The Sebago Lake ice fishing derby will award a $100,000 prize to anyone who catches a state record lake trout this year, derby director Tom Noonan announced Wednesday.

“What we’d like to do is eventually have big prizes for other species. But that will take time. I think this will create a buzz. That’s a big prize,” Noonan said after securing the award through an insurance company.

The state record for lake trout, also known as togue, hasn’t been broken in more than 50 years. The 31-pound, 8-ounce record-holder was caught by Hollis Grindle of Ellsworth at Beech Hill Pond in Otis in 1958.

Now in its 11th year, the Sebago derby brings in several thousand ice fishermen to Sebago Lake during the last weekend in February. The $100,000 prize is expected to attract more fishermen to this year’s event Feb. 25 to 27, said Noonan, the derby’s founder.

Noonan didn’t know of any other ice fishing derbies in the country that offer such a large cash prize. He believes such prizes might draw professional ice fishermen to the Sebago derby in the future.

Noonan’s hope for years has been to turn the Sebago derby into one of the nation’s biggest, surpassing the annual derby in Brainerd, Minn., which attracts some 16,000.

Entry fees to the Sebago Derby are $30 for individuals, $50 for a “Kid pack,” which covers an adult couple and six children up to age 18, who needn’t be related to the adults. A Kids Derby will be held on Friday, Feb. 25, and the open derby will be held Feb. 26 and 27.

First prize is a Polar Craft Boat from Moose Landing Marina. Other prizes will be awarded as well.

Originally started as a fund raiser for charities and the state’s fisheries, the Sebago derby drew about 6,000 ice fishermen in 2009. It was cancelled last year due to a lack of ice, but the accompanying statewide derby held the following weekend still raised money for local charities.

In past years, a Chevrolet pickup truck has been raffled — it has been one of the derby’s big draws. But Noonan said that with General Motors downsizing, Maine Chevrolet dealers could not provide a truck this year. That led to the push for a big cash prize.

Noonan hopes to “get the truck back,” and to continue to boost the prize pool for state record fish.

 

Staff Writer Deirdre Fleming can be contacted at 791-6452 or at: dfleming@pressherald.com