Mark your calendars for one of Susanville’s best loved traditions, the annual Junior Fishing Derby along Paiute Creek and the Susan River, where young anglers get a chance to catch the ‘big one’ a full week before streams in Northern California open for fishing.
This year’s derby is dedicated to the memory and service of founder and longtime derby chairman Doug Sayers who passed away in February. Sayers worked tirelessly for nearly three decades to make the annual event a reality.
Kids ages 2 to 15 are invited to come enjoy a beautiful morning of fishing, both in Memorial Park and along the river, at the Lassen Sportsmen’s Club sponsored event. The derby is co-sponsored by the City of Susanville and the County of Lassen.
The busy morning starts at 5:00 with registration and check-in at the park. Don’t forget to dress warmly because mornings are still chilly along the river this time of year. Registration and check-in end at 9:00a.m.
From 5:30 to 8:30 Susanville Supermarket IGA and Morning Glory Dairy will provide a free breakfast for children featuring donuts, fruit, hot chocolate and juice.
Between 10:30 and 1:00 a free lunch for the young fisher-folk will be served courtesy of Frosty Mill, Alpine Beverage, Rainbow Bread, Burger King, Grocery Outlet and Diamond Mountain Mini Mart. Adults may purchase breakfast or lunch for only $2.00.
Derby prizes will be awarded after the 3:00p.m. close of the event, and winners don’t need to be present to win. Kids shooting for the ‘largest fish’ prizes should be off the river by 2:45p.m. and must be in line for weigh-in by 3:00p.m to qualify. Door prizes will be drawn at the same time and for these winners must be present.
Largest Fish Ages 2 to 5– First place bicycles donated by the Sayers-Van Brunt Family; second place, fishing rod and reel donated by Western Nevada Supply and third place, a tackle box donated by Larry’s Spirit Gas.
Largest Fish Ages 6 to 15– First place bicycles donated by Billington ACE Hardware; second place, fishing rod and reel donated by Western Nevada Supply and third place, a tackle box donated by Larry’s Spirit Gas.
Sportsmanship awards were donated by the Dieter Family and Bill Kauffman.
Funding to stock the local waterways with fish for the kids came from the Lassen County Fish & Game Commission; Supervisors Jim Chapman, Bob Pyle and Jeff Hemphill; the Susanville City Council; the Susanville Indian Rancheria and Diamond Mountain Casino; C & S Waste Solutions and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
Additional funding is provided by the Dieter Family, Bill Kauffman, Lassen Addressing, Honey Lake Firearms, 1857 Fort Defiance Red Shirts and CCPOA.
Additional Prizes were contributed by Walgreens, Sierra Theatre & Uptown Cinemas, C & S Waste, WalMart, Pizza Factory, Mountain Bass Association.
You can save time the morning of the derby by downloading the printable registration form and bringing the completed form to morning check-in. Click here to download the form.
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