Eighth annual Moosehead Lake Togue Derby Jan. 23-25

Staff Report

    GREENVILLE — The 8th Annual Moosehead Lake Togue Derby is set for Jan. 23-25 and this year’s prizes are bigger and better than ever. Plus, you don’t even have to fish to be eligible to win the door prizes.

    This year’s derby is hosted by the Natural Resource Education Center, a nonprofit organization based in Greenville that provides resource-based programming to visitors and residents that come to the Moosehead Lake region to explore its woods and waters.
    “The funds from past derbies have supported many fisheries projects in the region,” said NREC President Tim Obrey. “These include college internships for students working on our white sucker removal projects on trout ponds and fabrication of the fish weir used on the Roach River, Socatean Stream and — most recently — Wilson Stream near Sebec Lake.”
    Obrey said that derby proceeds also helped purchase radio telemetry tags for the restoration of native Arctic char at Big Wadleigh Pond, matching funds for grants to purchase solar panels to power PIT tag dataloggers and radio telemetry receivers in remote locations.
    The Moosehead Lake Togue Derby’s special guest will be former NASCAR driver Ricky Craven, a part-time Greenville resident for several years. He recently signed a multiyear deal with ESPN to continue as an in-studio analyst for “NASCAR Now,” handle pre-race and post-race duties for the Sprint Cup series and do color commentary for five Xfinity — formerly Nationwide — series races.
    Individual derby tickets this year are $25 per person or $40 per family.
    The biggest togue cash prizes are $1,500 for the largest fish, $500 for second-place and $250 for third.
    For the first door prize, the winner gets to choose from one of these four packages:
    1. Universal Studios in Orlando, which includes round trip air fare from Bangor, five nights at Universal Cabana Bay Beach Resort and taxes, round trip airport to hotel transfers and four day Universal Park tickets. Value: $2,012
    2. Carnival Cruise to the Bahamas, which includes seven-night sailing on the Norwegian down from Boston in an inside stateroom, taxes and port fees. Value: $1,924
    3. “It’s Vegas, baby!” package, which includes round trip air fare from Bangor, five nights’ accommodations and tax at the Excalibur Resort and Casino, round trip airport to hotel transfers and two tickets to “O” by Cirque du Soleil. Value: $2,028
    4. $1,500 cash
    2nd door prize: Savage Model 10 .30-06 rifle with Nikon scope
    3rd door prize: Remington Model 870 Mag 12-gauge
    4th door prize: Ice fishing package: auger, jet sled and more
    5th door prize: $250 cash
    Tickets are available at Indian Hill Trading Post in Greenville, Moosehead Lake Region Chamber of Commerce in Greenville; Lucky Bait in Greenville; Moosehead Bait and Tackle in Rockwood; Mountain’s Market in Dover-Foxcroft; Van Raymond Outfitters in Brewer or online at www.nrecmoosehead.org.
    There will also be a wild game dinner by donation from 4-7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24 at the Cecil R. Cole American Legion Post. All door prizes will be drawn after the dinner. You do not have to be present to win. See official rules handout at participating sponsors for more details.