11-year-old wins his sixth derby trophy with large togue
ST. AGATHA, Maine — An 11-year-old Eagle Lake boy who is not any stranger to the Lengthy Lake Ice Fishing Derby winner’s circle picked up his sixth trophy this weekend.
Drew Belanger of Eagle Lake hauled in a first-place togue within the 13-and-under youth class of the annual fishing competitors and fundraiser. The 26-inch fish weighed 6 kilos, 3.5 ounces, besting the closest competitors by about 2 kilos.
The teen caught two togue and one salmon Sunday whereas fishing out on Eagle Lake together with his father, Fort Kent police officer Mark Belanger.
The duo didn’t pull any flags on Saturday, which noticed sluggish motion on the derby leaderboard for all classes.
“Drew’s persistence paid off on Sunday, although. He went out early battling the frigid temperature and managed to tug in his profitable fish,” his mom Stacy Belanger stated.“On the lake he was leaping round screaming, ‘It’s an enormous one, dad.’”
In 2021, Drew Belanger swept the togue class of his division, taking house all three money prizes.
The Belangers had been amongst greater than 1,600 anglers who registered for the Lengthy Lake Ice Fishing Derby this 12 months.
Derby chair Paul Bernier stated since its inception 18 years in the past the derby has inspired younger anglers to take part by offering incentives reminiscent of money prizes.
“While you get the youngsters, you get the dad and mom; you get the entire household on the market. That’s what we promote, a household ambiance,” Bernier stated. “We’ve received lots of people of their early 20s and mid-20s who began fishing within the derby after they had been 5 or 6 years previous again when the derby began.”
Regardless of the match’s identify, Lengthy Lake is just one of 10 northern Maine waterways from which anglers can catch their fish. Different derby waters are St. Froid Lake, Eagle Lake, Beau Lake, Carr Pond, Cross Lake, Sq. Lake, Glazier Lake, Portage Lake and the St. John River.
Anglers can fish for togue, salmon, muskie, brook trout, cusk and perch.
Different first place winners within the youth division had been Aiden Pelletier with a 5 pound, 9.6 ounce salmon registering 24 and 1/4 inches and Mikayl Michaud who caught a 2 pound, 3 ounce brook trout that measured 18 inches.
The cusk class was open to all ages. Winners had been, first place, Mike Thibodeau, 9 kilos, 13.4 ounces, 30 1/4 inches; second place, Mike Thibodeau, 9 kilos, 7.9 ounces, 29 3/4 inches; and third place, Spencer Neilander, 9 kilos, 6.4 ounces, 32 inches.
The next are winners within the 14 and older class.
Salmon: first place, Tim Morgan, 5 kilos, 8.3 ounces, 26 inches; second place, Eric Smith, 5 kilos, 4.9 ounces, 27 1/2 inches; and third place, Steve Rouse, 5 kilos, 3.1 ounces, 24 1/4 inches.
Togue: first place, John Keller, 14 kilos, 6.6 ounces, 34 1/2 inches; second place, Allan Pottle, 14 kilos, 3.4 ounces, 34 3/4 inches; and third place, Nicholas Pelletier, 12 kilos, 15 ounces, 33 1/2 inches.
Brook trout: first place, Dan Levesque, 2 kilos, 11.6 ounces, 22 inches; second place, Shane Chamberland, 2 kilos, 6.8 ounces, 18 1/2 inches; and third place, Matthew Derosier, 2 kilos, 1.8 ounces, 17 3/4 inches.
Muskie: first place, Andrew Cyr, 19 kilos, 12 ounces, 40 inches; second place, Colby Brown, 14 kilos, 4 ounces, 37 1/2 inches; and third place, Andrew Cyr, 13 kilos, 4 ounces, 36 inches.
Most perch: first place, Ben Robinson, 510; second place, Mathew Foulke, 142; and third place, Ben Carlon 116.
Largest perch: first place, Fred Libby, 1 pound, 4.1 ounces, 14 1/4 inches; second place, Tyler Jones, 1 pound, 2.5 ounces, 14 inches; and third place, Mathew Foulke, 1 pound, 1 ounce, 14 inches.
Proceeds from the derby will profit the Edgar J. Paradis Most cancers Fund, which supplies monetary help to relations and family members who accompany St. John Valley most cancers sufferers who should journey exterior the world for remedy. The derby has contributed greater than $120,000 to since its inception.
“That immediately helps individuals from the Valley; it’s helpful to them. We all know lots of people who’ve benefitted from these funds, whether or not immediately or not directly by means of their household,” Bernier stated.
