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Plug Pulled on Popular Little Ossipee Fish Derby

January 16, 2012 - Waterboro - One of the state’s most popular and well-attended ice fishing derbies will not be held this year.

Organizers of the Little Ossipee Lake Fishing Derby decided they needed a break from the many hours required to plan for and put on the event.

For the past 12 years a local nonprofit, known as FET Inc., which stands for Fish Extraction Team, has sponsored a February derby on Little Ossipee Lake in Waterboro. Last year, the event, which featured a top prize of $3,500 for the largest fish, drew nearly 1,200 participants, both adults and children.

During its dozen years, the FET Little Ossipee Lake Fishing Derby raised a total of $100,000, which was donated to a variety of causes, such as local food pantries, Cub Scout and Boy Scout troops and area schools. However, a majority of the money raised went to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s Hooked on Fishing Not Drugs program.

In fact, Emily MacCabe, public relations representative for the fisheries and wildlife departments, said this week that FET “has been one of the largest sponsors of the Hooked on Fishing Program in Maine.”

MacCabe said the money raised by FET at its annual derby has helped her department provide training and fishing equipment for youth and families all around Maine and that “support from FET Inc. will be missed.”

She said the Hooked on Fishing Program is funded mostly through donations and sponsorships from companies such as L.L. Bean and Cabela’s, as well as private individuals.

Recognizing the hard work and effort that goes into putting on the derby, which she called “one of the best in Maine,” MacCabe said it’s understandable why FET is ready for a break. However, she said, FET will continue to support the Hooked on Fishing program and she looks “forward to working with (the group) on future projects.”

Scott Bartlett, the vice president of FET, said this week that while many people have expressed disappointment that the derby is not happening this year, “after 12 years it was time to call it quits.”

“The derby was very successful,” he added. “We had a great run as one of the best organized and operated derbies in Maine. So after last year’s derby we said, ‘Why not go out on top?’”

Bartlett said life changes for those involved in putting on the event was the single biggest reason for canceling this year’s derby.

“It just got to the point where we didn’t want to do it anymore and we just needed to take a break,” he said.

A statement on FET’s website says, “The FET Inc. ice fishing derby has been brought to a close. There will be no FET Inc. derby going forward. FET Inc. would like to thank all of you that have supported us over the past 12 years by attending the Little Ossipee Ice Fishing Derby.”

The message goes on to say, “We had an amazing run putting on the best ice fishing derby in Maine! We hope you all enjoyed the derbies and will continue to support local derbies that donate their money to a worthy cause.”

Bartlett said FET, which was initially the brainchild of three, local longtime friends who shared a love of fishing, plans to continue as an organization and hopes to provide educational and community awareness events around fishing in the future.

He’s proud of the money FET has raised for charitable causes and said, “I think we set the standard for this type of fishing derby. I also think we really made a difference in the quality of fishing offered in southern Maine through our donations to Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.”

Bartlett added, “I know people are disappointed and that it’s an event that people look forward to every year, but as organizers we decided that we’d just had enough. But nothing says we won’t do another derby in the future.”

Leo Binette, who owns Lakeside Market in Waterboro Center and was one of the derby’s biggest sponsors, supported the decision made by FET not to hold the derby again.

“It was a lot of work and there were lots of hidden costs to the derby, too, including advertising and supplying prizes,” he said. “I’m not disappointed and I understand why they’re tired of doing it after 12 years.”

Binette said the decision not to hold the derby has filtered through the grapevine locally, but since Lakeside Market used to hand out the application forms for the derby, he said those from out of town have wondered why signups for the event have not been put out yet.

The Little Ossipee Lake Fishing Derby would normally have been held on Sunday, Feb. 19, because FET has always scheduled it for the Sunday of Presidents Day weekend, which also coincided with the start of February vacation for local schools.

Kate Irish Collins, The Reporter, January 2012


Lakes: Little Ossipee Lake
Regions: Sanford


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