Help stop poaching in Nevada and you just might win a boat

There's a huge sport fishing derby coming up in the near future that just might win you a very nice sport fishing boat.

But you had better hurry to register in that derby because you're rapidly running out of time.

It's the 10th annual Pyramid Lake Operation Game Thief (OGT) fishing derby scheduled for Nov. 20.

All you have to do to win the boat is catch the heaviest Lahontan cutthroat trout in that one-day derby.

And that may not be too difficult. Last year, a seven-pounder took home the first place prize. The previous year, it was an 11-pounder.

If you do catch the biggest cutthroat, it will win you a 2000 15-foot Tracer Super Guide boat with console, swivel seats, live bait well, floorboards, lights, etc. together with a 25-HP, 4-stroke Mercury motor and a Trailstar boat trailer.

The entire boating package is valued at more than $8,500. Not too shabby for catching a fish!

That annual Pyramid Lake derby is sponsored by Custom Boat and Marine of Reno, which is owned by Roger and Brenda Glover, also of Reno.

Each year, the Glovers generously donate all of the derby proceeds to Operation Game Thief, Nevada's official anti-poaching program. In doing so, Custom Boat and Marine has become the single biggest donor to OGT. Over the previous nine years, it has donated more than $100,000 to help fight poaching in Nevada. Super well done to the Glovers and Custom Boat and Marine.

If you would like to be a contestant, here's some information about this year's Pyramid Lake derby:

- Registration fee of $65 per person.

- The largest cutthroat trout wins the boating package. Second place wins $500 in cash and third takes home $250.

- The $65 registration fee includes a sit-down dinner beginning at 5 p.m. on Nov. 19 at the Reno Hilton Hotel and Casino. It also includes a derby t-shirt, an OGT donation and a chance at some very nice raffle prizes.

- Included in the list of raffle prizes is one very special item that should be enticing to just about anyone. It's four roundtrip tickets on Southwest Airlines to anywhere that Southwest flies! Wow, I would love to win those tickets! You can bet that I would be instantly very popular with all of my neighbors, friends, relatives, fishing partners, etc.

- At the sit-down dinner, all of the contestants, their spouses, significant others, families, etc., will have a full evening of activities featuring Master of Ceremonies Dave Finley of Channel 4.

- Those activities will include such things as dinner, raffle, a roving musician, a static display of a number of different types of sport fishing boats and various vendor and display booths.

- Additionally, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe will have representatives present to sell one-day tribal fishing licenses and boating permits to anyone who needs one for the following day.

- On derby day, check-in begins at 5 a.m. in front of Crosby's Landing at Sutcliffe on the west side of the lake.

- Following check-in, which includes free doughnuts, there will be a "Shotgun Start" at 6:00 a.m. It will be at Sutcliffe and will be signaled by a flare being shot high into the air.

- Here's some special tips, if you are planning to be in the derby and if you plan to be in a boat:

1. There will be OGT volunteers present to help launch your boat at the Sutcliffe boat launch area.

2. If you launch anywhere else, such as Pelican Point, Warrior Point, etc., you will be on your own.

3. At Sutcliffe, you will need to have your boat ready for launching to speed up the process. It can get extremely hectic trying to launch some 80-100 boat in a short period of time on that morning. And, the boat ramp would be the last place to be loading armloads of fishing equipment and clothing into your boat. Worse yet, that's the last place to be when you discover to your horror that the boat motor won't start.

So, have your boat and motor ready to be quickly launched, when it's your turn, and be patient while you're waiting for those ahead of you.

- Successful anglers can weigh-in their catches at Crosby's Landing up to 4 p.m. Then, there will be a short awards ceremony for the three lucky winners.

- The fishing derby has grown from a very modest 64 contestants the first year to a point where now the number of fishermen is cut-off at the first 500 entries.

According to Kevin Lafferty of Custom Boat and Marine, "As of last Friday, we already had almost 400 entries."

So, don't procrastinate. Last year, more than 125 anglers were turned away after the first 500 entries. Register today!

For information, contact Lafferty at Custom Boat and Marine at 9300 S. Virginia St. or give him a call at 852-4535 during business hours.

- Bet Your Favorite Pigeon

Bet your favorite pigeon that he can't tell you the name of a unique fish found at Pyramid Lake and nowhere else in the entire world.

It's the "Cui-ui." The Cui-ui is a prehistoric-type, rare and endangered species.