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Probably three hundred people or more will be out on Bangs Lake in Wauconda hanging fishing rods from 1:00 pm on January 27th until noon on January 29th for the annual LVVA Ice Fishing Derby.
“It will be 24/7; there will be a handful of people who will even sleep out there,” said Ryan Jacobsen, the co-founder of the LVVA Ice Fishing Derby, who is a Navy veteran. of Wauconda USA. They carry food, something hot to drink, and battery-powered headlamps and lanterns if they stay beyond dark.
If the ice is not safe, an alternate weekend has been scheduled for February 10-12. The group website and Facebook pages will keep participants updated on ice conditions.
The annual catch and release fundraiser supports Veterans Path to Hope Outdoors, a local organization that Jacobsen administers. The group pays for veterans to join outdoor adventures, such as weekend trips to Minnesota or a day at the Chain O’ Lakes.
Derby participants come from Lake and McHenry counties, as well as Wisconsin and Indiana. Spectators are welcome.
The fishing derby is a hybrid event, part virtual, part live. Participants register online for the derby on the FishDonkey app. Cost is $25 per person and free for children under 14 with a paying adult.
Participants dressed in layers to stay warm venture onto the ice and can use some of the 50 to 100 huts that will be located on the lake. They can use an augur to make a hole in the ice, then drop them on a stick and wait for a bite. When they catch something, they measure the fish and take a picture of it in the FishDonkey app, then release it back into the water.
Derby judges get the information from the app and can record who caught the biggest of several different species in the lake, including northern pike, bass, crappie, perch and bluegills. The lake is stocked and managed by an advisory committee, of which Jacobsen is a member. One of the prize fish in the past was a 37-inch northern pike.
During the event, Jacobsen walks around and interacts with anglers and spectators.
“It looks like people are camping on the ice,” Jacobsen said. “It’s very nice to see people having a good time. I like to see the families out there. There are quite a few children, aged 3 or 4, who participate. They are outside and learning an outdoor activity with their parents or family and friends. They can go out for half a day and bring snacks for the kids.”
Jacobsen and other volunteers will be stationed at a warming hut selling hoodies and answering questions or solving problems if they arise, he said.
“This is our 14th year. When we started, it was small and there were a handful of people. It has grown and in the third year we started generating funds”.
The derby has raised $5,000 to $10,000 annually to support veterans, he said. In derbies before the arrival of COVID-19, about 500 to 600 people have joined the event. “We’re expecting 300 to 400 this year,” Jacobsen said.
Lake View Villa Association Annual Ice Fishing Derby
Where: Bangs Lake, 803 Edgewater Parkway, Wauconda
When: January 27 to noon on January 29
Tickets: $25 per person, children under 14 free with paying adult
Info: 224-634-0029, waucondaicefishingderby.com
Sheryl DeVore is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
Looking for more fun things to do this week? Here are some suggestions.
Documentary film festival
An ecology-focused documentary film festival will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on Jan. 27 and from 2 to 9 p.m. on Jan. 28 at the Gorton Community Center in Lake Forest. Feature films include “Surf Nation” on Jan. 27; Best of the Fest short films from 2 to 3:30 p.m. January 28; Adventure shorts from 4 to 6 p.m. January 28; and “Mountainfilm on Tour: The Medley” from 7 to 9 p.m. on January 28. Winterfest, which will include outdoor fun, food trucks and a free s’more, will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on January 28 and is included in the ticket price. Tickets are $25 to $45 for all four films. At 400 E. Illinois Road. 847-234-6060. gortoncenter.org.
Immerse yourself in pop, rock and soul
Lake Street Dive, a band that blends new soul and pop rock, plays its Gather Round Sounds tour at 7:00 PM on January 29th at the Genesee Theater in Waukegan. The group will play covers and some original songs. Tickets are $60.50 to $80.50. At 203 N. Genesee St. 847-263-6300. geneseetheatre.com.
The Short Trip Home Tour
In 1999, classical violinist Joshua Bell joined legends Sam Bush and Mike Marshall to record an album of original songs with classical composer and bassist Edgar Meyer. Twenty-two years later, they’ve reunited, with Bell replaced by Meyer’s son, to perform as Bush/Marshall/Meyer/Meyer on the Short Trip Home Tour, featuring music from the album at Grayslake’s James Lumber Center . The quartet performs at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 2 in Grayslake. Tickets are $48. At 19351 Washington St. 847-543-2300. jlcenter.clcillinois.edu.
– Sheryl DeVore