LPOIC derby drawing nigh

PONDERAY — More than $20,000 in cash and prizes are up for grabs during the 2019 iteration of the Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club’s annual spring derby.

The derby runs from Saturday, April 27 to Sunday, May 5, giving anglers nine days of competition.

The top prize in the adult rainbow trout division is $4,000. There are payouts of $2,500, $1,500, $750 and $500 for second, third, fourth and fifth places, respectively. There is a $2,000 member bonus will be divvied up among LPOIC members who place in the adult division.

The minimum entry size for rainbow trout is 32 inches.

In the adult Mackinaw division, prizes of $1,200, $800, $600, $400 and $200 will be awarded to finishers in the top five places. Those who land in sixth through 10th places win $100 each and there is a $150 award for catching the largest lake trout on each day of the contest.

There are also junior divisions (age 14-17) for rainbows and macks as well, with prizes awarded for the top three finishers in each category. The minimum entry size in the junior rainbow contest is 28 inches and there is a bonus for LPOIC members who place. Derby action is preceded by the club’s 48th annual pin auction, which is set for Friday, April 26 at the Elks Golf Course. It starts at 6 p.m. Prizes will be awarded to pin purchasers who catch the largest rainbow or Mack during the derby.

The pin auction is the nonprofit club’s sole fundraiser this year, which helps sustain its charter of protecting and enhancing Lake Pend Oreille. Club projects have included purchasing coveted Gerrard-strain rainbow trout eggs, aiding Idaho Department of Fish & Game studies and helping to restore the lake’s rebounding kokanee population by restoring spawning runs at the Spring Creek Hatchery in Clark Fork.

Anglers can assist by donating items for the pin auction, sponsoring a cash prize, advertising in the LPOIC newsletter and becoming a member of the club.

Angler entry fees and tax-deductible donations collected by volunteers are used for prizes and payouts at the derby’s conclusion. The entry fee is $50 for adults and $20 for juniors. There is no entry fee for anglers in the youth divisions, although contestants are required to preregister.

Other contest awards include a $150 bonus for the largest rainbow caught by a corporate member and a $150 prize for the large German brown trout caught by an adult. There is also a $100 prize for the best photo taken during the derby.

The derby’s awards ceremony is set for Saturday, May 11, at the Bonner Mall in Ponderay. The ceremony starts at 7 p.m.

For more information, visit lpoic.org. To contribute to the auction, contact the event’s chairman, James Mullen, at 208-255-8679 or JMullen63@yahoo.com.