This is the final month for the Derby! Both shad and crappie categories are still up for grabs – over $7500 in prizes! If you are reading this and have yet to sign up for this free fishing tournament, visit www. cfshadderby.com to find the nearest one of the 25 sign up locations – you will need an official ruler and photo token for this catch-photo-release tourney open to the public FREE through February 28, 2016. Awards will be held on March 16, 2017, 6:30pm at Gander Mountain Lake Mary.
The New Year brings change – January saw record numbers of black crappie caught in the 8th Derby. Although not as many 15+ inch speckled perch (crappie) this year so far, but the numbers are staggering and likely one of the best speck fishing seasons in eight years! American shad have shown up in Central Florida, but are not in great numbers as of early January – yet! Shad travel from the Bay of Fundi in Nova Scotia all the way down the eastern United States to inlets as far south as the St. Johns River when they reach the 4-year old maturity mark. February is usually the month the shad schools will fill the river bends near the mouth of the Econlockhatchee River and south to Puzzle Lake.
Don’t forget to thank all the sponsors listed on the right side of this column. If you are doing business in Central Florida needing goods or services in these industries, give them a call.
This year we will not be releasing the size in inches of the crappie and shad entered – until the awards ceremony – as soon as the sizes are listed online or in print, folks are not inclined to upload their trophy catches… However the names of the leaders are not a secret! Hint: 16” crappie has not been entered – yet!
Current Derby Leaders:
Mens Shad: Mark Whitmire
Mens Crappie: Chuck Thompson
Womens Crappie: Patty Wisner
Youth Crappie: Brandon Correia
December Big Crappie Winner: Phil Woodham
December Big Shad Winner: Mark Whitmire
