Anglers Show Their Skill At The The Great Ontario Salmon Derby

Anglers Show Their Skill At The The Great Ontario Salmon Derby

One of Canada’s biggest fishing contests is the Great Ontario Salmon Derby. This event is held yearly and is open to anglers at any experience level. Exciting prizes are awarded to weekly winners including cash, vehicles, boating equipment, tackle and more.

The contest is conducted during the summer. It is divided into weekly mini-tournaments which are conducted for seven weeks. Each weekly competition usually starts on Saturday and continues to the next Friday. Winners in each of these mini-tournaments are awarded prizes according to salmon weight.

Each week’s grand prize is awarded to the heaviest salmon. Weigh stations are located throughout the Lake Ontario area for recording results. Each grand prize winner is then entered in the ultimate contest for the overall great grand prize. The heaviest fish of the competition gets this highest honor for the year. Besides bragging rights, the 2011 top angler will take home a Toyota Tacoma double cab truck.

Additional prizes are awarded during the mini-tournaments after the top prize is awarded. The next heaviest fish gets second place and so on until all prizes have been presented. Prize lists are published on the derby website. Other information on prize packages and sponsors is available in the Toronto Sun and Ontario OUT OF DOORS Magazine.

At the end of the contest, all 70 weekly winners are entered into the hi-five mystery promotion. Four packages valued at $ 150,000 through $ 4,000 are presented by lottery to lucky winners. Contestants must attend the awards day presentation to be eligible to claim their hi-five package.

Anyone can participate in this derby. You do not need to be a professional fisherman in order to enjoy getting involved. In fact you don’t even need your own equipment. There are charters available all over Lake Ontario that will take you out on the Lake and provide you with everything you need. Including the big fish!

The derby website is an excellent source for details about the Great Ontario Salmon Derby. Tickets can be purchased online or at various locations around Ontario including most sport and outdoor stores. Family or individual ticket packages are available. The website also includes information on tournament rules, charter boats, and past results.