Get ready for the 19th annual Long Lake Ice Fishing Derby in St. Agatha, Maine! You can now sign up for the event that attracts about 2,000 people from all over Maine and beyond. The organizers launched a new website, longlakeicefishingderby.com, to make registration easy.
Paul Bernier, who’s been running the event since it started, shared that they worked with a web designer to create the website. It has all the details about the derby, its history, and the cause it supports—the Edgar J. Paradis Cancer Fund.
The fishing fun is set for January 27 and 28. You can register for one day at $20 or the whole weekend at $30.
When the derby started, only Long Lake was involved, and they had around 100 registrations. It all began when Bernier, a town employee in St. Agatha, and Ryan Pelletier, the town manager, decided to use the proceeds to help the cancer fund. From there, the event has grown beyond their expectations.
In recent years, 1,500 to 1,800 people from different places like Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Brunswick have joined. It’s not just a fishing party; it helps the local economy too.
Businesses thrive, and accommodations are booked way in advance. People even reserve rooms in nearby areas like Caribou and Presque Isle. The derby has raised about $120,000 for the cancer fund so far and pledged $60,000 to the Northern Maine Medical Center foundation.
Prizes are a big part of the excitement, totaling about $45,000 each year. Last year, lucky winners got a side by side worth $15,000 and a $6,000 portable fishing cabin. This year, prizes include a 2024 Ski-Doo Expedition 900 Ace and a Sport Shack Ice Shack.
You can register online or grab a form from one of the 28 outlets in The County. Bernier has around 1,400 registration forms out there. The only thing they’re hoping for is good weather. As Bernier puts it, “We always pray for good weather… We just need ice.” So, let’s hope for the best weather and plenty of ice for a fantastic fishing derby!
