ST. AGATHA, Maine – The Long Lake Ice Fishing Derby, the largest event of its kind in Maine, shattered its attendance record this year, with a total of 2,184 registered participants, up more than 300 from the last derby.
Last year’s derby had 1,852 registered participants, which also broke the record from the previous year of 1,806.
This derby featured the largest ever cash purse at $25,000, which is the maximum allowed by the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, according to derby organizer Paul Bernier. The event offered $70,000 in prizes, including an ATV and an ice shack.
First place winners in the adult division were Jason Landeen with a 6 pound and 12.9 ounce salmon, Camden Huck with a 19 pound and 1.7 ounce togue, and Shelly Daigle with a two pound and 0.3 ounce brook trout.
First place winners in the youth category were Malcolm Gilliland with a four pound and 10.8 ounce salmon, Zander Valcourt with a 10 pound and 15.7 ounce togue, and Lucas Raymond with a one pound and 3.2 ounce brook trout.
In the “any age” category, Landon Morin received first place for “most perch” with a total of 645 fish caught; Britney Bagley caught the largest perch weighing 1 pound, 12.7 ounces and 14 inches long; Mike Thibodeau caught the largest cusk, weighing in at 12 pounds, 9.1 ounces and 33.75 inches long; and Jake Theriault caught the largest muskie at 29 pounds, eight ounces, and 45.50 inches long.
This year also marked the derby’s 20th anniversary. As part of the festivities, the band Savage Pianos played “dueling pianos” style music under an 80-foot tent outside the Lakeview restaurant during the Jan. 24 opening ceremony.
Although the event is named after Long Lake, participants can fish in a total of 10 lakes in the St. John Valley region. Bernier said the derby brought in fishers from 20 different states, including California, Arizona, Canada, and every state in New England.
A press release issued by the derby on Sunday afternoon also recognized the event’s benefits to the northern Maine economy, as it led to an influx of business at hotels, restaurants, gas stations and other businesses.
That’s on top of its charitable donations, with the derby donating to initiatives such as the Edgar J. Paradis Cancer Fund — which benefits families of local cancer patients who have to travel to see their loved ones as they receive treatment in distant facilities — and to Northern Maine Medical Center’s capital campaign.
At hotels like the Long Lake Motor Inn, located just off the lake’s shore on Main Street, registrants will often book rooms for the next year before leaving. Guests who try registering after derby weekend are often put on a waiting list due to the high demand.
Organizers are already looking ahead to next year’s derby and tentatively considering January 24 to 26 of 2026 as potential dates. The final dates will ultimately depend on state permitting.
“We can’t thank everyone that supports this derby enough,” Bernier said. “The hundreds of businesses that each year sponsor us, our registration outlets, weigh station partners, the volunteers that work hundreds of hours to organize, and the over 2,000 participants that come and enjoy the event each year.”
