MEREDITH, N.H. (AP) - A 2.62-pound white perch won the grand prize and a couple got married at this year’s Great Meredith Rotary Fishing Derby at Lake Winnipesaukee, one New Hampshire event that wasn’t canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Cameron MacDonald, 23, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, caught his winning fish on Saturday for the $15,000 grand prize, The Laconia Daily Sun reported.
“It’s a rush, it’s fun finding the biggest whites out there in the lake,” MacDonald said. “There’s only two times of day you can catch them, morning and dusk. It’s the kind of fish that drives me to chase them.”
Also Saturday, Eric Peterson and Shannon Tinker decided to get married on Meredith Bay, in front of their Bud Light-themed bobhouse.
“We both wanted something simple, we both like being down there on the ice even though we never catch anything,” Peterson said.
When the time came, about 75 anglers put down their fishing poles and walked over to be part of the impromptu - and socially distanced - wedding party.
More than 5,300 tickets were sold to the derby, more than in recent years, and it’s likely due to the face that fishing has gained in popularity during the pandemic, an organizer said.
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