It took a while, but a few fishermen changed their game plans and went deep to find the low-lying larger fish at the annual Belwood Lions Pike Derby this year.
The cold and wet weather created numerous problems with high water levels making minnow harvesting in the streams impossible, and the cold, mid-50s degrees Fahrenheit temperature making the fish sluggish and not interested in biting.
For more than 30 years, the Belwood Lions Pike Derby has endured many extremes, and this year was no different. There were 450 men, women, and children did their best to find the big ones, but this year there was only limited results.
Many young pike, (18 to 23 inches were caught) plus pickerel, and other species, but there were only three legal entries 24 inches and over that qualified this year in the two day tournament.
Kerry Hepburn, of Guelph, was first in with a 24 inch pike to measure at 1:53pm on Saturday. At 11:06am Sunday, Jorge Leindekar, of Brampton, brought in a 36-1/4-inch fish that proved to be the winner, followed by John Dyble, of Fergus, with a 30-1/2 inch second place pike at 3:30pm.
There were no entries at all that qualified in the youth category.
Leindekar’s top finish saw him win a trophy and $2,000 cash. Dyble won a six-hour fishing charter for four with MAC Charters at Kincardine, and Hepburn won an assortment of tackle, an angler personal flotation device, plus other items. She also won the mystery length (27-3/4-inches) prize for closest fish without going over.
Glen Billings, of Guelph, won a fishing charter at Kincardine in the early bird draw for those registering in the derby by May 15. All other designated prizes were distributed by draws at the derby close on Sunday afternoon.
