LPOIC kicks off spring derby Saturday

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SANDPOINT — There will be a lot of happy anglers on the lake Saturday.

A year after the spring derby was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it's a different story this year as Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club officials announced the event would kick off Saturday, April 24, and runs until 6 p.m. on May 2.

"Last year we were able to hold our other two derbies, but our spring derby had never been canceled before and was part of a very long 70-plus year tradition and, for as long as I can remember, a really big thing for Lake Pend Oreille Idaho anglers," said the club's Dave Gillespie. "I am sure there will be a lot of happy anglers out on the lake on Saturday."

The Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club derbies have been a tradition in the region since the late 1940s — more than 70 years depending on which derby you start with. Gillespie said the story is that the derbies started in 1947 after an earlier 1940s planting of Gerrard Rainbows from Canada which brought the rainbows to Lake Pend Oreille.

In 1948, Gillespie said the Bonner County Sportsman Club put on another derby that lasted the entire Lake Pend Oreille season. And, a few more were put on by the city of Sandpoint around the same time.

"After that the Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club was formed from members of both with a plan to continue with a springtime derby that would have less of an impact on the overall rainbow population," Gillespie said.

Gillespie said the term "Red Hat Days" can be connected to the earliest of those city-held derbies and is the "beginning of the red hats and jackets that we wear proudly today."

The 2020 spring derby, which is a favorite of both local anglers and those from out of the area, was canceled in March 2020 after Jim Fredericks, chief of Idaho Department of Fish & Game’s Bureau of Fisheries, told fishing tournament directors that officials had made the difficult decision to rescind permits for such events.

Fredericks wrote tournament directors after being approached for guidance on what to do in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic gripping the country and world. While many had proactively canceled tournaments, others were weighing their options and looking to the department for guidance.

This year, however, the derby can go on and the lake will see plenty of anglers hoping to catch the "big one."

"It is mostly [a sense] of relief that it will take place this year," Gillespie said.

There will, however, be a few changes to ensure anglers are safe and in keeping with the latest guidance from state and federal officials. That means there won't be an awards program this year, Gillespie said. Instead, derby prizes and trophies will be mailed to winners.

However, Gillespie said LPOIC officials hope to bring the awards programs back for the club's other derbies.

Ticket outlets for the 2021 derby can be found in a number of businesses from Sandpoint to Bayview as well as several in Coeur d'Alene. Those interested in joining the club and signing up for the derby can do both at these locations. Ticket outlets can be easily identified because they display the LPOIC derby poster at the front of the store, said Gillespie.

While many anglers won't share their secret spots or best lures to use, Gillespie did offer some advice for those heading onto the lake for the spring derby.

"If the anglers have never chased our rainbows before there is a learning curve as at times our rainbows are quite elusive," he said.

In the coming days, Gillespie said the surface of Lake Pend Oreille will warm up, bringing aquatic insects and Kokanee to the surface.

"With the feed bag at the top it won't be long before the rainbows follow," he said. "Anglers new to the area should check with the local sporting goods stores as most have trolling flies and lures that should fool those hungry fish."

Caroline Lobsinger can be reached by email at clobsinger@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @CarolDailyBee.