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Derby Days On Sebago Lake

February 11, 2010 - WINDHAM - The Sebago DerbyFest is just two weeks away, and the bays on Maine's second-biggest lake need to ice over. But regardless whether Sebago Lake sports a lot of ice or not, the Maine Chevrolet Derby will go on, said derby director Tom Noonan.

Fishermen will either vie for the $60,000 in prizes on whatever ice there is on Sebago, or the contest and prizes will be wrapped into the statewide derby on March 6-7, which is also part of DerbyFest.

So the only question that remains is the only one that matters: How are you going to catch a big fish?

Ask a fisherman and all you'll get is a bunch of cliches, like: "Got lucky," "Don't know until you go," "If you always caught a fish it wouldn't be called fishing."

But ask six, seven, maybe eight times, and the truth starts running like the rivers in spring.

We rounded up some of the top finishers in the Maine Chevrolet Derby and asked with all the patience of a jig fisherman. And what we learned is pretty helpful. So we boiled down their advice on everything from key lures to the best bait, the best depth and even the time of day.

To be sure, there is no consensus among Maine's expert fishermen other than that, of course, fishing is work.

Sorry about that.

GO DEEP OR GO HOME

Jim Farrell was the big winner last year, taking home a new boat with his 18.05-pound lake trout, or togue.

The Windham fisherman is one of those I-did-it-with-luck kind of guys. But the truth is, Farrell fishes deep.

An ice fisherman for 70 years, this guy has experience on his side, and he said it's taught him that the big fish are way down there.

"The fish you're looking for are feeding on the bottom. Especially togue; you want good deep water," Farrell said.

Jerry Parlin has finished first, second and fourth in the Sebago derby. He also prefers to fish deep.

Mostly, Parlin credits the work he does finding the location of the smelts and studying the bottom contours of a lake.

"I look for drop-offs and edges, where the depth changes to another. There are different oxygen levels. I go by my GPS. You can get maps online," said Parlin, 56, of Augusta. "I've been fishing for so long. I just try different things. There's a lot to it."

To be sure, these seasoned fishermen say there's a lot more to it.

KEEP MOVING

Dave Donnelly of Windham placed second in the statewide derby two years ago with a 9 1/4-pound togue. And Donnelly's only rule of thumb when ice fishing is to change: Change depths, change lures and change your mind.

Donnelly may start fishing in 90 feet of water and end up in 60 feet. If it's not working, he said, move.

He said the best fishing comes early in the morning, right after sunrise. But he caught his big togue two years ago late in the day.

So there you go.

"A lot of people go out and drink and have fun and complain there are no fish to catch. But if you actually fish and pre-fish – fish before the derby – it carries over," Donnelly said.

BAIT OR LURES

Most ice fishermen seem to subscribe to bait, anything from smelts and suckers to shiners. And suckers seem to be the favorite among past derby prize winners.

However, Farrell, who caught last year's big fish, uses a little of everything, with a Swedish Pimple chased by a bit of dead bait.

"On that, I put a string of fish; in most cases, suckers. I cut them up. And I hand-jig it," Farrell said. "I spend 99 percent of my time jigging."

The director of this year's new youth derby, Tim "Jack" Jackson – a lifelong ice fisherman who has won lots of derbies – swears by live saltwater smelts.

Jackson even created a downrigger release on his ice traps so these hefty little bait fish don't trip the traps. That's right, the kind of downrigger you see on saltwater rods.

That's some serious ice fishing.

"You want big fish, you use big bait," Jackson said. "And I want him swimming. If he's swimming, he's doing his job."

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Some past winners say all these tricks mean nothing if you're not where the fish are.

Mark McLaughlin of South Portland took third last year with a 9.56-pound togue, and said it was the location – near Frye Island, in 65 feet of water – that did the trick.

Of course, McLaughlin said he got lucky. But luck or no, he's going back to the same location this year.

And Tom Tetreau of Topsham, who took home a $1,000 prize for his catch of 20 togue, credits the location where the depth dropped off in Jordan Bay.

He said it was the slope of the land in Jordan Bay. And he plans to go back – if it's iced over.

"If I can't fish there? That's a good question. I don't know," Tetreau said.

Deirdre Fleming, Portland Press Herald, February 11, 2010



Lakes: Sebago Lake
Regions: Sebago


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