Happy derby anglers catching big fish on Lake Pend Oreille

The annual spring fishing derby is continuing on Lake Pend Oreille.

The competition, held by the Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club, runs through Sunday.

The derby standings as of Monday, April 25 are:

Rainbow Division:

1. Cory LaRue, 17.88 pounds, 35 inches

2. Jan Deife 17.1 pounds, 31 inches

3. Randy Vanderkolk, 17.02 pounds, 35 inches

4. Daniel Sturgis, 16.30 pounds, 33.5 inches

5. Dan Harder, 15.7 pounds, 32 inches

Mackinaw Division:

1. John Jay, 18.98 pounds, 36 inches

2. Gale Belgarde Jr., 16 pounds, 35 inches

3. Kurt Artner, 15.94 pounds, 34 inches

4. Ray Mcleod, 15.85 pounds, 32.5 inches

5. Brad Sturgis, 15.48 pounds, 32.75 inches

Junior Division (14-17 Years):

1. Arthur Carter, 5.8 pounds, 24 inches

Youth A Division (9-13 Years):

1. Patrick Elmore, 12.8 pounds, 30 inches

2. Dawson Makay, 6.86 pounds, 23.5 inches

3. Brent Halverson, 1.62 pounds, 17.25 inches

Youth B Division (0-8 Years):

1. Claire Belgarde, 10.68 pounds, 30 inches

2. Lyndon Stepkman, 8.48 pounds, 28.75 inches

3. Mason Nett, 2.84 pounds, 19.75 inches

German brown: No entry

Mack of the Day:

04/23: Ray Mcleod Sponsor: Sandpoint Marine

04/24: Gale Belgarde Jr. Sponsor: Mirror Lake

04/25: John Jay Sponsor: Pacific Hide and Steel

Prize packages range from $2,500 to $500 for the top five finishers in the Adult rainbow trout division and $1,200 to $200 in the Mackinaw division. A $2,000 prize will be spread among club members who finish atop the standings in the Adult rainbow contest. A $150 prize will be awarded for the largest lake trout caught by an adult angler during each day of the derby.

There will also be prizes for the largest German brown trout ($150) and a photo contest ($100) for adult derby participants.

There is a $40 derby entry fee. Tickets are available in Bonner County at All About Chimneys, the Alpine Shop, North 40 Outfitters, Pend Oreille Valley Sportsman, Priest River Hardware and Sandpoint Marine.

Weigh stations can be found at The Captain’s Wheel, the Captn’s Table, Holiday Shores Resort, Hope Marina, MacDonald’s Hudson Bay Resort and Odie’s Bayside Grocery.

The spring derby’s awards ceremony is at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, at the Bonner Mall in Ponderay.