The Great Rotary Fishing Derby Returns—with a New Angle for 2013!

Next weekend, ice fishermen, their families, and friends will gather in Meredith from all over the country and beyond to participate in one of the most well attended events in New Hampshire. The Great Rotary Ice Fishing Derby has been drawing crowds to Lake Winnipesaukee for almost 35 years, with fishermen hoping to snag the heaviest tagged rainbow trout in order to claim the grand prize. However, this year is a little different, as the prize structure and the rules for the 2013 Fishing Derby have changed.

This year’s Great Rotary Fishing Derby will take place February 9^th and 10^th, with headquarters on Meredith Bay. The Meredith Rotary Club has opened up the field to create more opportunities for participants to win. By eliminating the tagged rainbow trout as the only possible winner category for the top three prizes and opening the prize structure to all Derby ticket holders, the Derby is more accessible to everyone. Now, the largest fish of each of the eligible species (white perch, yellow perch, cusk, lake trout, pickerel, black crappie, or rainbow trout) will be entered in the grand prize drawings, and a grand-prize winning fish can be caught in any fresh water open to the public. There will be less pressure to fish only in Lake Winnipesaukee, and less impact on the off-season salmon. Additionally, for the 2013 Derby, the Rotary Club will be providing all cash prizes, instead of items such as a fishing boat or ATV as in years past. Read the rest of this entry »