The Wentworth Watershed Association is sponsoring a number of events over the weekend. Come join in the fun! The Ben Baldwin Fishing Derby to encourage family fishing on the 3rd. That evening, there is a “Light-up the Watershed” event where LED lights should be placed on your dock (not road flares that put phosphorous into the lake), and then a Boat Parade on the 4th. Read below for more information. (It may be that the links won’t work but you can copy and paste the link into your browser and that should work.) Also, read about a volunteer boat towing service on the lake. It may help in an emergency.
It’s Time for the Ben Baldwin Fishing Derby!
Get out your fishing rod and your lead-free tackle and head out on our lakes to fish on Saturday, July 3 from 9-1. The Baldwin family is hosting this family event for Wentworth Watershed Association members and their guests. Please be sure your membership is current!
While last year’s event was judged totally virtually, this year’s will be a hybrid of both live and photo submissions. Again, the fish will be judged by length rather than by weight. Bring the longest fish of each species you’ve caught to the Baldwin dock on Cate Island (opposite the sand bar of Stamp Act) to be measured (and also weighed if you desire). Look for the red, white, and blue fish windsock on their dock! If you are unable to get out to Cate Island, you may submit a picture of your longest fish, held up against a ruler so that its length is clearly visible. Please only submit pictures of fish caught between 9 and 1 on 7/3 on Facebook or email them to executivedirector@wentworthwatershed.org no later than midnight on 7/3.
The Association encourages all participants to be prepared, stay safe, and demonstrate environmental ethics. The emphasis is to have good fishing ethics and to take care of the lakes and the fish by keeping them in water and releasing them back where they were caught. Everyone 16 years or older must have a current NH Fishing License to participate.
In honor of Ben Baldwin’s dream to become a Fish & Game Officer, a special award, The Conscientious Fisher Award, will be given in his memory to the person 18 and under who demonstrates the best fishing ethics. To be eligible for the award, submit a video of your fishing and handling techniques. How do you prepare to fish? What do you take with you? What kind of tackle do you use? When you catch a fish, how do you handle it and release it? Have someone take a video (2 minutes max) of you telling us about the safety precautions you take when you head out to fish and how you treat the fish you catch.
Submit your video by uploading it to YouTube and sending us a link your video link from YouTube on our Facebook page or emailing a video link to executivedirector@wentworthwatershed.org. All submissions must be received by the end of the day on Sunday, July 4th to be considered.
Ben loved fishing and the outdoors. He cared deeply for the lake he lived on and all the wildlife that depend on it. In honor of Ben, please take care of our resources to preserve what we have for many years to come. The fisher person with the most thoughtful video displaying their fishing ethics and personal fishing safety with receive a $50 gift card to Dive Winnipesaukee.
Awards will be given at the Annual Meeting to those who have caught the longest fish of each species. All winners will be announced on the Association’s website and Facebook page and in the Granite State News.
4th of July Festivities
Summer is here! It’s time to celebrate. The Association has 2 events planned – in addition to the Ben Baldwin Fishing Derby. We hope you will also enjoy the Town parade and fireworks. Please refrain from setting off your own fireworks, personal fireworks are illegal in the town of Wolfeboro. While they are beautiful to watch, the noise disturbs our loons and other wildlife, as well as people and their pets. Additionally, the phosphorus, heavy metals, and the casings pollute the lake. Light-up the Watershed
Saturday, July 3rd at 9:30
At 9:30 place a battery-powered red light or LED flare at the end of your dock or other visible spot in the watershed. Many inexpensive LED flares are available online. Please protect our water quality and refrain from lighting the old pyrotechnic road flares which pollute the lake. The Lake Wentworth Boat Parade Rain Date – Parade now Monday, July 5th at 10:00 am
Here’s your chance to showcase your creativity. Decorate your boat and yourselves and join us as we parade around the lake.
Before leaving shore, photograph your boat and crew and upload one picture to the specially-created 4th of July Boat Parade album on Facebook (available the day of the parade). Include the name of your entry (i.e. Triggs Island Loonies) and your name. Facebook friends, including out of town friends, or anyone not ready to boat on the 4th, can still participate by giving a like or love to the pictures – entries with the most likes by midnight on July 5th, will be awarded bragging rights and have their picture featured in the next Zephyr!
Parade Details:
Meet in front of Camp Bernadette at 10:00 on NOW July 5th for a 10:15 start (please stay at least 150 feet away from the shore to keep campers safe). An air horn will announce its time to line up and start the parade. The parade will be led by Captain Bob Spear in his Wentworth Tours & More boat. We will travel just over headway speed from the shores of Camp Bernadette clockwise around the lake. The exact route will be determined based on weather and how fast the parade proceeds. Canoers, kayakers, and paddleboarders are welcome to participate and boats may join or leave as they wish.
Make sure you have all the required safety equipment on board, especially PFD’s, and follow all safe boating practices and regulations. If your boat is registered out of state, be sure to have the required Invasive Species Decal displayed next to your registration sticker. (link to NH DES page) Please maintain a distance of 50-75′ behind the boat in front of you. Don’t get too close, don’t fall behind, and be sure to watch out for non-motorized boats.
If the weather is poor, check the Association website or Facebook page for postponement to the July 5th rain date, same time.
Let’s all have a safe and fun 4th of July in the Watershed!
Wentworth Boat Tow
Many of us on the lakes have probably at one time or another either helped another boater in distress due to engine failure, lack of wind, hitting a rock or running out of gas OR have been in one of those situations with no one to call for help. On Winnipesaukee you can call TowBoatUS or Sea Tow, but not on Wentworth or Crescent. In an effort to remedy that, a new service has been set up.Wentworth Boat Tow is a free, volunteer, non-professional service intended to operate under the New Hampshire “Good Samaritan” laws to assist boaters on Lake Wentworth and Crescent Lake, Wolfeboro NH who encounter trouble while on the lake, with a tow to your home dock or the nearest safe dock.This is a service provided by individuals who realize that occasionally boaters need assistance and that there is no commercial boat tow service on our lakes. This service is not affiliated with the Wentworth Watershed Association or any other public or private organization.To request a tow, send an e-mail from your cell phone to wentworth-boat-tow@googlegroups.com. (save in your contacts now for quick access when you need it). Provide your cell phone number and, if possible, as much detail as possible regarding your boat description, location and the nature of the problem. You do not need a Google account to request assistance.The volunteers participating in the service who are available and willing will respond by e-mail (so others in the group will be informed) and by phone.
A response is not guaranteed. It is recommended that all boats have an anchor since a response, if any, may take a while and you don’t want to be blown onto a rocky lee shore or ledge.
The responders:
Will bring a tow rope, which you may be required to attach to your boat, especially in rough weather or when your boat is in an unsafe area, such as one of the many ledges on the lake.
Are not required provide assistance if, in their opinion, doing so would put them or their boat in jeopardy.
Are not equipped to provide assistance to swamped, leaking or capsized boats, but may be able to provide the passengers a ride to shore.
Are not necessarily trained in First Aid and should not be expected to render medical assistance.
Do not assume any responsibility for damage to your boat or injury to you or your passengers.
To become a responder volunteer, send a request to john@buttrick.org and you will be sent an invitation.
To join, you must have a Google account, but you can sign up for one with your own, non-Google, e-mail address. By requesting to be a volunteer member you agree that if you respond to a tow request:
You can safely respond to a request, taking into account your physical abilities, as well as your knowledge of the lakes and their hazards,
You will have completed the New Hampshire Safe Boating Course,
Have all required NH required safety equipment on you boat, including, but not limited to Personal Floatation devices for each person,
You will have a tow rope with you on your boat, and
You assume responsibility for any damage to your own boat and any injuries to yourself and your responders.
If you or your shore association have dock space or an extra mooring that you would be willing to make available a short period of time in a situation, such as bad weather, where it is not possible to tow the disabled boat home, please e-mail john@buttrick.org with your contact info and location (ideally GPS coordinates). Every effort will be made to contact you first, but the situation may not make that possible. The information will only be distributed to responder volunteers.
