LAC LA BICHE - The Lac La Biche Walleye Cup set for June still has places for any fisher-folk who are interested in hitting the lake to compete for some huge prizes in the two-day competition.
The entry fee for participants over the age of 18 is $650, with two people per boat and there will be a limit of 80 boats in the contest. Interest for the event has already netted dozens, with the contest already half full
Chris Suhan is helping organizer and license holder Kevin Zatorsik plan the weekend which will bring an influx of anglers to Lac La Biche County.
“We can have 160 contestants taking part in the tournament which could help local business,” Suhan said. “People camping here for a weekend of fishing, eating, hotels, and the purchase of fuel.”
The tournament will take place on Saturday, June 12, and Sunday, June 13, and will see the fishing days begin 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. for the first 40 contestants. Suhan says the event will begin with a shotgun start and the remaining 40 contestants will start their day at 8:00 a.m. till 4:00 p.m. with the same type of start.
Scoring
The Lac La Biche Walleye Cup will be a "catch,record &r release" event. Suhan says the event is being designed for “weigh-in” through a photo and scorecard process. Boat partners will work together to measure, photograph, and record their catch using the official Walleye Cup measurement sticks, scales and a SD card provided.
Suhan told the POST the fish must be 51 cm or greater to be weighed.
After each tournament day, teams will select up to five fish to count towards their daily limit and designate these fish on the scorecard. The sum of five fish will be the team’s unofficial weight for the day, and both partners are required to sign the scorecard to certify their catch.
“At daily check-ins, provided equipment including a ruler, SD memory card and scorecard will be returned to the tournament official,” Suhan said.”The photos of each fish will be used to confirm tournament standings and final results shall be determined by the converted weight of the daily limit or the cumulative weights of a multi-day event.”
The tournament also has a $350 bonus entry option to compete for more prizes that the 80 teams can choose to take part in. The top payout for the contest is $14,000.
For more information and to register contact Kevin Zatorski at 780-623-8413
According to the fishing industry's Western Canadian Walleye Trail website, the Lac La Biche derby is one of only five announced for 2021 so far this year.
