Alberta Fishing Derbies: Don't Miss Out!
There are 300,000 anglers who enjoy sportfishing in Alberta each year which means about $350 million annually for provincial economy. One main attraction is fishing derbies in Alberta. Since 2006 Alberta introduced mandatory licenses for fishing derbies The competitive fishing events, also named fishing derbies or tournaments add to the pressure on the fisheries. This is way a mandatory license for derbies with 26 or more participants was introduced. The organizers of this type of events have to buy the license according to the derby's size: small, medium or large. Another fact you should know is that only Alberta residents are eligible for such a license and if you organize a medium or large derby you should also provide a charitable society number and prove that the event is not for individual profit. The derby participants are only required a regular sportfishing license. License applications are available at any Fish and Wildlife office and on the internet on Alberta Sustainable Resource Development's website. After filling it out, you should submit it to a Fish and Wildlife office aling with a $25 fee. The cost of a license will be reviewed in 2008.A derby with 25 or fewer participants does not require any license although it is recommended to register the event, provide a summary report and use best practices.
The Northern Alberta Walleye Trail : The Golden Walleye Classic Alberta's fishing tournaments are a chance for anglers to compete against each other trying to get very high prizes which can go up to $25,600. The Golden Walleye Classic is the top tournament in Alberta and it gathers the best anglers from North America at Lesser Slave Lake. The first Golden Walleye Classic Tournament was many years ago when anglers competed for a prize of only $20,000. Nowadays number of competitors has been reduced to 100 boats. Each two-man team must pay about $600 to participate to the tournament and, as usual, fishing licenses are mandatory. Usually, participants arrive in Edmonton, in Alberta, and after that they drive for about three hours to Faust, staging ground for the Derby. The Golden Walleye Classic is part of a series of three tournaments in separate lakes during June called "The Northern Alberta Walleye Trail". At this derby, walleye is the only fish that scores. It is a fish with a reputation for bothe numbers and size in Alberta and it is not unusual to catch 200 walleye in only one day. A walleye of 8 to 10 pounds is pretty spectacular and should be prized while the 5 to 7 pound range is more common. A walleye is not an easy fish to catch and this is why the organizers of the Alberta derby decided for this fish species for the tournaments. You may easily go too fast or too slow, too deep or too shallow during the contest. To win the Alberta completion is always very hard but the good part is the fact that even an inexperienced angler is almost sure to catch a few shimmering walleye if he or she pays attention to the friendly advices from locals. Southern Alberta Walleye Trail On one hand there is the Northern Alberta Walleye Trail which has spectacular scenery and it is kind of isolated, and on the other hand there is the Southern Alberta Walleye Trail which is composed of several derbies which take place in man-made reservoirs in deep coulees. The tournament's first event is limited to 75 boats and has a guaranteed first-place prize of $10,000 while the other three tournaments: -Chin Reservoir -Travers Reservoir -Milk River Ridge Reservoir All have guaranteed minimum purses of $5,000. Alberta Derbies attract U.S. and Ontario Anglers The big fishes along with large cash prizes are some good reasons for fishermen and women from as far away as the United States and Ontario to come to the fish derbies organized in Alberta. Once the tournament is over, anglers are allowed to try to catch some of the other species that are in the Alberta lakes such as northern pike, perch and burbot, a very popular fish not for its aspect or size but for its taste. |
