Here's a tip: Get your tip ups out early!

Hundreds of folks are on their way and gathering in Schroon this weekend for the 21^st Annual Ice Fishing Derby hosted by the Schroon Lake Fish and Game Club.

Late Friday around 350 had registered in advance for the event – up substantially from last year’s number of 110 at the same time. You can still register at the Club House.

The derby kicks off at daylight Saturday and goes through 4pm Sunday afternoon.

“The numbers are definitely up this year because there is a lot more ice,” one of the organizers Tracy Hanchett told Schroon Laker today.

“We have folks coming from all over, New Jersey, down state, Vermont, Canada.”

By our rough eye balling of the ice last week – there was a good packed 20 inches. Tents and tip ups have been a common fixture on the ice for the last 6 weeks.

The sport of ice fishing recently made headlines in the New York Times in a story about how competitors in a recent event in Wisconsin were ordered to submit urine samples to test for steroids and growth hormones by an official anti-doping official.

It’s part of an effort to get the sport considered for placement in an up-coming Winter Olympics. But the test doesn’t apply to one performance enhancing beverage we are almost certain will be consumed in great quantities right here in Schroon this weekend. From the Times story:

“We do not test for beer, because then everybody would fail,” said Joel McDearmon, chairman of the United States Freshwater Fishing Federation.

“Oh, sure, we are going to do that (the drug test) this weekend,” Tracy said, with a chuckle, when we told her about the story.

So what do you hope to catch this weekend? What bait are you using? What will you be drinking? Tell us all about it in our comments section. You can read more about the derby in our earlier story, here.

For more information call 518-532-7953. The Clubhouse number is 518-532-7572