Courtesy photo A veteran, center, poses for a photo with two organizers at a past Bay Area Veterans’ Fishing Derby. This year’s derby will be held will be held on Aug. 31.

ESCANABA — The Bay de Noc Great Lakes Sport Fishermen, a club that organizes activities and raises funds and fingerlings to promote conservation, enhance area fishing and encourage youth involvement in the outdoors, recently released a schedule of this year’s fishing tournaments.

The first, the Early Bird Walleye Tournament, is a catch-and-release event taking place on May 18. Registration begins at 6 a.m. at the North Shore Boat Launch in Escanaba and closes when the rules are issued at 6:45. Boats take off at 7 a.m., and upon return to Escanaba Harbor at 4 p.m., fish are taken from their live wells of fresh water, weighed, and returned to the bay. Awards and a barbecue will happen after the event at the Ore House Tavern on Sheridan Road.

The Sixth Annual Rusty Rail Walleye Bash of June 15 is a coordinated fundraiser for the Cornell Volunteer Fire Department. This is a trailering event, which means that after the registration and rules meeting – which again are from 6 to 6:45 a.m. at the North Shore Boat Launch – participants are allowed to take their boats to any public boat launch of their choosing when the 7 a.m. takeoff hits. Weigh-in occurs at the Rusty Rail in Cornell at 5 p.m. Right there at the pub, those walleye are filleted and deep-fried for a community fundraiser. Raffles and more will follow that evening’s fish fry, with proceeds benefiting the fire department.

The Third Annual Bay Area Veterans’ Fishing Derby will be held on Aug. 31 and differs from the other club events in that there is no registration fee. Boaters volunteer their time and their boats to take veterans out on the water for the day. After the fishing excursion, a lunch is provided at Ludington Park, as are prizes for all the veterans. Local volunteers, businesses, and sporting and veteran organizations collaborate to provide the experience.

On Sept. 7 is the final tournament, aptly named the Bay de Noc Last Chance. Registration at the North Shore Boat Launch begins at 6 a.m.; rules are given at 6:45; take-off is at 7 a.m. The Last Chance is again a trailering event, so anglers may take their boats to their launch of choice. Weigh-in will be at Chenier’s Reef on Sheridan Road, followed by awards and food.

With the exception of the Veterans’ Derby, tournaments conducted by the Bay de Noc Great Lakes Sportsfishermen follow a set structure. Teams may be made up of one to three people, and the entry fee at each event is $100. Teams have the chance to “enhance their payout,” as Director of Tournaments Jerry Plourde put it, by buying into one or two optional pots. There’s the “Big Fish” pot, taken by whomever reels in the single largest fish, and the “Side Pot,” which is distributed to the team – or teams, if there are enough entrants to give first, second and third prizes – with the biggest cumulative catch.

Bayshore Bait and Hideaway, Bay View Bait and Tackle, Blade’s Bait and Tackle, Drifter’s Restaurant and L&M Fleet Supply all sponsor the club’s tournaments. Events organized by the Bay de Noc Great Lakes Sportsfishermen are qualifiers for The Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s National Team Championship.

Questions about the Bay Area Veterans’ Fishing Derby may be directed to bayvetfishing@yahoo.com; for information on the other tournaments, Jerry Plourde may be reached at (906)420-0022.