Derby on Moosehead Lake resumes Feb. 19

GREENVILLE — The ninth annual Moosehead Lake Togue Derby with Ricky Craven is not over but instead has come to a dramatic pause. The leader board will be put on ice until the derby resumes Friday, Feb. 19.

Zach Smith of Milo has a solid catch at 10.74 pounds and 31.875 inches. It was a very nice looking fish that apparently had no trouble finding the dinner table. Scott Harding of Greenville is in the hunt for a payout with a second place togue weighing in at 7.57 pounds and Mike Conners is holding third with a nice 3.59-pound fish.

Those involved in the derby will have to wait and see if these fish will hold up after another three days of fishing in February when the ice will be thicker and anglers should be able to cover all areas of the lake. Anglers that purchased tickets for the first weekend do not need to buy another ticket for the second weekend of fishing.

The wild and tame dinner will be held Saturday night (Feb. 20) at the Masonic Hall and derby officials will be drawing over 70 great door prizes, including vacation trips, firearms, cash, concert tickets, tickets to sporting events, and more. No fish are needed to win these prizes, just buy a ticket to be in the running.

There will also be a silent auction from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Feb. 20 at the Masonic Hall. The proceeds go to the Maine Woods Explorer program. All prizes will be listed on www.NrecMoosehead.org.

There were no reported incidents of anglers going through the ice which is a testament to the safety-consciousness of sportsmen and sportswomen. Derby organizers want to thank everyone that participated this weekend and they invite them all back.