Page 23 - APRIL2022

April 2022 NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM Page 23 Community
February Closed on a Winning Note for Many at the 31st Annual Ice Fishing Derby on Newfound Lake
By donna rhodes
ALEXANDRIA – The Al- exandria Volunteer Firefighters Association works hard to raise funds for the town’s fire depart- ment, and for more than three decades, members and firefight- ers have kicked off those efforts with their popular February AVFD Ice Fishing derby on Newfound Lake.
Officials said the 2022 derby didn’t have the biggest ticket sales over the past 31 years it’s been held, but it was a safe and successful weekend all the same. The money from ticket sales and other donations all help AVFA purchase additional equipment and needs for firefighters and EMTs that are not included in the Alexandria town budget.
Held this year over the week- end of Feb. 26-27, organizer Jim Shokal said that 510 tickets for the derby were sold, and each ticket holder was entered into the raffle for dozens of great prizes up for grabs from many local businesses and organizations.
At the end of the weekend, crowds gathered at the Welling- ton State Beach boat launch, where Shokal and the staff pre- sented trophies donated by the Simula family for the children’s division. They then announced the top winners in five catego- ries, rainbow trout, lake trout, pickerel, cusk, and perch, and handed out cash prizes to the top three in each category. All win- ning entries were determined by weight, not length.
AVFA Ice Fishing Derby organizer Jim Shokal displayed the
Grand Prize-winning fish, an 11.07 lb. Lake Trout that won fisherman Dave Bentz of Maine $1,150 in prize money. Photo by Donna Rhodes
his 2.38 lb. trout; Amiyra Bennett brought in a 2.33 lb. “Laker” for fourth place, and the final fifth place trophy went to Nicholas Stevens again for his second lake trout, which weighed 2.16 lbs.
In the open division for peo- ple of all ages, first place winners took home $150, while second place was $100, and $50 was awarded for third.
In the Rainbow Trout cate- gory, the winner was Thomas Caron, whose catch weighed in at 5.76 lb. Rick Simula 3.6 lb pickerel, and Adam Hamilton’s 5.1 lb. cusk to win first prize. Dustin Bucklin of Alexandria, who caught both the first and third place perch over the week- end, weighing in at 1.76 and 1.34 lbs. Respectively.
The big overall winner for the 31st AVFA Ice Fishing Derby, though, was Dave Bentz of Maine. Bentz pulled in an 11.07 lb. lake trout on Saturday that maintained the lead throughout the weekend. The $150 first- place prize awarded his luck and skills in the Lake Trout category
and an additional $1,000 for bringing in the biggest fish of all during the derby. While Bentz was not on hand for the check presentation, Shokal assured ev- eryone his check would be in the mail as he congratulated him on a great catch.
The second and third place overall prize money of $500 and $250 went to Thomas Caron for his lake trout and Mark Beliveau for his beautiful rainbow trout.
Fish and Game Officers were on hand throughout the week- end, and Lt. Jim Kneeland said the derby was a great success from his point of view.
“This was a very good week- end. We found a few minor vio- lations but nothing serious,” he commented late Sunday after- noon. “It was decent weather out here this year, and while I might have liked to see more people out enjoying the fishing, the harvest looked good.”
Any fish not claimed at the end of the two-day event was donated to Squam Lake Natural Science Center to feed the ani- mals they oversee at the facility.
Dustin Bucklin of Alexandria took home $200 in prize money for the first and third place perch he caught during the 31st AVFA Ice Fishing Derby. Photo by Donna Rhodes
This year, the winner in the children’s division was 12-year- old New Hampton resident Hunter Laroche with a 5.5 lb. lake trout. Besides his trophy for that division, Hunter’s catch placed him in second place over- all for the derby in the Lake
Trout category, and derby offi- cials presented him with a check for $100 as well. Other children’s trophies winners, all of whom also brought in lake trout, were Harbor Bray in second place with his 2.41 lb. catch; Nicholas Stevens received third place for
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