Boycott Annual Doug and Karen Ball Ice Fishing Derby on Lake Nosbonsing

[Michelle]

Marc and I went to the fishing derby that corbiel had today, and paid for one hole ($20.00). We picked a hole and set up marcs portable hut and started to fish. 2 hours later we decided to switch holes because we weren't getting any luck. We picked a different hole and 2 secs after marc starts fishing again he caught a big walleye, and went to the guy and he measured it and said marc was in 2nd pl...ace. long story short,somone complained that our fish was a few inches bigger then theres, and we got in trouble for using a portable hut and heat we lost 2nd place. NO one told us we couldnt use it, they waited 2 hours and after we caught our fish to tell us that. We were not given the rules upon entry, no one told us the rules. They CHEATED and we got punished for it. so not fair!!

1). They didnt tell us any rules when we arrived. The guy took our money, our name and info and said your all set. We were fishing for over 2 hours with no word that our portable hut(Pak Shack 3) was not allowed. I was there last year with the Pak Shack because my young cousin was with us, with no problems. They tried using my pak shack 3 as a way to disqualify my 15 and a half inch walleye when there is nowhere in the rule sheet saying portable huts or propane heaters are not allowed. My fish was caught well over the half way point of the derby and only after my 15.5 inch walleye pushed a perch out of second place and the buddy of the judge who measured my fish and live released it complained about my hut.
2). The rules dont say you cant have a portable hut.
3). Then 20 minutes after Marc's fish was accepted and recorded another complaintent tried that he didn't have his fish in a bucket of water. The rule is you must live release the fish. Marc didnt have a bucket of water, but he ran it over to get measured, and they did not say "we cant measure it because its not in a bucket of water" That is there fault. He would have run the short distance and got his bucket of water but the judge accepted the fish as it was still trying to flop out of his hands. The judged measured and recorded the fish as a good fish and it put Marc's Walleye in Second Place and nothing else bigger was caught the rest of the day.
4). After marc caught the fish, someone complained because our fish was bigger then theres and we loss 2nd place because someone complained and no one told us we couldnt use a portable hut and then after he proved that wasn't in the rules they tried to say my fish was not in a bucket of water. That was not the rule. The rule was the fish had to be live released. My fish swam away healthy as it was out of water less than a minute. We didn't even take the time for a photo.

We are boycotting The annual Doug and Karen Ball Ice Fishing Derby on Lake Nosbonsing from now on as it is no longer family friendly and rules are being made up after our fish was caught. Again nowhere in the rules does it say you may not use a portable hut or propane heater or that your fish would be disqualified if you didn't walk it over in a bucket of water. The judge accepted Marc's fish and only after his buddy complained did he dq the fish. It's not right and we will not be going back or bringing our friends and family. We will also be avoiding the sponsors of this derby to force heads to roll on the committee. Sincerely Marc and Michelle

[SalmonSlayer2010]

How could you possibly record my fish as a good fish that swam away healthy and then 20 minutes after my fish was measured dq it for something not in the rules. It was the judges Mother or Mother in law or Buddy that complained as he was bitching to me my mother has fished this hole for 20 years with no portable hut. That's nice, show it to me in the rules. I brought my pak shack 3 last year as I brought my 3 year old cousin and grand mother to the suppossedly family friendly derby. We had no problems last year, but I guess that is because we caught no fish. We were in plain view, if my portable hut wasn't allowed why wasn't I told by a judge within the first 5 minutes, 15 minutes, hour, the first 2 hours???, more than half way through the derby and this is a relatively small cordoned off area. I am calling for the resignation of the 3 comittee members, 2 of whom were not present. It was the one judge who screwed me over and the other 2 who stuck by his side in the old boys club. Word gets out boys. I will not be returning next year or bringing my family and friends nor encouraging others to go nor giving you positive press on the forum and I will especially not be a customer to the sponsors of your rigged derby!!!

[SalmonSlayer2010]

I caught the 15 and a half inch walleye on berkely real stix shad as a positive note!

[Cranman]

I am just curious as I have not heard of this event. Is it for a 'cause' ie. raising money for a charity, family in need etc. Sounds like you guys got screwed around. And saturday was a balmy -20! So a portable shouldnt be an issue but more of a necessity.

[SalmonSlayer2010]

It is part of our local winter carnival and also a memorial to Doug and Karen Ball. It is supposed to be a family friendly derby in regard to the previous sentence. I do not believe it is a charity event. It is just a fun derby as part of the winter carnival which is why I go and bring my friends and family. We did get screwed. My walleye was the second place fish. The committee members twisted the results, specifically the one at the event that measured my fish and live released it and then his mother complained to him and then all of a sudden my fish is disqualified. The other 2 committee members were not there, they just sided with him as the old boys club goes. There is no where in the rules that you can not have a portable. How could you let a portable hut be set up for over 2 hours and not say something if it was against the rules. The committee members have a made a mockery of this event. They can't be trusted.

[SalmonSlayer2010]

I'm going fishing on Nosbonsing just for fun today... Try to catch a big pike or the walleye I lost at the hole...