Very, very curious

[Nick Toth]

I work with the Chantry Derby data base for any number of reasons, and something extremely odd became apparent this spring as I was working up a presentation.

The Chantry at age 29 is the second oldest and third largest Salmon/Trout Derby in Ontario. The Great Ontario Salmon Hunt is largest followed by the Owen Sound Derby.

The Chantry's Top Salmon nets $14,000 and our top Trout nets $6,000. There are over $31,000 in cash prizes available in 11 categories.

Our final donations aren't in, but we expect to top $150,000 in total prize value once the "in kind" donations are totalled in as well. Okay, it may be only $140,000.

Point is that we have 38 major prize categories plus daily prizes of downrigger rod/reel combos at each of 3 weigh stations for a total of 86 very substantial prizes. Not shabby by any reckoning.

These will be meted out to about 1200 entrants. Pretty good odds I'd say.

Now, here is the curious thing. We have a large contingent of Bruce/Grey entrants but within the city of Owen Sound itself guess how many entrants we see.

Six. Only six.

And Owen Sound I know to be fish crazy. Tracking postal codes we have a decent attendance from the surrounding rural areas, but what gives in town?

Twenty five minutes gets one from 2nd and 10th to Southampton where there is free launching and free parking. And wide open water.

Why only six individuals? You could have blown me over with a fart when I found that.

Very curious.

[Brent Backman]

That is rather peculiar, you would think that being as close as it is that there would be more participants from the town.

[JackFrank]

Maybe they are just saving there time and $$$$ gas for the Spectacular.

[jamiefenton]

For me, it's convenience and timing. I, unfortunately have other hobbies that keep my time booked most weekends.
My boat is somewhat small - especially by Lake Huron standards. I fish the OS derby because it's very close and sheltered and I know the water.
Someday when work obligations don't own me and I'm too old to run around bases, I most certainly will turn my attention to that event.

jf

[Josh Choronzey]

Most local OS downrigger fisherman have small tin boats.
If you can recall back to the end of the "good days" around 2000 and 2001, on a late July evening, 40 to 50 local boats would be on the bay.
Of those 40-50, 60% would be tiller tinners.
Huron tends to require larger boats for the most part.
I fish off South and Port with my Whaler, but at 16ft and 50hp it is nearly impossible to sink, even in massive waves.
When the fishing was good, OS anglers never had to travel far. A very quick boat ride puts them on the "hole", and they rarely venture further than the inner bay.

[John Bennett]

Few big Lakes "scare" me. The two that do are
Superior
Huron
followed by Simcoe in the fall.

Type of guy I am, if I lived in OS I might have a boat suitable for those waters. I know I wouldn't own a boat I'd feel comfortable taking into Huron asi ti would be large, expensive and not something Id want to tow around to fish somewhere other than Huron out of SH, Kincardine etc.

So a boat for OS would be small, versatile, something I could make use of in many places. A boat that id use for Huron would be parked somewhere there permantly and not too often used, other than trolling offshore there.

[Josh Choronzey]

Originally posted by John Bennett
Few big Lakes "scare" me. The two that do are
Superior
Huron
followed by Simcoe in the fall.

Type of guy I am, if I lived in OS I might have a boat suitable for those waters. I know I wouldn't own a boat I'd feel comfortable taking into Huron asi ti would be large, expensive and not something Id want to tow around to fish somewhere other than Huron out of SH, Kincardine etc.

So a boat for OS would be small, versatile, something I could make use of in many places. A boat that id use for Huron would be parked somewhere there permantly and not too often used, other than trolling offshore there.

JB is on the money.

I chum with a good number of OS salmon guys (or fellas who were).
The vast majority of them NEVER make it over to Huron, even considering it is a 25 minute drive. They miss out on some of the best salmon fishing in the area (Huron/Gbay).
Soon as some guys get on the big water they pull massive brain farts and ZERO in terms of fish. With the option to use 2 rods per person and the endless amounts of "unconfined" water, Huron should be the 1st choice. Sometimes it is hard to convince those who know only what they have fished in the past.

The 2 rod rule on Huron is a major attraction to me when I decide I want to salmon fish. Lets be honest...not in 10 years have I boxed a LIMIT of chinooks in OS Bay. Running 2 rods boosts the chance of hooking an extra fish or two, and these days, that could be all you catch. On Huron, with a friend on board, we run a 4 rod spread and figure out a pattern faster than we would in OS or Colpoys. It makes a difference in the long run and pending weather, I would fish Huron any day over OS.

The geographic set up of OS bay is very accomodating to anglers in town. They know at least "some" fish will show up in the bay each summer and stage before running the Sydenham. The bay provides protected waters and you do not have to be a very educated angler to figure out that the bay acts as a fish funnel as the summer progresses.

[Nick Toth]

Your points about boat size are well made. Jamie if I lived in Owen Sound and owned a boat I too would be taking my vacation for the Spectacular - no question. John, I agree with you too. The cost of a suitable boat, even used, keeps me off the lake.

However, I'm looking at a population of 21,000 and I see what goes into the water in Owen Sound- there are far more than 6 boats that can fish comfortably on Lake Huron.

I have just turned up 2 more Owen Sound entrants and qualify my numbers. I am going by postal codes only. We have plenty of entrants from Grey/Bruce - 325 - of which quite a few are from the immediate OS area, but only 8 with an urban postal code.

I wish I could put my finger on what's missing.

[Josh Choronzey]

To be honest Nick there are not too many guys who have big boats in OS anymore.
The marina is practically empty of boats with riggers on them.
When the local salmon returns went down the chitter, most guys sold the big rigs.
I drive by the bay each night and it has been a desert out there, same tune last year, and the year before. Once the derby rolls around the bay gets busy.
I would bet that the vast majority of anglers buying SSA tickets for the OS derby are out of towners too.

[Nick Toth]

Originally posted by Josh Choronzey

Originally posted by John Bennett
Few big Lakes "scare" me. The two that do are
Superior
Huron
followed by Simcoe in the fall.

Type of guy I am, if I lived in OS I might have a boat suitable for those waters. I know I wouldn't own a boat I'd feel comfortable taking into Huron asi ti would be large, expensive and not something Id want to tow around to fish somewhere other than Huron out of SH, Kincardine etc.

So a boat for OS would be small, versatile, something I could make use of in many places. A boat that id use for Huron would be parked somewhere there permantly and not too often used, other than trolling offshore there.

JB is on the money.

I chum with a good number of OS salmon guys (or fellas who were).
The vast majority of them NEVER make it over to Huron, even considering it is a 25 minute drive. They miss out on some of the best salmon fishing in the area (Huron/Gbay).
Soon as some guys get on the big water they pull massive brain farts and ZERO in terms of fish. With the option to use 2 rods per person and the endless amounts of "unconfined" water, Huron should be the 1st choice. Sometimes it is hard to convince those who know only what they have fished in the past.

The 2 rod rule on Huron is a major attraction to me when I decide I want to salmon fish. Lets be honest...not in 10 years have I boxed a LIMIT of chinooks in OS Bay. Running 2 rods boosts the chance of hooking an extra fish or two, and these days, that could be all you catch. On Huron, with a friend on board, we run a 4 rod spread and figure out a pattern faster than we would in OS or Colpoys. It makes a difference in the long run and pending weather, I would fish Huron any day over OS.

The geographic set up of OS bay is very accomodating to anglers in town. They know at least "some" fish will show up in the bay each summer and stage before running the Sydenham. The bay provides protected waters and you do not have to be a very educated angler to figure out that the bay acts as a fish funnel as the summer progresses.

I hesitated to state it, but some on our Derby committee referred to a "reluctance" to hazard the big water. Perhaps with the points you laid out here, we can get it up to 10 or even 12 entrants this year.