Photo courtesy of Lake Hendricks Improvement Association Jaxton Beer posed with the 8.84-pound northern pike he caught at the Lake Hendricks Fishing Derby on Saturday. Beer’s northern took first place in the youth division at the derby. Organizers said a total of 264 adults and 97 youth came out to Hendricks to compete in the fishing derby.

HENDRICKS — The annual ice fishing derby has become a tradition in Hendricks, and over the weekend the tradition was going strong.

More than 300 anglers signed up for the 44th annual Lake Hendricks Fishing Derby on Saturday, and derby organizers said the event was a success.

“It ended up being a day that I think everybody enjoyed,” said Tom Landmark, secretary/treasurer of the Lake Hendricks Improvement Association. “It was great to see the amount of people who were there.”

Derby organizers said the derby raised a record $21,000. The proceeds will be used to support programs like a youth fishing class this spring, Landmark said.

A total of 264 adults and 97 youth anglers participated in the derby.

“We tried a new format this year, where we had an adult fishing tournament and a kids’ fishing tournament,” Landmark said.

Participants were vying for the biggest perch, walleye and northern pike in each division.

The number of fish caught was down during this year’s derby. Two fish were caught in the youth competition and six in the adult competition.

However, some large catches were recorded. Jaxton Beer won the youth northern division, with a northern pike weighing in at 8.84 pounds.

“He had to fight that fish all by himself for a while,” until Beer’s dad was able to come help reel it in, Landmark said.

In the adult division, Jeff Thompson caught the largest northern, weighing in at 5.26 pounds. Jordan Lovro caught the largest perch in the adult division, with a yellowbelly weighing 10.8 ounces.

“This was Jordan’s first time ever ice fishing,” according to the association’s summary of the derby.

First fish prizes went to Dylan Hawley in the youth division with a 12.3-ounce walleye and to Craig Gades in the adult division, with a 2.21-pound northern.

Because there were more prizes than winning fish in the derby, organizers used a random drawing to give out the remaining prizes to anglers. Youths ages 12 and younger also received special prizes including a minnow buckets with the association logo.

Landmark said the LHIA plans to use the proceeds from the derby to host a new fishing class in April. The “ZEBCO School of Fish” class is led by angler Mike Frisch, and will be geared toward anglers in grades three and up, he said.

“We hope the community will see it as a benefit,” Landmark said.