Anglers overcame weather during successful Moosehead togue derby

By Pete Warner, Bangor Daily News Staff

The Jan. 29 snowstorm may have hampered the proceedings a bit, but plenty of fun was had during the 15th annual Moosehead Lake Togue Ice Fishing Derby.

Tim Obrey, regional fisheries biologist for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, said anglers worked around the varied conditions to have a successful derby.

Obrey, who also serves as the president of the nonprofit Natural Resource Education Center at Moosehead, which organizes the togue derby, said there were some four-pound togue taken on the first day.

Saturday, Jan. 29, started out breezy and finished with near-blizzard conditions that made fishing almost impossible.

“It is difficult for anglers to be very efficient in this type of weather,” Obrey said.

“Most fished in the morning but were safe and off the ice before the conditions got too bad,” he said.

The final day was sunny and breezy, but Obrey said the majority of the anglers headed home to dig out after the storm.

Billy Grotton of Canaan took home the $1,500 first prize with a 27 3/4-inch togue that weighed 8.09 pounds. 

Travis Saucier of Glenburn claimed runner-up honors and $500 with a 5.87-pound, 27 1/2-inch laker, while Owen Boardman of Madison took third place and $100, registering a fish that measured 26 inches and tipped the scales at 5.15 pounds.

Obrey said NREC is appreciative of the participants and the numerous sponsors who made the event a success.

The Moosehead Lake Togue Derby was first held in 2008 as a way for biologists to reduce the population of lake trout in the state’s largest body of water. That project yielded tremendous results within three years as the population of smelts, the main source of food for both landlocked salmon and togue, rebounded.

Anglers are still encouraged to harvest the limit of five togue under 18 inches to help maintain the togue population at a preferred level.

“The derby still plays an important role in the management of Moosehead Lake and it’s a great community event that supports a local nonprofit,” Obrey said.

The competition also provides an economic boost to the region.

“We typically see a large influx in winter anglers on the derby weekend that fills all the camps and lodging. The stores and gas stations are busy,” Obrey said.