The Riverhurst Walleye Classic never has trouble filling its roster with enthusiastic fishermen each year, and for good reason — taking place on Lake Diefenbaker, the derby takes advantage of the great walleye fishing the area has to offer. This year, it will be held June 15 and 16.
The Walleye Classic started as a group of locals gathering for some offshore fishing, but has grown into a weekend of boat fishing with teams traveling from across the prairies and even from the United States to attend.
Every year, registration opens with a limit of 100 teams and is first come, first serve; organizer Patti Struck said there is almost always a waitlist of teams hoping for someone to drop out.
“We've very seldom been less than a hundred teams for as many years as I can remember,” said Struck. “We’ve seen more teams coming from up north the last couple of years. And I think it's just because it's a friendly derby.”
This year marks the 29th year of the annual derby, and the focus remains on making the event non-competitive and family-friendly.
“We're big on family fishing. We don't make it a competitive fishing derby. So junior fishermen all get prices, whether they've fished all weekend or not,” said Struck. “We have a category for adult/child and male/female, highest finishing new team. We give a prize to the lowest weight of the weekend. It's not about being the best fisherman, it's about coming in and enjoying the weekend.”
Organizers are always excited to see the support from both the teams and the locals. With around $23,000 in cash and merchandise prizes, there is no shortage of sponsorship for the event.
“It takes a whole community to put this on. It takes the whole community to support it, and they do. It's our major fundraiser, the only fundraiser that the Rec Board has that supports our recreation here in Riverhurst,” said Struck. “So it's important for the community. We wouldn't be able to do it without our people, without our locals and our sponsors.”
There are only a few spots left for teams, according to the event’s Facebook page, so interested individuals are on the clock to mail in their registration brochure and entry fee — which can be found on riverhurst.ca and printed out. Questions about the derby can be directed to riverhurstwalleyeclassic@gmail.com.
