Anglers set to hit the lake in annual spring derby

SANDPOINT — Spring sunshine and fishing. It's the perfect combination.

With the start of Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club's annual spring derby at 6 a.m. today, April 26, area anglers will have a change to catch plenty of both.

The nine-day derby, which will run through 4 p.m. Sunday, May 4, offers the chance to hook some serious prizes.

The club's Dave Gillespie said this year's spring derby looks to feature some beautiful spring weather with forecasts call for the first three days to offer sunshine and temperatures in the low 70s.

"The question is will the fish like lots of sun and high pressure. It will be great boating weather," Gillespie said.

First place in the adult rainbow division comes with a $5,000 prize. Second place nets a $2,500 prize, third place $1,500, fourth $750 and fifth $500.

There is a $250 member bonus as well as a $500 catch-and-release bonus for placing a rainbow that is successfully released after weigh-in.

Fish must be a minimum of 32 inches.

In the adult mackinaw division, the top angler nets a $1,200 prize, second $800, third $600, fourth $400, and fifth $200. Prizes are also given to anglers who place sixth through 10th. A $150 prize is giving to the angler in the adult division who catches the largest mackinaw each day.

Junior Division anglers have a chance to claim their own bragging rights and is open to youth between the ages of 13 and 20. Rainbows must be at least 28 inches in length while mackinaws can be of any size.

First place wins $500, second is $400, third is $300, and fourth is $200. There is a $100 bonus for successful catch and release of a placing rainbow and a $50 member bonus.

Youth A and Youth B divisions offer younger anglers a chance to get in on the fun, with prizes and trophies offered to youth who finish in the top three of each division. Youth A is open to youngsters between the ages of 9 and 12 years old; Youth B is open to those from 0 to 8 years old.

The entry fee for adults is $60 while the entry fee for the junior division is $10. There is no charge for youth division participants to take part in the derby; however, they must pre-register.

The Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club derbies have been a tradition in the region since the late 1940s. The story is that the derbies started in 1947 after an earlier 1940s planting of Gerrard rainbows from Canada which brought the fish to Lake Pend Oreille.

In 1948, LPOIC officials 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.

Ticket outlets for the 2022 derby can be found in a number of businesses from Sandpoint and Ponderay 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.

Information: lpoic.org