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Northern Challenge winners named

Sherm LaLonde brings a pike to be revived in a water pool at the Northern Challenge Fishing Derby in Tupper Lake in February 2018. He said though the water is near freezing and the fish are slippery, he uses the pool every year to keep as many fish as possible alive and swimming in the lake. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

TUPPER LAKE — With over 1,000 people attending the Tupper Lake Rod and Gun Club’s annual Northern Challenge Fishing Derby on Saturday, there were plenty of pike caught, and with hourly winners and raffles, many of the lucky anglers took home cash or even ATVs.

A winner was announced every hour, based on the heaviest fish brought to the weigh station, and winning anglers received $500 cash. They could also buy into a lunker pool, for a chance to have the largest pike of the day and earn half of the total earnings, which totaled $3,740 according to club president Dave McMahon.

In the first hour Brian Zwijacz pulled in a 5.64 pound pike, and in the second hour Travis Bates caught the largest fish of the day, weighing in at 9.95 pounds.

Each hour also had a “lucky fish” winner for anyone who wanted to gamble the odds theirs would be chosen.

The third hour saw Shane Quick reel in a 5.28-pounder, Jeremy Dudley caught a 4.44 pound fish in the fourth hour, Madison St. Mary won hour number five with a 3.08-pounder, Brian Schofield placed first in hour six with a 3.37 pound fish, Luke Breault brought in a hefty 8.28-pounder next and the final hour was won by Cody Chase with a 3.74 pound pike.

Though there were many people on the ice, the state Department of Environmental Conservation only had to issue one ticket for tip-ups left in the water over night with nobody around.

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