Fishing derby prizes discussion

[waterlike]

I've been to 3 fishing Derbies so far this year and it's been a lot of fun. I went to about 5 last season my first season. This weekend there's a fishing derby right where I live in Curt Gowdy State Park. The adult division $45 entry, is $10 higher than most other derbies in the state, it seems perfectly acceptable in relation to the prizes. However, the youth division is $25, and there is only one prize, $100 gift certificate. So four kids need to enter to cover the price of the gift certificate? I would guess there will be more than a hundred kids entered for this derby. Also from my limited experience most Derbies kids division is only $10, and offers more prizes for the kids. This seems like a tournament organizer is taking advantage just a little bit of children. What's the point of a $25 entry fee for kids?

[WYIfish]

I've been to 3 fishing Derbies so far this year and it's been a lot of fun. I went to about 5 last season my first season. This weekend there's a fishing derby right where I live in Curt Gowdy State Park. The adult division $45 entry, is $10 higher than most other derbies in the state, it seems perfectly acceptable in relation to the prizes. However, the youth division is $25, and there is only one prize, $100 gift certificate. So four kids need to enter to cover the price of the gift certificate? I would guess there will be more than a hundred kids entered for this derby. Also from my limited experience most Derbies kids division is only $10, and offers more prizes for the kids. This seems like a tournament organizer is taking advantage just a little bit of children. What's the point of a $25 entry fee for kids?

I am among other things the prize picker upper and prize passer outer and  hole driller for the kids if we have ice (bank and boat fishing allowed if no ice) for the flaming gorge burbot classic being  held this weekend.   Our kids under 13 years old (no fishing licence  needed) compete for FREE each year. We had three kids going at it last year.  we usually have 10 or 15 kids. Walker Baits gave the lucky fisherman a hundred dollar bill for his 14 inch rainbow trout, the only fish caught.  All kids got a bag of lures, insulated mug,  minature flash light and a bunch of cool stuff, did I mention a ice fishing rod?  Our kids do well, just for showing up. 
Its all about the kids.   Kids and ladies are the future of fishing and other out door sports in Wyoming. Some lucky person gets to take home a pink spinning reel.


As a side note, our derby entry fee is $50 for both burbot AND lake trout or $35 for burbot and $25 for lake trout if you sign up before the event.  We see there is a great deal of interest on our first try at the pup lake trout event. Although not as easy to catch as the burbot, here are a lot of the 28" and smaller lake trout to catch and they are fun, and good eating. For further information
www.burbotclassic.com  It's a slow loader.  It has great stuff on how to fish both species besides online sign up.  See you there and be home for the evening Stuper Bowl.

[7lazy77]

waterlike....maybe one of the difference's with this derby is a registered "youth" CAN win one of the big money prizes with a big fish.  The other derby's I have fished this year only allow kids entered as a "youth" to win prizes from the youth divisions only.  I entered my daughter as an "adult" at Saratoga for this reason.  I didn't want her to end up catching a big fish & only have the opportunity to win the $200 youth prize instead of the opportunity for the $2000 adult prize.  Sometimes you win & most times we don't...but oh well, it is what it is & we have fun.  I am just happy that the tournament organizers brought the derby back to Curt Gowdy & I hope it continues to be successful, so we all have another derby we can go to that is close to home.

[waterlike]

Thanks for the info. I didn't know that youth were eligible four biggest fish prizes. Only until I reread the rules and read all the way down to the bottom did I see the part about youth being able to put their fish in the big fish categories. It was kind of confusing but now it makes sense. I've never seen youth being able to win the main prizes  without paying adult fees but hey, it's better than what I thought it was. I do think that opens you up to maybe a little more fraud over time? One guy could bring five kids, help them all fish and it's much cheaper than five adults but he can still win all the prizes. Especially if the kids are toddlers. Hard to give a 5 yr old a $1500 check. Money will go to the parent most likely. I think that's why youth aren't typically eligible unless they pay the adult fee

[Super-ice-bird]

Thanks for the info. I didn't know that youth were eligible four biggest fish prizes. Only until I reread the rules and read all the way down to the bottom did I see the part about youth being able to put their fish in the big fish categories. It was kind of confusing but now it makes sense. I've never seen youth being able to win the main prizes  without paying adult fees but hey, it's better than what I thought it was. I do think that opens you up to maybe a little more fraud over time? One guy could bring five kids, help them all fish and it's much cheaper than five adults but he can still win all the prizes. Especially if the kids are toddlers. Hard to give a 5 yr old a $1500 check. Money will go to the parent most likely. I think that's why youth aren't typically eligible unless they pay the adult fee
[/quote


I’ve got to say that it would be cool to see a kid win the big prize money and beat out a bunch of adults. I don’t think that the youth fees would draw out any fraud because people aren’t going to buy tickets for kids so they can “take” their prizes. Parents that buy their kids tickets are doing it to get their kids out of the house and involved in something that challenges them in a competition with other people. I can only imagine if a 5 year old was lucky enough to beat out a bunch of adults and win $1500 it would probably be going in their collage fund and not in their parents bank account.

[mobilerat]

The derby back home was a fundraiser for the local rod and gun  club . Some derbies in wyoming appear to be for profit businesses .When I do the math I see alot of cash going into the pockets of  someone .I have never seen the tagged high dollar fish caught has anyone else?

[WYIfish]

The derby back home was a fundraiser for the local rod and gun  club . Some derbies in wyoming appear to be for profit businesses .When I do the math I see alot of cash going into the pockets of  someone.I have never seen the tagged high dollar fish caught has anyone else?

 
I think if you can,you should join a derby and see it from the other side by being involved. Ever ask "how can I help".  I am sorry you  think all derbies are bad. Our Burbot Classic barely broke even last year and its questionable this year with the ice issue.

I was present for the awarding of the $10,000 tagged fish a few years ago. A young family man from Lyman won. There were over thirty people there for the awarding of the check. Nice.  We have paid out plenty of $100-
$200 fish and we pay out $25-$50 on all previously tagged fish from other years.   Insurance is paid against anyone catching a tagged fish. That insurance is not cheap. A part of that entry fee pays that insurance.  We have plenty in radio spots on three stations, and in a newspaper for a number of weeks. Some events cost money.    Try out serving your community by helping on a derby.  We are always looking for FREE labor.

[wyoutdoors]

Nicely said WYIfish. And from being a part of numerous organizations myself over the years, countless hours of many volunteers are very seldom ever seen or even noticed.

You should see the gifts and donations which were graciously given to the IFWL Family Party at Keyhole this weekend. K-drill, shelters, airplane rides, pizzas, lures, and a ton of other gear! No cost to attend, maybe a raffle ticket for an item or two and that's raising money 100% for a charitable cause. No profit at all.

Businesses giving away products or services and committee members working hard, taking hours away from their family and fishing. Sure some are profit driven and huge affairs like SD's Mobridge tourney, but by and large most are community driven and no one sees the hard work and time to put a successful event on.

Personally, I don't fish tournies or derbies although I'll attend and support a number of them. Much like Vegas, if you don't like the odds your getting, fold your money in half and stick it back in your pocket! 

[mobilerat]

I never said all Derbies were bad. The derby at my hometown was the main fundraiser 4 the Rod and Gun Club for the year. Annual membership at that Rod and Gun Club is still less than $50 is due to the money raised from the charity tournament.

 I asked several questions which I was unsure about thank you for answering my question someone has seen a $10,000 fish caught.

 And we have determined the keyhole derby is a charity event.

You say you barely broke even on the burbot classic last year if you had came out $10,000 ahead what would have happened to that money?

 How would working for free on a for-profit fishing tournament benefit a community? I can see how working for a charity fishing tournament would benefit the community such as the keyhole tournament. If I was not so far away from Keyhole I would be there helping. I really enjoy teaching young people to fish.

[WYIfish]

I never said all Derbies were bad. The derby at my hometown was the main fundraiser 4 the Rod and Gun Club for the year. Annual membership at that Rod and Gun Club is still less than $50 is due to the money raised from the charity tournament.

 I asked several questions which I was unsure about thank you for answering my question someone has seen a $10,000 fish caught.

 And we have determined the keyhole derby is a charity event.

You say you barely broke even on the burbot classic last year if you had came out $10,000 ahead what would have happened to that money?

 How would working for free on a for-profit fishing tournament benefit a community? I can see how working for a charity fishing tournament would benefit the community such as the keyhole tournament. If I was not so far away from Keyhole I would be there helping. I really enjoy teaching young people to fish.

If we would have had a $10,000 profit, or even the $3,000 profit of a few years ago, that was put back into the pay outs to be sure that the fishermen get an increase in the prize money handed out, as it was. Instead of top five in each catigory, we go top ten.
To answer your other question, with six of us putting on the whole show, we could hardly work a group of fishermen over four or five hundred, let alone the thousand or so guessing, to generate those numbers. Putting back to the community and helping the game and fish try and manage the gorge fisheries are of the utmost importance.    Being a chamber of commerce member (and all of our donors are), and working for the chamber, we see the value of folks staying in motels and buying food and booze and gasoline and fish equipment so that is just one of our angles.  As far as Buckboard Marina goes, they do not break even that I know of but it helps their other seasons business. Just the same if you see them, all three, at the event, take the time to thank them. Take a moment to thank the chamber voluenteers  that are there promoting for the sponsors for the nice prizes that are usually given by the main drawing.

I offer again, get on a committee for a derby and then come back with a positive out look as I am sure you would. WYIfish not WYIfishy.

[Ding_the_Ling]

The Burbot derbies are for conservation. Any extra money is paid out in prizes. It's a lot of work to prepare for them and I usually start in August so we can have our tagged fish drawing in the water. Which we have already had a few of those tags turned in and many more are still out waiting to be caught. I don't get paid for any of my time spent getting this derby together. I do it purely to help regulate the Burbot population before Fontenelle is a only Burbot lake.

[WYIfish]

The Burbot derbies are for conservation. Any extra money is paid out in prizes. It's a lot of work to prepare for them and I usually start in August so we can have our tagged fish drawing in the water. Which we have already had a few of those tags turned in and many more are still out waiting to be caught. I don't get paid for any of my time spent getting this derby together. I do it purely to help regulate the Burbot population before Fontenelle is a only Burbot lake.

I made a phone call and found something for thought. The Burbot Classic has not broke even for the past three years. There are 1,000 tagged fish in the gorge from previously held events. We pay something on every tagged fish brought in regardless of how many years he's been swimming around. Between the burbot and small lake trout that are stunted, we are and will be loosing our trophy class lake trout.

  A way to help is to keep the derbies going on.  Fishermen in the two gorge derbies have caught 40,000 burbot, a drop in the bucket but still 40,000 less than what would have been.  The burbot eat the food that the baby rainbow, smallmouth (which are really hurting), kokane, brown trout, and catfish rely on. Our famous lake trout when babies also are ate as well as all the afore mentioned fishes so the burbot is a fishery killer in a surprising time frame. Come fish with us.

[Special]

Nicely said WYIfish. And from being a part of numerous organizations myself over the years, countless hours of many volunteers are very seldom ever seen or even noticed.

You should see the gifts and donations which were graciously given to the IFWL Family Party at Keyhole this weekend. K-drill, shelters, airplane rides, pizzas, lures, and a ton of other gear! No cost to attend, maybe a raffle ticket for an item or two and that's raising money 100% for a charitable cause. No profit at all.

Businesses giving away products or services and committee members working hard, taking hours away from their family and fishing. Sure some are profit driven and huge affairs like SD's Mobridge tourney, but by and large most are community driven and no one sees the hard work and time to put a successful event on.

Personally, I don't fish tournies or derbies although I'll attend and support a number of them. Much like Vegas, if you don't like the odds your getting, fold your money in half and stick it back in your pocket! 

As stated gifts and raffle prizes to all. We have worked our tail off for a one hell of a family party that is spectacular. Its Called the IFWL family party. Best way I can think of is Boysen Hut party. Fishing, food, good times. We have been given a opportunity to show off Ice fishing to our community. And the Community listened. We have had more donations to our gig then I've seen in any derby. This is not derby its free. Show up and fish and you have a chance to win a prize not on size or number of fish. Its baste on showing up!!!!!  If you have never ice fished before we are here to help. The best part is all proceeds, go to Jasons and friends a nonprofit org that helps kids with cancer. A well deserved organization that worth fighting for...

Here is my Opinion..

I fish the Stamped. Hats off the Brian great tourney. If we as fisherman want to derby/circuit then we need a leader for the state. No one talks to each other. How long did it take for the Boysen/Hawg to finally not be on the same weekend??? I'll admit there is another derby/parties on our weekend.  I'm the one suggested this weekend looking at the derby's that I fish and know about. I would be great to have a good Idea on when our fellow organizations want to put there derby's/ Parties on!!!  The Boysen Hut party was a great time just faded with lack of support. Ole and Farmer couldn't keep up all by there self, they needed help. It just slowly faded away. Our state is big and Who knows what's going on a crossed the state.  I wish I knew the unpredictable. But We as fisherman and community leaders need to communicate thoughts on derbies and outings. 

I for one was just thinking. With my violin signing!!!  I'm a life long wyomingnite. Fisherman willing to help. I would have no issue becoming a state rep. for the outdoors. Would this be a thought to chase??? I'd like opinions. Do We need a state wide rep for organizations to help set dates???  What you guys and ladies think?

[waterlike]

great input from those with derby organizing experience.  its good to hear what it takes to run a derby and the behind the scene details, as i knew nothing before.  special, i think its an excellent idea for all derbies to talk with each other, or even have some sort of liason that ensures all derbies are on the same page.  it would be neat to see something like a circuit, with end of season prizes, etc.  organzing all big derbies and smaller derbies in a fashion where one could attend 80% of all derbies in wy. standardize all rules and procedures as much as possible. might increase attendance in all locations.  especially if you could wrangle some great end of season prizes.  either way, i have alot of fun attending derbies as they are currently in wy.

[nredding2006]

New to attending the ice Derby's. Had a ton of fun so far at the ones I've attended. Some great insight on this thread. It'd be pretty neat to have a wyoming type circuit. Something that links them in a sense. Might help attendance a little across the board. When you look at ice Derby's compared to open water, you sure can't beat the prizes to cost.