Derby Celebrates Fishing Rebound at Brevort Lk.
Walleye Takes Top Prize at Six Lbs., 11 Oz.
By Ryan Schlehuber

Cindy Pongracy's six-pound pike was the biggest one caught during the Brevort Lake Derby. The St. Ignace resident was awarded $750 for her catch. (Photographs by Jimmie Miller and Louie Colegrove)

Craig Krueger of Grand Ledge was the winner of the inaugural Brevort Lake Walleye Derby Saturday, June 2, catching a sixpound, 11-ounce walleye, winning $1,200. The catch-andrelease derby hosted 130 fishermen in 65 two-man teams and raised $1,500 for the Straits Area Sportsmen's Club's fish crib habitat program.

Cindy Pongracy of St. Ignace, who caught the biggest pike, a six-pounder, won $750.

The nine-ounce perch caught by Corey Butcher of Moran netted a $500 prize.

Fred Schlehuber of St. Ignace won $250 for catching the biggest bass, a 5.99-pounder.

Winning the children's division was Jarred Lavigue of Moran, the only qualifying contestant, who caught a walleye. He was awarded a free mount of his fish.

The derby, said event coordinator Kirk Lipnitz, brought people from across the state as well as from the Eastern Upper Peninsula.

Jimmie Miller holds Craig Krueger's winning walleye catch, a six-pound, 11-ounce whopper.

The tournament was sponsored by the sportsmen's club and the Brevort Township Community Foundation.

It was the first time a fishing tournament was held on Brevort Lake, said Jimmie Miller, a derby committee member and a member of the sportsmen's club.

"Fishing in Brevort Lake is at its best in 15 years," he said. "The derby was nothing short of fabulous."

Brevort Lake's fish population, said Mr. Miller, is finally showing signs of improving from depletion. He said the area's cormorant population has hindered Brevort Lake's fish population since the late 1980s and early 1990s.

"Walleye and pike are making a comeback," he said. "Small mouth bass numbers are fabulous, and bluegill and perch have very good numbers."

Each tournament participant was instructed to catch fish and release them back in the water after registering them, said Mr. Miller, so they can spawn and strengthen the lake's fish population even more.

Craig Krueger (middle) of Grand Ledge was the winner of the inaugural Brevort Lake Walleye Derby Saturday, June 2, winning $1,200 for the biggest walleye. Congratulating him are event coordinators Kirk Lipnitz (left) and Jimmie Miller, both of Moran. (Photographs by Jimmie Miller and Louie Colegrove)

Soon the tournament will no longer have to be a catch-andrelease event, he said.

"We're not at that point yet where we can hold a tournament where they can keep the fish," said Mr. Miller, who said the sportsmen's club works closely with state biologists to study and record Brevort Lake's fish population growth.

Mr. Miller said more than 40 walleyes were caught and tagged to study the growth of the walleye population.

The sportsmen's club, with the assistance and guidance of the U.S. Forest Service, has built and placed 83 fish cribs in the lake within the last four years, which has also helped Brevort Lake's fish population rebound.

"We're excited about our lake," said Mr. Miller, "and we are excited to keep the derby going annually."

An awards dinner and a silent auction were held outside after the tournament. Participants devoured 165 pounds of roasted pork and 110 pounds of fish.

"Next year, we'll have more food," laughed Mr. Lipnitz.

The Brevort Lake Walleye Derby committee plans to hold the event the weekend after Memorial Day each summer.

"We want to promote the lake and downtown Moran with events like this," Mr. Lipnitz said. "We're also going to hold an ice fishing tournament and festival in the winter."

One derby contest has yet to be completed, that of catching one specially tagged walleye that would have awarded the angler with a 2007 Arctic Cat fourwheeler. The fish has eluded capture. Now there is a $200 reward for anyone who catches the fish. Simply bring it to either True Value or King's Fish Market for verification.

Next year's Brevort Lake Walleye Derby will include a captains meeting the preceding Friday to allow teams to review tournament rules, and a live auction instead of a silent one.