By Kelly Burgess, Bruce Peninsula Press
The blustery Labour Day weekend weather conditions didn’t stop participants from catching fish in Brad Hazzard’s annual “By the Bay Fishing Derby”. A total of 228 fish were caught at this year’s derby by adults and children of all ages. “Mother Nature’s wind was something to deal with this year,” Brad commented to the crowd of accomplished participants at the award ceremony on Sunday, September 4.
The first day of the derby on Thursday, September 1 was mainly sunny but there were some breezes on the bay. There were 195 tickets sold to families and singles who weathered the wind in hopes of catching the biggest fish in the Perch, Large Mouth Bass, Small Mouth Bass, Pike, Salmon and Trout categories. For each type of fish there is an adult and a child winner.
The top Perch for the adults was caught by Brad himself weighing in at .555 pounds. The child winner in that category was Evan Furneaur who caught a 1.065 pound Perch. The largest fish of the derby was in the Trout category caught by Dale Tackaberry weighing in at 13.34 pounds.
Fishing With Family
As exciting as it is to catch the biggest fish, this derby is all about enjoying time with friends and family (including four-legged family). Joe Stan (Brad’s son-in-law) spent some time fishing with their two adorable dogs Tucker and Bruno. “These dogs love to fish and be out on the boat”, Joe explained. Unlike some of the others out fishing, Joe was successful in catching some fish throughout the derby.
Brent Moore, an avid fisherman who has entered the derby for the seventh year did not have the success that he had in previous years. He explained that the wind was a hindering factor in going out. That didn’t stop the Moores from having a great weekend fishing and spending time in Pike Bay with their extended family.
More than Just a Derby
The success of this derby isn’t just the number of fish, the weight of the fish or the weather. It brings families together to build their own traditions and experience the sense of community Pike Bay has to offer. The gathering at the awards ceremony was an atmosphere that radiated such a positive sense of community and support. During the gathering Brad’s words were focused on gratitude for all involved and his family for their support for the event. “Thanks to my family for keeping this going”, he acknowledged.
The grand finale was to show appreciation to all of the kids and youth that participated by giving out candy courtesy of By the Bay General Store owned by Sarah and Brian Carson. As the children scurried to line up you could feel the enthusiasm and appreciation that everyone has for this amazing annual derby that is so much more than just fishing.
