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Sebago Lake Derby Togue Total Telling

April 07, 2009 - SEBAGO -- The Sebago Ice Fishing Derby resulted in a record number of lake trout caught in Sebago Lake in February – 1,784.

As exciting as that may sound to local fishermen who want to see the state's once-heralded salmon fishery come back – lake trout, or togue, compete with salmon for smelts – it's still just a drop in the bucket, state biologists say.

But as open-water fishing season gets under way, it's still good news for the salmon in Sebago Lake. The derby data analyzed by state biologists showed that the prize gamefish is likely in great shape.

"I still think there are more lake trout than we'd like to have in the lake. In terms of making additional progress, 1,784 is a lot of togue. It's pretty significant to have that harvested in a two-day event," said Francis Brautigam, southern Maine fisheries biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

Derby founder and director Tom Noonan is not surprised – or worried, for that matter.

"It's only 1,700 fish out of a 28,000-acre lake. That's less than one fish an acre," Noonan said. "The derby is just two days, but what it does do: There are more people out fishing for togue than there ever used to be. I think it has the multiple effect. It has a larger benefit."

Noonan started the Sebago Ice Fishing Derby eight years ago to help cull togue from the lake, where the Maine game fish was introduced in the mid-1970s. It is now one of the largest derbies in the country, with about 5,000 ice fishermen turning out every year.

Noonan said he believes the derby also inspires togue fishing on Sebago all year long.

The togue will never be completely removed from the lake. State biologists have said so. But with the derby, the togue population can be kept in check – and give the salmon population a chance to recover, Noonan said.

To this end, the department in 2003 changed the bag limit on togue during ice fishing season. Fishermen were allowed to use five lines rather than just two, to increase the number of togue taken from the lake.

Noonan said all of these steps help.

"I think between the smelt stocking, the increased bag limit on togue and the effect of the derby, we have seen corresponding (larger) sizes of salmon and togue," Noonan said. "I'm not saying there is (actually) a correlation. I'm just pointing out the salmon was stressed 10 years ago, (and now there is) an increase in the weight and health of the species. Is it causal or coincidence? I don't know, but it's there."

Brautigam said the fact that the togue recorded were big and fat bodes well for the salmon.

That either means there is ample forage food – as in smelts – in the lake, or there are fewer togue. It is impossible for biologists to know which with the data they have, Brautiguam said.

But either possibility is good for Sebago's salmon.

"We've seen in the last couple of years salmon doing very well," Brautigam said. "So overall, the salmon fishery is looking pretty good. If you look at the growth rate, it has fluctuated since 1992. Now it is slowly leveling out or slightly improving.

"I think what is happening is the togue population spiked and is now starting to stabilize a little more."

DEIRDRE FLEMING, Portland Press Herald, April 2, 2009


Lakes: Sebago Lake
Regions: Sebago


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