Fishing Derby: It Was a Great Event

Ben Baldwin Fishing Derby Results

The Wentworth Watershed Association hosted the Ben Baldwin Fishing Derby for its members and their guests on July 6^th. It was a beautiful, hot, sunny day for participants out on the lakes. Adults and kids alike had fun fishing on Lake Wentworth and Crescent Lake.

Kate Baldwin, with help from Steve Bibeau and Stephanie Warren, greeted the boaters at the Ouhrabka dock on Smith River, weighed the fish, recorded each entry and gave the young fisherman and women participation ribbons.

The emphasis of the derby this year was to demonstrate good fishing ethics and to take care of our lakes and the fish by keeping them in water and releasing them back where they were caught. In honor of Ben Baldwin’s aspiration to become a Fish & Game Officer, a special award, The Conscientious Fisher Award, was given in his memory to Grace Koch for her display of the best fishing ethics.

Medals will be awarded at the Association’s Annual Meeting on August 11^th in the Great Hall at 9 am to the following participants for catching one of the two largest fish of each species. The winner for the largest fish caught in the derby was Elizabeth Barata with a 3 lb. 4 oz. largemouth bass. Congratulation to Elizabeth and all our winners.

The fishing derby was not quite the same because Karen Ouhrabka was away witnessing the birth of a grandchild. Karen ran the derby for many years and many children, young and old, enjoyed the event that she ran.

Derby Winner Elizabeth Barata	Black Crappie Colton Weidner- 1 lb. 1 oz
Large Mouth Bass Elizabeth Barata- 3 lb. 4 oz Zion Abiodun- 2 lb. 8 oz	White Perch Killian McGee-1 lb. 2 oz
Small Mouth Bass Eli Koch – 1 lb. 11 oz Siena Ferguson- 1 lb. 8 oz	Pumpkinseed Kate McCarthy- 5 oz Henry O’Blenes and Charlie Chick tied- 2 oz
Pickerel Claire Veenema- 1 lb. 8 oz Zion Abiodun- 1 lb. 1 oz	Blue Gills Jenny Baldwin and Catherine Gettens tied- 6 oz Grace Koch- 5 oz

The Wentworth Watershed Association works to provide educational programs and recreational experiences via access to lakes and conservation lands. This fishing derby sought to do this with trying to have the participants think about the ethics of fishing.