Rotary Great Ice Fishing Derby of 2009

[donnamatrix]

The top prize for the Derby has been announced.

The Meredith Rotary Club’s Great Ice Fishing Derby, scheduled for the weekend of February 7-8, 2009, will celebrate its 30-year anniversary in 2009. Derby Chairman Larry Schultz has just announced the grand prize for the Derby.
“This year’s grand prize is spectacular,” according to Schultz. The 2009 Derby Winner (the person with the heaviest Meredith Rotary tagged rainbow trout) will win the grand prize of an 18-foot Pioneer Sport fiberglass boat with a 90HP Suzuki 4-stroke engine and a Tidewater trailer. The prize package also includes a casting chair, tackle box, prop, and fish finder with depth sounder. The prize packaged is valued at $23,000 and is provided by David Hamblet and Y Landing Marina. Other top tier prizes will be announced in the coming weeks. The Ice Fishing Derby is one of the top fund-raising events in the state, bringing visitors to New Hampshire from all over the country. Fisherman, their families and friends come to New Hampshire in hopes of snagging the heaviest Meredith Rotary-tagged rainbow trout claiming the grand prize. Hundreds of other prizes are awarded throughout the Derby.
Throughout the years, The Meredith Rotary Club has donated more than $1.5 million back into the Lakes Region community for charitable projects, area improvements, scholarships and to individuals and families in need.
Derby tickets will go on sale on the Meredith Rotary Club website in early October, and more information is available by calling The Meredith Rotary Club at 603-279-7600.

[massfisher]

It's great to see there will be no mystery about the derby dates this year. For us out of staters who need to book lodging it makes things much simpler. Keep the updates coming and thanks for the info.

[VitaBene]

It's great to see there will be no mystery about the derby dates this year. For us out of staters who need to book lodging it makes things much simpler. Keep the updates coming and thanks for the info.

The real mystery usually is the thickness of the ice- so this date is still a moving target!!

[Pineedles]

I was told that last year's winner caught the winning trout 15' off my dock! I am a poor fisherman but I'll be trying this year.:)

[HomeWood]

Thanks a lot Donna for announcing the dates. It's great to have them early. (keeping the weather in mind ofcourse)

[donnamatrix]

I will keep posting information on this site about the Derby and also on the Meredith Rotary site (www.meredithrotary.org), which I redesigned last year. Hopefully this year (like last year) we will have plenty of ice in February!! The only time the Derby dates were moved was a couple years ago, when there was so little ice in January we at Rotary feared for the safety of all the participants if we didn't reschedule. Rescheduling is something we really don't want to do, as it impacts the folks coming from out of town/state, the local businesses, etc. But, at the same time, safety on the ice is the #1 concern. I can't believe on an 88 degree day I am discussing ICE !!! As soon as I know more about the prizes and the Derby Rewards Program, now in it's 3rd year, I'll let ya'll know.

[donnamatrix]

The top prizes for the Derby have been announced and are on the website (www.meredithrotary.org). Also, for the third year the Meredith Rotary will host A FREE FISHING CLINIC on Friday, February 6 from 6pm to 9pm at the Meredith Community Center. The event, called "Tip-up Talk" will highlight speakers AJ Nute of AJ's Bait & Tackle, John Viar of NH Fish & Game, and Travis Williams, a licensed NH fishing guide. They will discuss ice fishing tips, techniques and equipment. Sandwiches and snacks will be served and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis with seating limited to about 40 people. Also, since the child-oriented "Let's Go Fishing" event has been such a hit for two years, we will repeat the on-ice teaching clinic in 2009 on the Saturday of the Derby. Specific times have yet to be determined, but last year the clinic was once every two hours from 10am to 3pm and it was great. Lots of fun and prizes for the kids. ON-LINE TICKET SALES are now available at the website as well. Everyone who has participated in past Derby events will receive a Derby brochure in the mail that includes a mail-in registration form. For those who don't want to wait to purchase a Derby ticket or for anyone who is not part of our mailing list, the on-line ticket purchase is another option!! When you purchase a ticket online, you will receive an email notification of the purchase and the Rotary will mail your ticket to your home address. Tickets purchased on-line after January 27 will be held at Derby Headquarters in Meredith for pickup. YOU OUGHT TO BE IN PICTURES!! This year a talented film crew will be photographing and filming the daily events and interviewing participants. The plan is to produce a documentary film on ice fishing in New Hampshire. It's going to be a great celebration of the 30th year for the Great Fishing Derby. Hope to see you all there !

[twoplustwo]

Nothing says 'Merry Christmas' to my husband like opening a present with his derby ticket and fishing license all set to go. Being able to buy both online at the Rotary site and the NH Fish and Game site makes shopping easy for us fishing widows:D

2009 licenses are now available online, effective yesterday.

[angela4design]

IMHO, ice thickness shouldn't be a problem this year. I live over on Waukewan, and it's been iced over since last week, which seems early to me. I hear they're already fishing out on Webster Lake in Franklin/Hill, and that's always one of the first t ofreeze, right? Now, the lakes have some fresh insulation falling over this past weekend to help out, too!

Weekends like these make me want a snowmobile... what a playground!!!

[trfour]

I've been enjoying most of the winter recreational activities here for going on thirty years. It is time to stress ice safety as it seems every year we read stories about folks getting themselves into trouble out on the ice!

Vidio; http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/index.html

"Please stay safe everyone!"

[Arubaman]

The top prizes for the Derby have been announced and are on the website (www.meredithrotary.org). Also, for the third year the Meredith Rotary will host A FREE FISHING CLINIC on Friday, February 6 from 6pm to 9pm at the Meredith Community Center. The event, called "Tip-up Talk" will highlight speakers AJ Nute of AJ's Bait & Tackle, John Viar of NH Fish & Game, and Travis Williams, a licensed NH fishing guide. They will discuss ice fishing tips, techniques and equipment. Sandwiches and snacks will be served and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis with seating limited to about 40 people. Also, since the child-oriented "Let's Go Fishing" event has been such a hit for two years, we will repeat the on-ice teaching clinic in 2009 on the Saturday of the Derby. Specific times have yet to be determined, but last year the clinic was once every two hours from 10am to 3pm and it was great. Lots of fun and prizes for the kids. ON-LINE TICKET SALES are now available at the website as well. Everyone who has participated in past Derby events will receive a Derby brochure in the mail that includes a mail-in registration form. For those who don't want to wait to purchase a Derby ticket or for anyone who is not part of our mailing list, the on-line ticket purchase is another option!! When you purchase a ticket online, you will receive an email notification of the purchase and the Rotary will mail your ticket to your home address. Tickets purchased on-line after January 27 will be held at Derby Headquarters in Meredith for pickup. YOU OUGHT TO BE IN PICTURES!! This year a talented film crew will be photographing and filming the daily events and interviewing participants. The plan is to produce a documentary film on ice fishing in New Hampshire. It's going to be a great celebration of the 30th year for the Great Fishing Derby. Hope to see you all there !

When will a list of the winners be available for the 2010 derby?

[trfour]

They should be updating the results soon.

http://www.meredithrotary.org/2010_Derby_no_cart/index.html

[hoopdawg]

http://www.meredithrotary.com/2010_Final_Derby/Derby_Winner_Board.html