2026 GREAT OUTDOORS FISHING DERBY, PAYOUT CALCULATION

Hi Folks,
Here is the calculation for the payouts for our derby.

2026 Payout
(29 Participants)

Total Entry Money Collected:
29 x $25= $725

Minus Administration Costs
(stamp $1.40 + Envelope/Address Labels $0.10 + Laminated Ticket $0.50 = $2.00 / entrant)
2 x 29 = $58

Paypal Transaction Fees 16 x $1.03 = $16.48

Total Admin Fees: $74.48 (rounded to $75)

$725 - $75 = $650

Total Prize Pool: $650

Since no 14" panfish was entered. This leaves 9 draws

%18 divided by 9 = %2 added to each draw

Payout Categories

PANFISH ENTRIES

1) Under 12" - 7% of prize pool ($45.50)
2) 12" to 13" - 9% of prize pool ($58.50)
3) 13" plus to 14" - 17% of prize pool ($110.50)

GAMEFISH ENTRIES

1) Under 20" - 7% of prize pool ($45.50)
2) 20" to 25" - 9% of prize pool ($58.50)
3) 25" plus to 30" - 17% of prize ($110.50)
4) 30" plus - 20% of prize pool ($130)

*Two Random draws of all tickets even with no fish entry - 2 x 7% of prize pool ($45.50 x 2)

I think my math is good and fair..

I will announce the date and time of the LIVE draw shortly.
Probably this Monday night, tenatively.. But will confirm in a day or two.

Thanks everyone for participating in this years derby!

PS: I backed out the admin fees this year, since more people entered and the cost to run the derby has gone up.

Thanks Jerry, always a fun derby.

Especially when you have as many entries as Dale!

Thanks again Jerry. All your efforts are greatly appreciated. Its nice to check in with the community and enjoy a little friendly competition

Thank you so much for this enjoyable derby . Truly appreciated.

For sure. Thanks. I had a good time chasing down some panfish....made me try a few lakes I would not have tried otherwise (a few I would try again and a few I would not waste my time going back )))
Glad I didn't embarrass myself this year with just one entry in the panfish category (and it was the smallest size one last year....BUT, I ended up winning that draw so no complaints). But much prefer to have been able to enter in more categories even if I don't win anything. Next year, I will aim for an entry in all panfish categories in a single trip!!!

Right on… Thank you Jerry, and I think your math is good and fair also.

And Dale, I found a spot. The over 30” category will be child’s play next year if I’m not focused on a trout.

Tonight after work….6”, 30cm

Many thanks for the time effort you put in to run this derby Jerry!

I think we should be able to enter more than 1 fish in each of the larger categories.This would be Xtra balls in the draw for any member who submits more than 1 entry??

I think we should be able to enter more than 1 fish in each of the larger categories.This would be Xtra balls in the draw for any member who submits more than 1 entry??

Interesting idea Dale. Could work as it's still a draw. I'd load up on panfish <12". Something to think about. I would also suggest that panfish >14" be given some more thought as I think it's even more difficult to get than gamefish >30" (as our lack of entry for this category has shown but watch, next year, there will be a bunch of large crappie and perch entered and no gamefish >30" because you have harvested so many of them...and looks like Drew may have taken one or more out of the population as well

Sounds good, Jerry, thanks for putting in the work and making this an enjoyable event.

I think we should be able to enter more than 1 fish in each of the larger categories.This would be Xtra balls in the draw for any member who submits more than 1 entry??

Yes that is an interesting idea. Currently, you can only enter 8 fish. For people who fish often, they can fill those quite easily, quite early in the season.

I thought of this, but since it's an online derby and I can't actually be there to verify a catch (not saying you guys will do this, but if the derby gets larger, you never know), someone could possibly enter the same 30" plus gamefish twice. I would have to very carefully look at the photos and this would make it difficult to verify the extra entries...

Maybe we can do this for the 30" plus gamefish category only, you may enter more than one fish if different species. ie. 1 pike, 1 lake trout etc.

Now the different categories.

To get a 30" plus gamefish (not to take anything away from Dale and Drew), but 30" plus pike is the most common of the gamefish to catch. Pike can live in nearly all depths under 50fow and they eat anything, all fish species, even thier own kind, frog, ducks, rats etc. They can attain 30" in relatively short amount of time (not sure of age, but I would estimate 6-10 years old). Depends on the lake forage.

Lake Trout can grow to 30" plus, but not very common in smaller inland lakes. More possible on Lake Simcoe (although LT population on Simcoe is way down), very common in Lake Ontario. Again this is an age thing and lake forage type. If the lake trout is feeding on insects and small minnows only, highly unlikely it will reach 30". It is usually caught and harvested before then... In Lakes where they feed on large herring and whitefish, they can grown larger faster, and reach 30" before they are caught / harvested.

Rainbow trout, again highly unlikely 30" plus from inland lakes, Lake Ontario is your best option. A winter angler in the Niagara region, can get one with some angling effort. Can also be possible from a Lake O trib as well, with right timing. Gbay / Huron Trib is a possibiilty as well.

Whitefish / Herring, highly unlikely.. Possibily a whitefish from Lake Simcoe.

If we add Burbot, a 30" plus fish, from Simcoe or Nipissing, Yes. Smaller lakes, a bit more difficult to break the 30". I'd say 20 - 25" more common.

Walleye, 30" plus, can be done, but less common and Kawartha is closed. A Quinte angler could do it, but ice is sketchy there, and some years unfishable for anyone, other than knowledgable veterans of the area.

The panfish 14" plus. YES it's a difficult fish to catch. Mainly due to the fact the vast majority of lakes on Ontario, just don't produce panfish of that size. The panfish with the best 14" plus genes is the crappie. But they are heavily pressured in all lakes they inhabit, and for a crappie to reach 14", it needs to be released when it is caught at 11 to 12", and possibly released a few times after that --- OR it needs to be never caught until it reaches 14". With todays electronics and fishing pressure in Southern Ontario. It's difficult. But can be done, if everything lines up perfectly.. Right spot, right time, right presentation...

14" plus perch.. I only know of a few locations where they can be caught. Kawarthas, unlikely, they seem to max out at 12-13" there.. To achieve that 14" perch, Lake Simcoe and Lake Erie is were they achieve those sizes. It's just big water and larger perch can swim around and avoid the anglers hooks when they are in the 13" plus class, to some extent. The other locations where I have seen 13-14" plus perch, I will keep secret. But overall they are rare..

So I will agree the 14" plus panfish, is the hardest category to fill.. Not so much 15-20 years ago, but with todays electronics and pressure, panfish are harvested before they reach 14".

Just my experience and observations..

Those of you who fish more regulary than me and have more resources and incite to what is swiming around and where, probably disagree or have better input.

If you have private access to a lake or pond, then there is no fishing pressure and these observations don't apply. I hate to write this, but a "pet" fish can reach these sizes. This is a problem with this derby, just stating it. Although I have not suspected anyone currently in the derby doing this.

Cheers!

PS: I am working on the preparing the draw today and will try to get it done this Monday night.. Will see how the day goes.. Have a small child in the house and sometimes, I can't get anything done here due to interuptions..

Never thought about the double entry...for sure that can become a problem in the future if the derby grows. I do like the multi-species entry option. Or if someone (Dale for example) catches more than one 30+" pike in the same day, maybe that can be considered a good multiple-entry? But I guess there maybe the issue of people freezing older 30+" fish and then to enter them all at once can be an issue. Although I can't see anyone here doing anything like that, I do se you point of getting ahead of the game if things grow. I do like your idea of being able to enter different species for the largest category.
Maybe also different species for the largest panfish category? It would only be two species (crappie and perch really). Just saw that during a MNR netting survey between 2018 and 2024, they caught a yellow perch that measured 42.4cm (or 16-3/4")....WOW! Largest I have seen was just over 15" and I caught one that was big enough to know it was going back quickly so no measurements but I suspect it was around the 15" mark too - thought it was a bass or small carp at first (saw some yellow but not much of the dark stripes) .

Small child....I know what you mean Soon you may be able to take him/her "fishing" for an a little bit....30 min, prep., driving time, 30 min. hiking all the stuff out, 10 min. to set up, 30min. of distracted fishing (always when a fish comes into your screen) and then it's time to pack up, 45min. of mule-ing stuff back in (always longer when you are deflated with a lack of fish caught), drive home, 30-45min. to get stuff unloaded, cleaned up and put away. The hope...one day your kid will end up loving to fish and do all the same for you to get you out fishing more

Thanks again for doing all this for the derby....it does make fishing even more fun and we get to meet a few more board members (have met and learned alot from a great bunch of folks so far).

Was much fun to participate in this. Thank you Jerry for all the work and very transparent and fair process