At 11 a.m. on March 22, a loud horn blared and hundreds of heavily-clothed ice fishermen dashed onto a large roped off area of Montreal Lake on Cree First Nation land in central Saskatchewan. They ran to what they hoped would be the best pre-drilled ice fishing holes so they could catch the derby’s biggest walleye and pocket $100,000 in Canadian currency.
“It was pretty chilly that morning, but by afternoon it had warmed up to sweater weather – in the 20s,” said Chelsea Naytowhow, the ice derby organizer. “This was the 17th Annual Montreal Lake Walleye Ice Derby, and it gets bigger every year.
“We had anglers from all over Canada, and some from the U.S. as far away as Arizona. Everyone had a great time. And it’s all done to help fund the Montreal Lake Sports, Culture and Recreation group. It’s for youth recreation like soccer, hockey and other sports.”
The youth sports program collected more than $100,000 from this year’s event.
Naytowhow said anglers begin lining up to get onto the ice at 6 a.m. Early arrivals want a first chance to get what they believe are the best ice fishing holes. They are pre-drilled by derby staff, ready and waiting for fishermen who pay $150 each to enter the derby. Holes for fishing are claimed by the anglers on a first-come basis.
“The roped-off area for the event is a well-known walleye ice fishing spot on Montreal Lake,” Naytowhow explained to Wired2Fish from her home in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. “Many fishermen believe the outside perimeter of the fishing zone offer the best spots. But the great places are pretty much up to the fish.”
Most anglers jig fish for walleyes through the ice, as no tip-ups are allowed. Live minnows are prohibited, said Naytowhow.
The winning walleye angler was Gregorio Roguel Jr. of Preeceville, Saskatchewan, who caught a 4.4-pound walleye. Naytowhow said he and four friends had driven six hours from their homes near the Manitoba border to compete in the derby.
“They all fished different holes, and they’d made a pact between them that they would split any winnings among them in the derby,” Naytowhow said. “It was great that friends could do that so they all could win something if one won. None of the others besides Gregoria caught a winning fish. But $100,000 divided by five is a pretty good pay day.”
Other derby winners included Blake Charles (2nd place, $25,000), Chad Nelson (3rd place, $10,000), and Darren Nawakayas (4th place, $5,000). Side bets also were made in the derby and top spots went to Eric Sanderson ($20,000), Darren Tawiyaka ($10,000), and Tonau Manitopyes ($5,000).
The derby increases in participation every year, growing by 100 or more anglers annually.
“We have so much fun during the event, and the money is needed and well received by the Cree nation youth sports group,” said Naytowhow. “We’re already planning next year’s derby, but don’t have the dates scheduled just yet – but we sure will soon.”
