The 7th Annual Fishing Derby sponsored by the Southern Lakes Angling and Spearing Organization, which was established eight years ago, was held Saturday, Jan. 17 on area lakes.
The weigh-in for the fish caught was held at the Waterville Event Center from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. that evening.
Anglers and spearers, who were required to be members of the organization in order to fish, had a chance to win prizes for their catch which featured three different categories.
The three categories included angled walleyes, angled northerns, and speared northerns. The latter of the three had the most competition for the top prize.
This year turned in some of the largest overall fish catches and spears of alltime. And in one class, only one fish was recorded.
With less than 15 minutes left in the weigh-in, Oliver Mader of Waterville revealed the lone angled walleye caught. He caught a...
To see more on this story pick up the January 22, 2026 print edition of the LifeEnterprise.