The Sebago Lake Anglers’ Association successfully concluded their 8th annual Sebago Lake Togue Derby on Sept. 10, and the popular two-day event is the largest open water derby in the state of Maine.
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| Bruce Elliott of Naples displays a 13.67-pound togue that he caught during the 8th annual Sebago Lae Togue Derby on Saturday, Sept. 9 and hosted by the Sebago Lake Anglers' Association. It won first prize for the two-day event and netted Elliott a $600 prize. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
The top fish was caught by Bruce Elliott from Naples and weighed 13.67 pounds. He caught it on the Saturday of the event, and it held up to win the overall first prize on Sunday. This is the second year in a row this has happened to the derby’s leading angler and it netted Elliott a $600 payday.
During the event, there were several nice-sized fish caught and lots of togue that fishermen brought in that they did not want to take home. These were distributed to a church and prepared for a fish fry. Other fish went home with SLAA club members, and no fish or entrails were left at Sebago Lake State Park.
As the boats were coming in, it was not unusual to have multiple fish come off one boat, especially if it was a guide’s boat or one with multiple fishermen aboard.
The most abundant catches during the derby were turned in by Jesse Maltier and Lea Schwarz. On Saturday, they offloaded 57 fish and as if that wasn’t enough, on Sunday they brought in 33 additional fish for a total two-day catch of 90 fish. Many experienced anglers could not believe anyone could catch so many fish with just two anglers within the time limits of the derby, which ran from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.
Maltier was no amateur though. He cleaned up his boat and all his terminal tackle was placed out of sight before he came in. He did share the fact that he found a hole and fished it almost exclusively with a small jig (3/16 ounce) dressed with a sparse bucktail, and no bait as a sweetener, as several fisherman had said. SLAA derby organizers know that he fished legally because one of our members lives nearby and watched him from the comfort of his living room through a spotting scope having recognized his boat from the day before. Every five minutes either Jesse or Lea were boating a fish. Way to go!
In all more than $2,300 in prize money was dispensed at the awards ceremony or winners were mailed their prizes. Removing the togue from Sebago Lake was the objective of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to take the pressure off the forage fish, allowing salmon and brook trout a better opportunity to grow. Proceeds from the derby were used to pay out prizes and the remainder will go primarily to fund Youth Lifetime Fishing Licenses through the program that Maine operates to help get Maine kids outdoors and off the couch.
This derby is designed to be a family friendly derby with many payouts, and it is planned to engage families and regular fishermen, through guides with clients or by themselves. The 9th annual derby will be held next year on the weekend after Labor Day. Fishermen interested in participating in next year’s derby can sign up in area variety stores and tackle shops beginning Aug. 1, 2024. Look for signs announcing the exact times, dates, and places to register.
Any anglers wishing to join Sebago Lake Anglers Association are welcome to attend meetings which are held at 6:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the Naples United Methodist Church, 1000 Roosevelt Trail in Naples. It is a potluck so bring your favorite dish to share.
For more information about the Sebago Lake Anglers Association, call 207-655-1028. <
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