LOC DERBY 2005                                      Go Here for 2004 information [below]

THIS INFORMATION IS HERE ON THE 
OUTDOORS NIAGARA WEBSITE 
FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE.

Spring Derby Dates - May 5th - May 14th 2006


Woman Wins $20,000 Grand Prize On Birthday

    For Roberta Redick of New Castle, Pennsylvania, August 28, 2005 will long be remembered as the birthday of all birthdays. It was on that day she caught the biggest fish of her life, a 32 pound nine ounce king salmon, to win the 10th Annual Lake Ontario Counties Fall Trout and Salmon Derby – and claim the $20,000 Grand Prize.
    The 33-year-old homemaker was fishing with her husband, Harold, Jr. and a friend, Brian Hronyetz of Apollo, PA aboard their 19-1/2 foot Monarch boat named “Feel the Steel.” They were trolling off the mouth of the Salmon River, 80 feet down over 105 feet of water using a white Pro Chip flasher and a white Grand Slam Bucktail Fly – all behind a dipsy diver set on 2-1/2, 180 feet back with wire line. “It took me about 15 minutes to bring the fish in,” said Redick at the Awards Ceremony in Rochester on Labor Day. There’s no doubt that this birthday present will be tough to beat.
    First place in the Salmon Division was Gary Plaza of Buffalo with a 31 pound, eight ounce king he hauled in while fishing off Olcott. The Lancaster Steel truck driver was trolling 60 feet down over 70 feet of water with a Spin Doctor and dark green A-Tom-Mik fly combination to reel in the $2,500 fish.
    Top youth in the Salmon Division was Sarah Ingalls of North Syracuse. She earned 20th place as a 10 year old by reeling in a 29 pound, six ounce fish while trolling off the mouth of the Salmon River. She was fishing with her grandfather Burt and Uncle Larry aboard their 22-foot Starcraft, 90 feet down over 130 feet of water with a Pirate 66 spoon. It was the largest fish ever caught by the sixth grade Roxboro Road Middle School student and the largest entered by a youth in this year’s derby. Larry placed 18th with a 29 pound eight ounce fish.
    First place in the Rainbow/Steelhead Division was a 13 pound 15 ounce fish caught by Corey Moore of Whitehouse, Ohio while fishing off Olcott aboard Capt. Jim Taylor’s “Hawgmaster” boat. It was Moore’s first time ever on Lake Ontario, part of a media trip taking writers out for story material. Moore was the lucky next person up on the rod and he battled the fish for 20 minutes. It came 60 feet down over 450 feet of water on a Northern King spoon.
    Top youth in the Steelhead category was Amanda Frizzell of Youngstown who checked in with a 13 pound, one ounce fish caught off the Niagara Bar. She finished in seventh place.
    In the Brown Trout Division, Robert French of Rochester was the lucky angler with a 13 pound, 11 ounce fish he caught between Russell and Braddocks Bay. He was fishing with his son, Doug. His other son, Matt, was on a mission with his wife who was taken to the hospital the night before to have a baby. They were trolling with a Spin Doctor and A-Tom-Mik fly behind a dipsy diver they estimated to be 50 foot down over 65 feet of water. Right after they boxed the first place fish, they received a phone call – the elder French was a grandfather to a five-pound girl. Two winning catches on the same day!
    The top youth in the Brown Trout class was Billy Ryan of Hamlin. He caught a 12 pound, 10 ounce brown while trolling with a Northern King spoon off Sandy Creek. He finished in fourth place.
    In the Lake Trout Division, Brian Gambell of Hilton took top honors with a 24 pound, 11 ounce fish he caught in front of Hedges near Rochester. He was fishing with a 12 year old neighbor, TJ Klee of Hilton. They were trolling near the bottom in 155 feet of water with a cowbell and peanut combination, rigged with a homemade skirt. It was the largest lake trout he’d caught to date by 11 ounces, but he did have one on bigger that they lost just previous to the first place catch. They were fishing off Gambell’s 22-foot Starcraft named “Escape.” Klee placed 11th with a fish he caught the next day, checking in at 16 pounds, 11 ounces.
    Top youth in the Lake Trout Division was Joe Zientara of Lewiston, no stranger to the leader board. He placed fourth overall when he hauled in an 18 pound, two ounce fork tail from the Niagara Bar. He was fishing with his dad, Leonard, who placed sixth with a 17 pound, 14 ounce fish. Joe’s sister, Taylor, ended up in 13th with a 15 pound seven ounce lake trout – a reel family fishing team!
    This year’s derby was a resounding success all the way around. More than 5,000 anglers participated in the 10th annual LOC event and salmon fishing was good all along the lake. Dates for 2006 are: Spring Derby, May 5-14; Fall Derby, August 18-September 4.

$52,300 Total Cash Pay-out

First Place $2500
Second Place $1000
Third Place $600
Fourth Place $450
Fifth Place $350
Sixth Place $250
Seventh Place $200
Eighth Place $175
Ninth Place $150
Tenth Place $125
11th Thru 15th $100
16th Thru 20th $50

Back to main index/contents page / Back to Hilts Fish Locator /$1,000.00 A Day derby Information

Make sure you use our "Easy to Use" Outdoors Forum

Visit the official LOC derby website for more information & entry forms etc. GO HERE

LOC Derby 2004 recap

wpe2.jpg (32712 bytes)
Click the photo for a bigger picture!
Allan Rosenthal of Williamsville, NY (Left); 
Dave Koepcke of Wilson (right) and Koepcke's grandson, 
Bill Emerson of Lancaster (who's almost 11) (center).


29 pound 11 ounce Lake Ontario Lake Trout Wins $10,000.00 CASH!
SEE  Derby results and Story Below

Lake Trout Wins Spring LOC Derby, $10,000 Cash


Rochester, NY, May 4, 2004: Allan Rosenthal of Williamsville, NY came through with the catch of his life - a 29 pound, 11 ounce lake trout while fishing out of Wilson in Niagara County - to win the $10,000 Grand Prize as the ten-day Lake Ontario Counties Trout & Salmon Derby came to a close on May 2nd. The derby was the first coordinated by Empire State Lake Ontario Promotions, assuming the responsibility from the Lake Ontario Sportfishing Promotion Council over the winter.

Rosenthal, fishing with Dave Koepcke of Wilson and Koepcke's grandson, Bill Emerson of Lancaster (who's almost 11), was fishing aboard his 19 foot Starcraft Islander appropriately named "Happy Hands" as they do every derby.
 
"We've been fishing since the days of the old ESLO Derby and this is the biggest fish we've ever caught," said an excited Rosenthal at the Awards Ceremony in Rochester. 

The trio was trolling north of Wilson in 70 feet of water, 45 feet down with a downrigger. Using a 150 foot lead off the ball, they opted to use a Gold Silverleaf Spoon with a red and pink diagonal stripe through the center of it. After catching a mixed bag of fish for the first Saturday of the derby, it was 3:30 p.m. when the fish hit. "I looked at the fish finder to see if we hooked bottom," said Rosenthal. "The fish didn't move. Some 45 minutes later, we finally got the fish in." They didn't know how lucky they really were - the split ring holding the lure to the swivel almost pulled apart. Ten thousand dollars can go a long way to buying some more fishing gear. 
Rosenthal's 29 pound, 11 ounce lake trout is now the largest trout of any kind caught during the LOC Derby.
In the Salmon Division, Marshall Ehmke of Forestville took top honors with a 23 pound, eight ounce king salmon while fishing near the Welland Canal. 

Fishing with buddies Dana Zimbardi, Bud Marsh and Dave Calarin aboard Marsh's 25-foot Crestliner named "Alibi Charters," they hooked into the fish while pulling an orange crush Renosky spoon 33 down over 53 feet of water the first Saturday of the derby. They were running 56 foot leads off the downrigger ball. 
First place earned a check for $1,000.

For the Brown Trout Division, Eric Elenfeldt of North Tonawanda and Gary Judd of Rochester tied with 16 pound, 12 ounce fish. When Elenfeldt failed to show at the awards ceremony due to a charter conflict on Lake Erie, the winner was Gary Judd by default. Judd was fishing with Scott Brownell of Penfield off Webster Park when the fish hit a jointed Rebel stickbait in chartreuse and orange. They were trolling 14 feet down over 32 feet of water when the fish hit a 30-foot lead off Brownell's 23-foot Sportcraft named Nancy B II. It was Judd's biggest brown to date. Elenfeldt was drifting live bait in the Niagara River when his fish hit. 

James Dereamer of Honesdale, PA was fishing off Henderson Harbor on May 1st trolling an X-5 red and black flatfish when he caught the first place Lake Trout - a 23 pound, six ounce fish. He was fishing with Neil Murray and Jeff Spencer, both of Honesdale, when the rod went off 130 feet down over 140 feet of water. Twenty minutes later, they had their $1,000 fish in "Little Phil," Spencer's 25 foot Sea Ray. 

Top Rainbow/Steelhead was an 18 pound, 10 ounce fish reeled in by Anthony Chatt of West Monroe. The "Price Chopper" manager was fishing with Kevin Keller of Marcellus trolling a Junior Thunderstick in green and chartreuse. 

After getting chased off the big lake by high winds, they decided to troll the shoreline with in-line Walleye Boards. The wind was so strong that they had their boat - a 22 foot Lund Baron - in neutral, still managing to troll along at
2.3 miles per hour. The name of their boat? "Fish Chopper."

Top youth for the derby was a 22 pound, 11 ounce king salmon hauled in by 15 year old Adam Mankelbaan of Tonawanda. He was trolling a purple and black bomber 45 feet down over 50 feet of water with a 25 foot lead. Mankelbaan was fishing with his father, Gary and brother, Jason aboard their 21 foot Sylvan named "Chiliheads." They caught the fish on April 30th around 6 p.m. while trolling off the Welland canal. 

Five winners from among the kids were selected to attend Ted Nugent's Kamp for Kids in Michigan this coming summer. For a complete set of listings for the LOC Derby standings, log 
on to their website at www.loc.org. The next ESLO event will be held August 20th through September 6th when the Fall LOC Derby will take place. "It was a great start," said David Chilson, currently ESLO president. "Attendance was good and fishing was super!"

ESLO Promotions advances and supports outdoor opportunities in New York State and works to enrich your outdoor experience and secure it for generations to come. For additional information, contact ESLO Promotions at 888-REEL-2-IN or visit their website at www.loc.org.

top
Back to main index/contents page / Back to Hilts Fish Locator /$1,000.00 A Day derby Information

Make sure you use our "Easy to Use" Outdoors Forum