June 13, 2020

Sponsored by JC Parks, Elks Lodge, Capital City Fly Fishers, Capital Crappie Club, Mexico Bassmasters, and Merten's Bait and Tackle join us for the annual Jim Mertens Memorial Kids Fishing Derby. Prizes and trophies will be awarded for smallest, largest and most fish caught in the following age categories: 

• 5 years and Under;
• 6-9 years;
• 10-12 years;
• and 13-16 years.

Event Schedule:
7:00 - 8:00 am: Tournament registration at Binder Tackle Shop.
8:00 - 9:00 am: Capital Crappie Club Fishing Derby
9:00 - 10:00 am: Casting Contest

Awards ceremony immediately following the conclusion of the fishing derby.

Numerous door prizes will be awarded with everyone attending the event included in the drawings.

• Fishing Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.  There will be a signal starting and stopping the tournament.
• Eligibility: Children ages 16 years and younger.
• Scoring Fish: This is a catch and release tournament. All fish caught are to be released after they have been scored.
• The length of each fish caught by a participating child must be entered on your official score card by a tournament official only.  DO NOT MAKE ANY ENTRIES ON YOUR SCORE CARD.  ALL CARDS MUST BE RETURNED NO LATER THAN 9:05 A.M. OR YOU WILL BE DISQUALIFIED AND YOUR SCORE CARD WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED!
• Inside the scoring area: When you catch/land a fish, get the attention of an official tournament scorer.  The official will measure your fish and mark it on your score card.  Once your fish has been measured and entered on your score card, you must release the fish back into the lake.  Scorers will be located from the spill-way on the east side of the lake to the boat launch ramp on the west side of the lake.
• Outside the scoring area or from a boat: If you fish from any other location, official tournament scorers will not be able to assist you. You must keep your fish on a stringer or aerated live well.  Either periodically, or at the end of the tournament, bring your  fish to the tackle shop where all of your fish will be scored by a tournament official. Once your fish have been measured and entered on your scorecard, you must release you fish back into the lake.  All fish must be scored no later than 9:00 a.m.  Any fish brought in to be scored after 9:00 a.m. will not be recorded.
• You must choose whether you will fish inside or outside of the scoring area before the tournament begins.  You may not change your location once the tournament has begun. 
• If you bring your fish in to be scored on a stringer or aerated live well, remember the creel limit:
• Bass must be 15 inches or longer: 6 in possession maximum
• Catfish 4 in possession maximum
• All other species: 20 maximum Please note: the lake’s creel limit will be enforced during the tournament by officials and the Department of Conservation.

Remember that this is a tournament for the children.  We must rely on everyone’s honesty to make this tournament fair.  Once a fish has been scored, it must be immediately released.

Prizes:

Children catching the largest, smallest and most fish in the each age group will be awarded a tournament trophies or ribbons.

*ALL DECISIONS BY THE TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE ARE FINAL.