WIKWEMIKONG—Wikwemikong Tourism is pleased to announce the 7th Annual Ice Fishing Derby on Saturday, February 14 from 8 am to 12 noon at Bayside Resort on Manitowaning Bay.
As always there will be cash and product prizes to be won for the top 10 fish. Those who register before January 23 will qualify for the early bird draw for five hundred dollars. All derby entrants are entered to win a 2015 Rainbow Ridge Golf Course season pass as part of the registration draw. This year’s derby social and prize table will be held at the Wasse-Abin High-School. Proceeds from the event go to support programming at Wikwemikong Tourism.
Fresh off the success of the last year’s record breaking attendance derby, organizers want to continue the momentum by offering more chances to win big. Back by popular demand, the Pimped Hut tagged fish contest is promising to once again be a highlight of the annual ice fishing derby. Anglers will compete to reel in two major prizes from the 50 tagged fish released for the contest. The first tagged fish caught will bring home a brand new 2015 Polaris 550 Voyageur snowmobile from Trailside Sports while the second tagged fish caught will reel in the six man portable ice hut and all the swag for a prize valued over four thousand dollars. In the unlikely event that no tagged fish are caught, the prizes will be given out through random draws to all paid contest participants. Last year six tagged fish bit the end of a hook all qualifying for the top 10 prizes.
Once again the popular apparel company Fishbum Outfitters (www.fishbumoutfitters.com) has designed custom ice fishing derby long sleeve shirts which will be available for sale at the derby site and online. The company will have a merchandise table at the derby social where you can purchase “the best fishing clothing on the planet.”
Annually the derby attracts up to 500 anglers to Manitoulin Island with over 50 percent travelling from off-Island locations. Wikwemikong Tourism has partnered with the Manitoulin Hotel and Conference Centre to offer exclusive derby rates and expects to once again reel in anglers from across the province.
Wikwemikong Tourism’s mission is to build a foundation for sustainable tourism development through the creation of quality market ready products and services. Its parent organization the Wikwemikong Development Commission serves as the economic development branch of the Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.wikwemikong.ca or by visiting any of the ticket outlets in Sudbury, Espanola and Manitoulin Island, including The Expositor Office. For more information call (705)859-3477 or visit the Facebook event page.
