gear for the adults.
The junior division had jigging poles, combo fishing sets, Baker hook-outs and lots of lures and jigs for participants.
At 5:30 a.m., eager entrants were already milling around the fire hall, slurping down hot coffee and partaking of free breakfast sandwiches, muffins and donuts.
Throughout the day, contestants weighed in fish, warmed up and grabbed some snacks before heading back out to rather blustery conditions—miserable winds up to 20 mph!
First line is in at 7 a.m. and by 7:40 a.m., Ethan Bush of Long Lake brought in the first fish—a 24.75-pound, 3.99-pound lake trout that kept first place in the junior division for the day.
Noah Lamphear of Inlet caught a 21.5-inch, 3.25-pound lake trout to take second place. Noah also weighed in the first place crappie with brother Wes catching second.
Colby Jones of Clayville walked away with the first place perch at .83-pound and 12.25-inches, with Dakota Miller, Ranger Gary Miller’s daughter, securing second with a .63-pound, 11.5-inch and Emily DeShaw of Indian Lake snagged the third place perch at 9.25 inches.
The adult division weighed in a fish for the five categories eligible for prize money.
Hanna Selby of Inlet weighed in a beautiful brook trout measuring 16.5-inches and weighing 1.58 pounds to walk away with first place.
Wes Keary of Blue Mountain Lake had second with a 1.45 pounder, and very close behind was Ben Paskirewich of Boonville with a 1.43-pound third place catch.
Wes Keary also cashed in with the second place lake trout, at 24.5-inch and 3.87-pounds, with Chris Ebmeyer of Old Forge securing first place with a 4.32-pound, 23.25-inch laker, and Justin Lamphear in third with a 3.74-pound, 23.5-inch fish.
Nathanial Gebo of Whitehall brought in the only salmon of the day—a 22-inch, 2.95-pound first place winner.
The Lamphears ran away with the crappie category with Brian Lamphear of Inlet in first with a 11.5-inch, .72-pounder, Mike Lamphear of Raquette Lake in second with a 10.75-inch, .58-pounder, and his dad Murray Lamphear coming in third with a 9 and seven-eigths-inch, .50-pound crappie.
First and second place perch went to Rory O’Brien of Troy with a respective 1.43-pound, 13.25-inch and .99-pound, 12.75-inch.
Gary Miller of Raquette Lake secured third with a .74-pound, 12-and-three-eights-inch catch.
A special thanks to Beeba and Kevin Norris and sister Cindy for helping with the contest. F & G President Wayne Kavanaugh for orchestrating the annual event and Nora Burke for helping with registrations as well as dish detail and cleanup afterwards.
Sandy Hicks for scampering to get us a regulation book and Fish & Game memberships for those that wished to spend $1 for junior members and $5 for adults.
And Liz Forsell for her outstanding contribution to the Club’s 50/50 raffle ticket sales. Her persistence and perseverance secured $470 in total sales!
Parks & Recreation for the plaques and Hamilton County Federation of Sportsmen for helping with the kids’ prize money.
And last but not least, the Raquette Lake Fire Department for use of the building and finding warm hiding spots for all the equipment.
Next derby is Saturday, February 8 at Lake Eaton in Long Lake. Bait is available at Hoss’s Country Corner. For more information visit mylonglake.com