Dumb Question about Ice Fishing Derbies

[cdkeim]

Never having been in a live release ice fishing derby, I was curious as to how it works for keeping your fish healthy. I was thinking about the lake Newell derby, where the winning pike can be quite large and the lake is quite large as far as having to transport your fish. How is this safely done? seems you would need an awfully large water bucket for a 30 lb pike.

[Freedom55]

Not so dumb. Some of the ice derbies require that the pail be replaced with a cooler so the larger fish have a chance. I use a large pail, almost twice the size of a "five gallon" bucket as sold at Rona. But I favor the Coleman cooler and a small tobaggon to get the job done.

Also, I have driven to the scale and I have phoned the scale house and they sent the scale to me.

Hint: keep your cooler full of lake water, replenishing often, so you are ready to bolt the instant that your "winner" is in the bag. Water weighs 10 lbs (4.5kg) per gallon, so make the handle(s) strong.

Free

[cdkeim]

Thanks Free, that was kinda what I envisioned. the only issue I had was if the pike is 42" or longer, ya need a big cooler! I guess I know what my canadian tire gift cert. from Xmas is going for.

[Kokanee9]

cdkeim - good question.

By putting it on the board and having it answered, you may have saved a few fish by educating someone else that didn't know and was too shy too ask.

[cdkeim]

Specifically I plan to fish the Lake Newell Derby and I know in the past the winning weights have been in the 30lb+ categorry. Thats a big pike to have to haul any distance, and the lake is very large. Hope they have alot of weigh stations around the lake or that they possibly restrict entrants to specific areas.

[sco22]

They usually have several weigh stations spaced out. We use a large cooler full of lake water and I have seen others use large totes. We throw the lid on and crank strap it shut. Usually trucks can get around fairly easily so it isn't like you have to hike a kilometre with 40 pounds of fish and water.

Good luck!

Cheers.

[cdkeim]

thanks for the info! If the weather cooperates, it should be a fun weekend!

[icefever]

There will only be about 4 weigh stations at the Newell Derby, all contestants must fish within 1/2 mile of the way station, their rules say you must have a cooler to place the fish in. All fish will be released. If you are fishing the derby you can not keep any fish.

[cdkeim]

thanks for the info Ice!

[WayneChristie]

moot point, Im the only one thats going to need the big cooler this year , hoping there will be enough ice to safely drive on for the derby.

[Commander B]

A large blue tote with a lid, from walmart. A kids sled if you have to pull it by hand. Lid snaps tight, thus no water spills. As a plus you get a nice weather tight tackle /gear storage bin. Worst case you win the derby and your gear smells like pike goo on the way home.

B.

[New Hunter Okotoks]

I was lucky enough to find a huge Marine cooler used for just this purpose. I put a 21lb pike in it last year and that fish was comfy in there.

X2 on keeping fresh lake water in the cooler. I am going to try and source a hand pump that will make filling much faster than using cans to fill. I made the mistake of having a dry cooler when I caught my fish. It takes a lot of time to get enough water to submerge a fish in one of those large coolers.

Luckily Pike are very resilient fish. I do wonder though how it is even legal since;by the regs, if you are going to keep a fish for consumption you are supposed to dispatch it right away. If an angler has decided not to keep the fish,it is to be released immediately. Does SRD make exceptions to the rules for Derbies?

[WayneChristie]

Originally Posted by New Hunter Okotoks

I was lucky enough to find a huge Marine cooler used for just this purpose. I put a 21lb pike in it last year and that fish was comfy in there.

X2 on keeping fresh lake water in the cooler. I am going to try and source a hand pump that will make filling much faster than using cans to fill. I made the mistake of having a dry cooler when I caught my fish. It takes a lot of time to get enough water to submerge a fish in one of those large coolers.

Luckily Pike are very resilient fish. I do wonder though how it is even legal since;by the regs, if you are going to keep a fish for consumption you are supposed to dispatch it right away. If an angler has decided not to keep the fish,it is to be released immediately. Does SRD make exceptions to the rules for Derbies?

it is illegal to:
Possess live GAME FISH – unless the fish have been lawfully caught by angling and are within 100 m of the waters from which they were caught.

[matathonman]

My bin is 4' long by 2' wide x24" high. bilge pump fills it in full in 10 min. fish is fine. Just need to catch the one to fit it!

[bobalong]

Originally Posted by New Hunter Okotoks

I was lucky enough to find a huge Marine cooler used for just this purpose. I put a 21lb pike in it last year and that fish was comfy in there.

X2 on keeping fresh lake water in the cooler. I am going to try and source a hand pump that will make filling much faster than using cans to fill. I made the mistake of having a dry cooler when I caught my fish. It takes a lot of time to get enough water to submerge a fish in one of those large coolers.

Luckily Pike are very resilient fish. I do wonder though how it is even legal since;by the regs, if you are going to keep a fish for consumption you are supposed to dispatch it right away. If an angler has decided not to keep the fish,it is to be released immediately. Does SRD make exceptions to the rules for Derbies?

This is from the CFE regs, but the link will give you all the information on Competitive Fishing Events

23.
A fish can be retained only briefly and for the purposes of measuring or weighing or both. All fish that were retained and transported to the weigh-in must be weighed and immediately released in a manner that causes the least harm.
http://www.mywildalberta.com/Fishing...mpetitive.aspx

[cdkeim]

I hear you Wayne about the being able to drive on Newell part. I lugged my sled with all my gear about a half km onto newell last weekend and just about had a heart attack! I HATE getting old! Gonna make the dang kids come out and pull it next time.

[WayneChristie]

Originally Posted by New Hunter Okotoks

I was lucky enough to find a huge Marine cooler used for just this purpose. I put a 21lb pike in it last year and that fish was comfy in there.

X2 on keeping fresh lake water in the cooler. I am going to try and source a hand pump that will make filling much faster than using cans to fill. I made the mistake of having a dry cooler when I caught my fish. It takes a lot of time to get enough water to submerge a fish in one of those large coolers.

Think I am going to grab one of these, may as well take the drill along to start the anchors
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brows....jsp?locale=en

[MoFugger21]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

Think I am going to grab one of these, may as well take the drill along to start the anchors
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brows....jsp?locale=en

That looks pretty handy if it works. Not sure what else I'd use it for besides filling the cooler for the Badger derby though...... Lol

[WayneChristie]

could come in handy for bailing out my canoe too the way it leaks