Here’s something about the Canandaigua Lake Trout Derby that Jon Betrus would like to clear up.
You don’t have to catch lake trout to win a prize in the 45th annual derby, which will be from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 6 and 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 7 on Canandaigua Lake.
That said, last year’s grand prize winner was a 21.16-pound laker — big money for a big fish!
But brown trout and rainbow trout are also eligible for prizes, said Betrus, who in addition to serving as a biology teacher and coach in the Naples Central School District is chair of the South Bristol Fish and Game Club’s derby organizing committee.
The grand-prize-winning brown and rainbow trout were nothing to sneeze at, weighing in at 11.34 pounds and 7.03 pounds, respectively. Canandaigua Lake never ceases to amaze when it comes to the fish swimming in its waters.
“It’s neat what’s in there,” Betrus said.
Canandaigua Lake Trout Derby prizes
When the fishing is done the afternoon of June 7, cash prizes will be offered in all three categories of trout; $100 for first, followed by $100 and $50 for second and third.
The grand prizes for the humongous fish range from $1,000 to $500 and are enough to have you call in sick to work on Monday with the fish flu.
New this year is a youth division for anglers 16 and younger, also with cash prizes. Anyone who enters under the age of 16 is eligible for a drawing of a lifetime sportsman’s license, sponsored by the Ryan Rector Youth Opportunity Foundation.
Should you catch and release at the Canandaigua Lake Trout Derby?
Leaderboard updates will be available in real time on the Facebook page of the Canandaigua Lake Trout Derby to encourage anglers to catch and release their fish.
That’s important for Betrus because Canandaigua Lake has the only self-sustaining rainbow trout fishery in the Northeast.
“They naturally spawn successfully in the feeder creeks off Canandaigua Lake,” Betrus said. “The population sustains, and they don’t have to continually stock rainbow trout. It’s really cool.”
Besides the anglers, who benefits from the Canandaigua Lake Trout Derby?
The bulk of the proceeds will be presented to Hospeace House Comfort Care in Naples and Light Hill Comfort Care in Canandaigua.
The money raised in the derby also helps the South Bristol Fish and Game Club sponsor kids who want to attend state Department of Environmental Conservation youth summer camps.
In fact, the derby last year presented $7,500 each to the two comfort care homes and used $2,500 for the camperships.
Over the past 44 years, the Canandaigua Lake Trout Derby has raised more than $275,000 to support local organizations.
How to take part in the Canandaigua Lake Trout Derby
Each year, 250 to 300 people take part in the derby, but organizers are always looking for more. The entry fee is $30.
To register, visit https://canandaiguatroutderby.org/. Those who take part also should familiarize themselves with the rules, which are also posted on the website.
Mike Murphy covers Canandaigua and other communities in Ontario County and writes the Eat, Drink and Be Murphy food and drink column. He can be reached at mmurphy@messengerpostmedia.com. Follow him on X at @MPN_MikeMurphy.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Big cash prizes await at the Canandaigua Lake derby
Reporting by Mike Murphy, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mike Murphy, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | USA TODAY Network
