Summer Campbell-Kern Valley Sun

The fish are ready for release, and the people who love to fish are ready for the challenge, as the 18th Annual Isabella Lake Fishing Derby is just around the corner. This year's fishing derby events will take place during the weekend of March 30 - April 2. Registration begins on Friday, March 30 and the actual fishing for Mr. and Mrs. Ten Grand officially starts Saturday morning. Organizers of this year's derby moved the event's date ahead, so that it would fall during spring break, thus giving parents the option of bringing their children to the derby without having to remove them from school.

As one of the largest derbies in the state, the Isabella Fish Derby brings thousands of anglers each year. The Kern Valley Chamber of Commerce launched the annual fun-filled weekend in 1990 and it has managed to grow each year. Since its inception, the derby has registered approximately 72,000 anglers and paid out more than $189,000 in prize money. The Fishing Derby is fueled solely by volunteers. The thousands of fish that are released every year are raised locally by the Kern Valley Fish and Game Habitat Club. Local farming insures maximum adaptability to the water temperatures by the fish when they released into the lake, thus improving the Fishing Derby participants' chances of catching “Mr. or Mrs. Ten Grand” or many of the other “money fish.”

There are 1,000 tagged fish released into the waters of Isabella Lake, and they range in value from $20 to $10,000 - about 600 $20-fish, more than 300 $50-and $100-fish, two $500-fish ,two $1,000-fish and two $10,000-fish, “Mr. and Mrs. Ten Grand.” The derby's maximum payout is $70,000.

Last year, some 311 tagged fish, worth close to $25,200, were reeled in. The 2006 Fishing Derby also produced a $10,000 winner, when Joe Pacheco of Bakersfield caught one of the two fish that were worth $10,000.

In order to participate in the chance to win a portion of the $70,000 available one must be registered in the derby and have a valid California fishing license. Three-day or a year-long fishing licenses can be purchased at several valley locations including Isabella Supermarket, Crossroads, French Gulch Marina, Big Ed's Bait and Tackle, and Sierra Gateway Markets.

To register for the derby, participants can go online at www.kernrivervalley.com/derby; or by filling out the Isabella Lake Fishing Derby Registration Form found in the Kern Valley Sun's 2007 Fishing Derby Guide; or in person at Fishing Derby Headquarters, located in the Moose Lodge at 6732 Lake Isabella Blvd.

Registration ends Saturday March 31 at 7:00 a.m. Fishing Derby Headquarters is the place to go for claiming rewards for tagged fish, to discover where the fishing hot spots are, as well as the place to acquire derby souvenirs. Don't forget to enter the drawing for many valuable prizes. The cost is $15 for an individual or $35 for a family.

In addition to making sure that you are registered, it is also important to keep in mind that the United States Forest Service has laws in place at all their campgrounds, and that these regulations will be enforced during the derby. Campers are not permitted to camp for the derby in day use areas until March 30 at 12:00 p.m. Overnight areas are open for use but campers are allowed a maximum of 14 consecutive days in any USFS camp ground before they are required to leave.

Financial opportunities lurk in Isabella Lake this weekend, just waiting to be snagged, so get out there and hook yourself a sweet deal. For more information, call the Kern River Valley Chamber of Commerce at 379-5236.