PHOTOS by Paula Scott, Jamie Nygaard and Dennis Morrison / Click gallery to enlarge photos and view at your own pace 

By Paula Pyzik Scott

The 2025 Bluffton Sportsmen’s Club Trout Derby may not have had good weather for sunbathing, but it was an excellent day for fishing. After rain in the a.m. on Sunday, May 4, the 2:00-4:00 p.m. Derby window was cloudy and cool.

Club president Tom Augusburger notes that “fish bite better when it’s kind of nasty.” Indeed, 58 tagged trout were turned in and about 140 untagged trout were also caught that day. It was just a few minutes between the shotgun start and the silver flash of a trout landed on the opposite side of Buckeye Lake from the picnic shelter where the announcements and fish turn-in take place.

In recent years when the weather has been warm and sunny on Derby day, as few as 20 or so tagged fish were turned in.

Prizes awarded:

• 50/50 - Lance Olevini, $920
• Rifle - Andy Hermann
• 1/2 Beef - Tim Hagen & Lisa Schroeder
• $200 Cash - Veronica Henry
• $100 Cash - Connie Cox
• $75 - Carly Ewing
• $50 - Bill Gaines
• $25 - Carolyn Mikesell

Augsburger concludes that “It was a good day in the long run.”  He enjoys seeing a lot of friends you may only see once a year.

Mike Zimmerman’s son James, who came from Arizona for the derby, experienced a Bluffton Trout Derby first: he snagged a Mallard duck on his line. The duck had been unfazed by the presence of so many people, but was accidentally caught on a fishing line and then--unharmed--was released by Zimmerman.

The #1 tagged trout named for Roger “Hawk” Hoffman was not caught. This fish is still worth $200 if caught by Labor Day. Club members who catch fish tagged for 2025 can collect prizes by taking the tag to The Dough Hook, Bluffton Derby headquarters, to collect the prize certificate. Take the certificate and tag to the sponsor to collect the prize.

2025 Memberships are available from the following merchants: The Dough Hook, Kibbie's Craft Beer, Wine & Deli, Ted's Market - Pandora and TNT Firearms LLC - Findlay.