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5/23/2007

Celebrate Family, Friends and Fishing this Spring At  Lake Champlain Event

LCI Father's Day Derby presented by Yamaha, America's Oldest Largest Freshwater Family Fishing Event, Registration Opens at 42 Locations

The 26th Annual LCI Father's Day Fishing Derby presented by Yamaha deadline for phone, fax and web registration is midnight May 31, 2007. Participants may register for America's oldest largest freshwater fishing derby, being held June 16-18, 2007 on Lake Champlain, by phone at 802.879.3466, 24 hours a day; online at www.lciderby.com; or by fax at 802.879.1746 up until midnight of the 31st.

Interested individuals may still register for the Father’s Day Derby, an event specially crafted for the recreational angler and families, after the online deadline at one of any of 42 local retail outlets until the close of business on June 15, 2007. A complete listing of retail outlets may be obtained by calling 802.879.3466 or looking online.

Nearly $200,000 in cash and prizes is up for the winning in this catch-and-release, family-oriented Lake Champlain tradition, including Yamaha engines and Starcraft boats. T.E.A.M.s will also have a chance to participate in the Yamaha Starcraft T.E.A.M. Fish-Off for two 18-foot Starcraft C-Stars powered by a Yamaha 90HP four-stroke, all on a trailer.

The derbies are the main fundraising events for Lake Champlain International, Inc. and Fishing for Friends, the community mentoring partnership to connect adults with children through fishing.

Individuals and families may register by calling 802.879.3466, 24 hours a day, or online at www.lciderby.com. To request sponsorship information, or any other information, call 802.879.3466. Or write, Lake Champlain International, Inc., 531 Main Street, Colchester VT 05446. Email can be sent to info@lciderby.com Visit the website www.lciderby.com

Background
Previously named one of the summer's Top Ten Events by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, the LCI Father's Day Derby presented by Yamaha, run by Lake Champlain International, Inc. started in 1982 with the mission of raising money for Lake Champlain conservation. Today, the LCI Derbies do that as well as enhance recreational fishing-related tourism activity on the Lake while promoting the family tradition of fishing. Over the years, as many as 10,000 anglers in one season have vied for the piles of prizes, making the LCI one of the largest events of its kind anywhere. In the 25 years it's been held, the LCI Fishing Derbies have contributed more than $190,000 to a variety of projects, from fisheries restoration and lamprey control to the development of the Grand Isle Hatchery. The economic impact of the LCI Derby is estimated at $3 million to the Lake Region towns. Not hard to believe when studies have concluded fishing is a $250,000,000 annual industry in the Lake Champlain Basin.

Prizes provide a big incentive for anglers, and the Derby boasts an annual array of prizes worth nearly $200,000, including two 18’ Starcraft C-Stars, equipped with a 90HP Yamaha four-stroke and EZ Loader Trailer. In addition there are numerous ways for anglers to win big cash. The Monster Money option offers the $50,000 WIZN Magic Salmon and the $50,000 WOKO You Bet Your Bass, as well as, six $26,000 prizes for other tournament record fish—the Lakeshore Ace Laker, All Season’s Excavating Walleye, Ray’s Seafood Sheepshead, R&L Archery Northern Pike, the Shelburne Camping Bowfin and Sportsman Cottages Catfish. Monster Money also enters anglers into the running for the nearly $20,000 in Super Bonus cash. And for the first time ever, Dockside Outdoor Supply is sponsoring the $1,000 Crazy Carp Challenge. All seven first-place anglers in each of the seven species categories go home with cash and a Yamaha outboard engine.

It is the fun and camaraderie, however, that keeps anglers coming back to this annual event. Very much an annual tradition on Father's Day Weekend, "The LCI" is planned for a year in advance. Just before the Derby takes place each June, tackle shops and other retailers are bustling with business. It's like nothing else during the whole year for them with the sole exception of the day before the opening of deer season.

The LCI Father's Day Fishing Derby presented by Yamaha has 13 eligible species of fish, and has been carefully crafted to appeal to all anglers from the seasoned pro to the novice on his or her first trip. While there is emphasis on the popular gamefish such as trout, salmon, bass, walleye and pike, species like catfish, carp and sheepshead (freshwater drum) are also included. There is even a trophy yellow perch category open to Junior (kids 14 and under) anglers only.

To encourage families to enter, Lake Champlain International, Inc. developed special registration packages for families, and created special prizes for Juniors, age 14 and under. There is a special team competition providing a competitive outlet to attract groups of anglers to fish in the Derby.

The LCI Father's Day Fishing Derby presented by Yamaha is held in June on Father's Day weekend. Fishing begins at 12 AM (midnight) on Saturday morning, and runs straight through until 12 noon on Monday with the Yamaha Starcraft T.E.A.M. Fish-Off the next morning. Eager anglers hit the water in the dark in search of their favorite quarry, and over the 3-day period hundreds fish are measured and weighed at weigh-in stations all around the Lake. The Chipman’s Point Marina, VT; Kingsland Bay, VT; and the Plattsburgh Boat Basin, NY weigh stations will remain open 24 hours a day. Every year, some of the largest fish of the season are caught during this weekend, with many weighing upwards of 15 pounds in several different species categories.

Lake Champlain International, Inc.'s goal is conservation, so we care very much about the impact a large event such as this one could have upon the resource. We even protect the resource while the tournament is happening. We have extremely strict minimum length requirements and, since 1988, catch-and-release has also been an integral part of the tournament program. Live holding facilities have become a fixture at each weigh-in station, and special prize incentives have been added for keeping fish alive. Lake Champlain International, Inc. is proud that since it began its catch-and-release program 19 years ago, nearly 90% of all entered fish have been released back to the Lake, and, more importantly, this has led the way for a new and positive fishing ethic on Lake Champlain.

When the final results are in, participants and friends gather along with Lake Champlain International, Inc.'s sponsors to celebrate and honor the winners of the Derby, which this year will be held on the evening of June 19 at Burlington's Wyndham Hotel. Not everyone can win a prize, but everyone who enters, regardless of whether they won a prize or even caught a fish, has the satisfaction of knowing that just by participating they have contributed to the future of fishing on Lake Champlain.

The LCI Father's Day Derby presented by Yamaha is part of the family of LCI Derbies, which includes the 5-month long 14th Annual LCI All Season Tournament, the 8th Annual LCI Lake Champlain Bass Open and the 7th Annual LCI Little Anglers Derby presented by Friendly’s.

Fishing generates over 100 million dollars a year for the state of Vermont. Fishing, when combined with hunting, is very important to both the culture and the economy of Vermont and Upstate New York. In a state traditionally known for its skiing, 30 percent of Vermonters fish and hunt—not even this many Vermonters ski (19 percent). 53 percent of Vermonters participate in wildlife-related recreation placing Vermont fourth in the nation with higher participation only in Alaska, Idaho and Montana. The national average is 38 percent. For the last year which statistics are available (2001), nearly $300 million was spent on fishing and hunting in Vermont. When all is said and done, five percent of Vermont's Gross State Product is attributable to fishing, hunting and wildlife-related recreation; this ranks Vermont 1st in the East and 4th nationally behind Alaska, Wyoming and Montana. The LCI Derbies are an important part of that. Based on previous figures, the three-day event alone directly contributes $3 million in current dollars to the Lake Champlain Region economy.

The LCI Derbies are organized by Lake Champlain International, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization leading the effort to conserve, restore and revitalize the Lake Champlain watershed and its communities. Since 1982, the organization has contributed to numerous fisheries restoration projects, clean water initiatives and sustainable regional economics.

The derbies are the main fundraising events for Lake Champlain International, Inc. and Fishing for Friends, the community mentoring partnership to connect adults with children through fishing.

Individuals and families may register by calling 802.879.3466, 24 hours a day, or online at www.lciderby.com. To request sponsorship information, or any other information, call 802.879.3466. Or write, Lake Champlain International, Inc., 531 Main Street, Colchester VT 05446. Email can be sent to info@lciderby.com Visit the website www.lciderby.com

Sponsored, in part, by Yamaha Outboards, Jolley Convenience Stores, WOKO 98.9 FM, Starcraft Marine, Friendly’s Restaurants, Vermont Fish and Wildlife, Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing, Fox 44, Toyota Trucks, Navionics, Minn Kota, Monster Energy, Lowrance, Westaff, Eppinger, Outdoors Magazine, KOOL 105 FM, Travel-Rite RV, Unicel, Traxstech, Berkley, WIZN, Shelburne Camping, Interstate Batteries, Frabill and Lake Monsters Baseball. Plus over 40 other generous sponsors.

Statistics cited above are from the following sources: Izaak Walton League of America, Wildlife Conservation Fund of America, US Department of the Interior, National Wildlife Federation and VT Ski Areas Association

-LCI-