I picked this item off "The Fishing News" newswire.
NEW: Walleye derby set for May 1st
Spiel -- Mon, Mar/22/04
Jim Sarazin
Thursday, March 18, 2004 - 12:00
Local News - The May 1st weekend will be like many others in years gone by for anglers throughout Eastern Ontario.
A walleye tournament will resurface once again on the waters of Hay Bay and organizers Fred Haygarth and Don Mallory are expecting to draw a crowd.
“We are hoping for about 200 entrants and I think we are being a little conservative. We just don’t know,” said Haygarth.
Mallory said the best promotion for the Hay Bay Benefit Walleye Derby is the success of the previous walleye tournaments.
He said the Napanee Rod & Gun Club did an excellent job and he wants to ride on their coat tails.
“We could get as many as 500 entries,” he said.
“This area has been noted for being the fishing capital of walleye.”
Once again the focus will be on walleye but prizes will also be offered for large pike.
Prizes to date will include get-away packages but organizers are still fishing for more.
So far, they have rounded up several places to sell tickets. On their list are the Canadian Tire Store, Baker’s Baits, and Hart@Hart in the Town of Greater Napanee.
In Kingston, anglers can pick up entry forms at Ward’s Marina, on Bath Road. Out of town anglers can call 1-877-565-6314 for information.
Haygarth said the response to the derby has been excellent.
Earlier in the year, the pair were planning to have an event in hopes of attracting 50-70 entries.
However, when word got out about the derby, the co-ordinators changed their focus.
“We had people coming and asking us to take it on a bigger scale,” said Mallory.
“We would like to do it on a permanent basis every year.”
The organizers said money raised from the event will be given to Jerry and Debbie McCann of Hay Bay, who lost their home in a fire January 15.
“Right from day one, people have been rallying to help us. The neighbours and people we don’t know have come forward,” said Debbie.
Right now, the McCanns are planning to rebuild.
Organizers say the event will help support businesses in Napanee and each year they will find a cause to donate the profits.
_________________ David Delcloo aka Superdad (Retired)
Kingston
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