By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Staff Writer
The first fishing derby of the season took place at Lake Gregory on Saturday, April 18 with a 7 a.m. shotgun start. It was a public event and anyone was invited to register and fish. Lake Gregory was filled with fishermen in small boats and in rubber fishing tubes, and the shores of the lake were lined with fishermen.
Check-in began at 5:30 a.m. Fishing Derby entry tickets were $39. The fishing ended at 1 p.m. Advance registration was possible online and the weigh-in was at the Lake Gregory Company’s Bait and Tackle Shop, which became the measuring station at the San Moritz Meadow at 24560 San Moritz Drive. The final weigh-ins were between 1 and 1:30 p.m. with winners announced just after 1:30 p.m.
Over 1700 lbs. of fish were loaded in to the lake on Thursday, April 16, including rainbow trout and lightning trout, plus 300 pounds of trophy-size fish. Over 440 fishermen had been registered for the event according to Nathan Godwin, Lake Gregory’s General Manager.
Luke Summerfield was the grand prize winner of this 6th Annual Trout Derby. Winners received a first-place prize of $1000, second received $500 and third place received $250.
A special Kids’ Division had prizes for participants ages 15 and under. To qualify for this category, anglers had to be able to prove they were 15 years of age or younger and buy a valid derby ticket.
Luke Summerfield with his winning trout.
The youth winner was determined by who caught the longest trout caught during official derby hours. The prizes for youth were: 1st Place winner: Bait & Tackle Gift Card, Rod & Reel and Tackle Box Combo and 4 Beach All Access Passes to Lake Gregory for 2026. The 2nd Place winner received a Bait & Tackle Gift Card and Rod & Reel and Tackle Box Combo. The 3rd Place winner received Bait & Tackle Merchandise and a Tackle Box.
For the first year, the Crest Forest Senior Citizens Club offered breakfast burritos for sale and other foods inside Leisure Shores, the seniors’ clubhouse which is located just 100 yards from the Bait and Tackle Shop. Their parking lot had vendors selling reels and buttons and other specialized items for the Derby. Some of the seniors even went around the lake offering the burritos to those hungry fishermen along the shore as the morning progressed.
Coming up this week for Earth Day will be an opportunity to clean up fishing line from the lake. The Lake Gregory Company will provide kayaks and bags and the kayaker will collect any leftover fishing line in the lake. It is hoped not too many fishermen left without their lines. Volunteers may go to the boat house to register and check out a free kayak for the day.
The Arrowhead Lake Association (ALA) held for its members and their families an annual Junior Trout Derby at Tavern Bay Beach Club, also on Saturday April 18, and also from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Each registered youth angler was given a free breakfast for participating in the Derby and family members also could have breakfast for only $5 each.
The fishing derby rules were different than the Lake Gregory public fishing derby. The one at Lake Arrowhead was for ALA youth aged 15 or younger only. Each angler had to register for a specific time slot to fish. Each fishing session began at the top of the hour and lasted for only 45 minutes. Each kid was allowed to catch up to two fish per fishing session.
The weather started out chilly and warmed up by 1 p.m. The fish were biting so it turned out to be a good day for these fishing derbies in the San Bernardino Mountains.
0 Comments