“Last year’s was just a Kiddie Trout Derby (age 12 and under). This year we’re going to add a Senior Citizen Division,” said Todd Book of Civic Forum.
The derby was moved from Turkey Creek Lake last year to Roosevelt Lake this year where it would be closer to the campground site.
Book explained that 300 fish will be released into the lake the day before the derby, and 20 will be specially tagged. The next morning, children (age 12 and under) and senior citizens (age 55 and up) will cast their lines into the lake hoping to angle one of the tagged fish to win a prize. Fishermen are free to catch and release as many untagged fish as they’d like, but the state only permits them to take home five.
“We’re going to have prizes, but it won’t be like the spring derby,” Book said. “They can keep the trout, so they’ve caught dinner or lunch or whatever, and we will have some other prizes for the lucky kids and seniors that catch the ones that are tagged.”
“The fish that aren’t caught will be swimming around that lake all winter long, so people will have the opportunity to go down and trout fish at Roosevelt Lake all through the winter and spring,” Book said.
The Fall Trout Derby begins at 8 a.m. and will continue until 2 p.m.
Civic Forum has been a non-profit community organization since the 1930s. In addition to the Fall Trout Derby, the Civic Forum also coordinates the county spelling bee, the soap box derby races, and the Fourth of July fireworks.
RYAN SCOTT OTTNEY can be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 235, or rottney@heartlandpublications.com.
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