By Chad Ibbotson

Fishing: Frank Moynes stands beside his Legend fishing boat. Moynes has been entering the Trenton Kiwanis fishing derby for about 13 years. Photo by Chad IbbotsonAnglers from all over North America are gearing up to tackle the fishing season, and the local economy is biting hard.
According to Bob Long, who is in charge of membership development for the Belleville and District Chamber of Commerce, the annual Trenton Kiwanis Walleye World Live Release fishing weekend brings a lot of tourists to the area.
"It really does. That weekend if you go around to any of the motels on the Friday night you see boats everywhere in the parking lot. It really does bring in a lot of people," he said.
The event takes place Saturday and Sunday May 4 - 5.
Suzanne Andrews, Manager of the Quinte West Chamber of Commerce, said the weekend doesn't just bring in tourists; it brings their dollars.
"With that many fishermen coming into town there's always spill-over into the local economy. A lot of these fishermen - judging by the phone calls that go on and the addresses that are on the mail-outs - are coming from all over the province. A lot are from southwestern Ontario, just north of Toronto," she said.
Andrews said anglers also come from the United States and from other provinces.
"Especially Quebec," she said.
Andrews said these people provide a small economic boost to the region but said the chamber of commerce doesn't keep any numbers.
"These people come into town and they stay in the hotels and on the campgrounds. They're certainly purchasing gas and food while they're here."
She said one large infusion of dollars comes from the sale of derby tickets, which cost $30 for adults and $15 for juniors.
"The main benefit to the economy is that the local Kiwanis club that hosts the derby usually net around $50,000 which then goes right back into the community in the parks and waterfront development projects they're working on," Andrews said.
According to 1999 Competitive Fishing in Ontario workshop proceedings there are several hundred competitive fishing events every year in Ontario. The 1999 survey said 35 fishing events were held in the Lake Ontario/Bay of Quinte region. The report said that the Kiwanis derby grosses over $150,000 annually from ticket sales. It showed that an estimated $4 million in revenue was generated by 12,000 anglers in the 1984 derby. The derby is one of the premier walleye fishing events in Ontario according to the report.
Andrews said she is excited for the upcoming weekend.
"We're looking forward to hosting all the fishermen. One of the benefits of hosting an event like this is maybe they'll come back in the summertime and enjoy the rest of our community," she said.
For those who are concerned with conservation the Kiwanis derby is ideal. The derby was one of the first to change its regulations with respect to the changing fish habitat. The derby has also been "live release" since 1996.
Frank and Dawn Moynes, who live in Brighton, have been entering the derby for a combined 25 years at least. For them the derby represents a calendar-clearing event.
"It's pretty big for us. We have company come down," said Dawn Moynes.
For them, the most exciting fishing derby moment was when Frank caught one of 30 tagged walleye that are released prior to the event.
"Two years ago Frank caught a tagged fish. It could have been worth $1,000 or $20,000 and he didn't know what it was until they phoned," she said. Moynes said the fish turned out to be worth $1,000.
Conceived in 1980, this year's is the 28th annual derby. It started as a way for local Kiwanis members to raise money for their community and has become a large fishing event for Ontario. The first derby was held in the spring of 1981 and according the Kiwanis website, it was a hit right from the beginning.
In the early days tickets were $5 for adults and $3 for juniors but the prizes didn't compare to what they are now. First place in the walleye category of the derby receives a 16-foot boat & 25 h.p. 4-stroke outboard, with trailer and accessories. Second place in the walleye category receives a four-person fly-in fishing trip with included cottage, boat, motor and gas. Over $90,000 in prizes are up for grabs.
The derby also sports an impressive array of sponsors, including Tim Hortons, Bass Pro Shops, No Frills, Rapala, Yamaha and Honda.