WEST HARBOR POND
WATERSHED ASSOCIATION
PRESERVING AND PROTECTING WATER AND WILDLIFE
IN THE HEART OF THE BOOTHBAY PENINSULA
THE GREAT WEST HARBOR POND FISHING DERBY OF 2023
Full Results from The West Harbor Pond
Fishing Derby
The August WHP Derby winner is 9-year-old Martin Valasek, landing a 15" Small Mouth Bass! On August 26 at 9:00 a.m. with fishing pole in hand Martin used his “magic lure” (lipless crank bait) to land his catch. Martin had just arrived to one of his happy places, 128 Lakeside Drive, from Rochester, NY, when he dropped his line in the water. He caught this fish on his first cast of the day. Great way to start a weeks’ vacation! Congratulations Martin!
July's Derby winners tied, with Abby Chordas and Graham Staebler both bringing in 13" Large Mouth Bass! Abby and Graham will receive WHPWA hats as a reward. Both are pictured here with their catches, along with the runners-up. Congratulations to all!
The summer was made for fun and what better place than WHP for swimming, boating, fishing and just relaxing. And what better way to add some excitement to your summer than a Fishing Derby. There is an abundance of good fishing here and what better way is there than to make yourself at home with your feet up enjoying the sun and fresh air of WHP, fishing? You might just win a WHP hat, and having your photo--with your catch--on the WHPWA website. The Great West Harbor Pond Fishing Contest is for WHPWA members and their guests. We look forward to sharing your catch on the WHPWA website for each year's contest. The specfic details of the Derby can be found at The Great West Harbor Pond Fishing Derby page.
Read about the results of last year's Derby on the West Harbor Pond Fishing page.
Abby Chordas with her 13" Large Mouth Bass
Graham Staebler with his 13" Large Mouth Bass
Martin Valasek with his 15" Small Mouth Bass
Did you say 15"? Sure enough!
Isabelle Chordas with her 12" Large Mouth Bass
Ella Chordas with her 11" Large Mouth Bass
WHPWA ANNUAL MEETING AND POTLUCK
The West Harbor Pond Watershed Assocation
held its Annual Meeting on Sunday, August 13, 2023 at the home of Merritt and Martha Blakeslee. The meeting featured an update on happenings on the pond, the water testing results, update on the relationship with Bigelow Labs, the treasurer’s report, the July Fishing Tournament results, and upcoming events.
The notes from the 2023 Annual Meeting can be found here.
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For those of you who did not attend and have not yet paid your dues, please send your $15.00 membership fee and any additional donation you choose to:
Valerie Breen, Treasurer, WHPWA,
PO Box 3,
West BoothBay Harbor, ME 04575
Click here for some information on last year's 2022 Annual Meeting.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Moonlight Paddles - a great way to enjoy the Pond!
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The next Moonlight Paddle is scheduled for April 23rd 2024
(meeting at about 7:00 PM mid-Pond)
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-> Get together for the rising of the Moon over the Pond <-
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These lovely evenings on the water are a tranquil experience that only West Harbor Pond can offer. Friends and neighbors meet in the center of the pond, near the water-station buoy at about the predicted moonrise time from the table below. They may choose to take a leisurely paddle down to the dam; then head back to the best viewing spot – near the islands – to watch the moon come up over the hill roughly 1/2 hour after the actual moonrise time. ​The more boats the merrier – invite neighbors, friends and family. Bug spray and a flashlight are recommended!
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These are the primary dates and times for the 2024 Moonlight Paddles:
Full Moon Name Paddle * if not FM Moonrise Paddle
Date Date Meeting Time
Apr 23 Pink Apr 23 06:26 PM 07:00 PM
May 23 Flower May 22 * 07:36 PM 07:00 PM
Jun 21 Strawberry Jun 20 * 07:40 PM 08:00 PM
Jul 21 Buck Jul 20 * 08:19 PM 08:30 PM
Aug 19 Sturgeon Aug 19 07:55 PM 08:30 PM
Sep 17 Corn Sep 17 06:41 PM 07:00 PM
Oct 17 Hunter Oct 17 05:49 PM 06:30 PM
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​Moonlight paddles are a weather dependent activity. In case of wind, rain or clouds we'll have to cancel or postpone. Check your email (members), the West Harbor Pond Facebook page, or this page for the specific details each month. A cancellation or change will be called by 5:00pm on the day of the event if necessary.
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NO WHPWA PLANT SALE AGAIN IN 2024
The complication of the Asian jumping worm causes WHPWA
to cancel plant sale again in 2024
The WHPWA has made the difficult decision to cancel the planned plant sale for the 2024 season. This decision was made specifically because of the prevalence of the Asian jumping worm in Maine, and the fear that without careful planning the sale of plants could encourage the spread of this pest in our gardens and yards. We hope to be able to continue the WHPWA plant sales in future years as we learn more about dealing with this problematic creature.
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More information on the Asian jumping worm may be found in this Portland Press-Herald article on the topic
JOIN TODAY
Be a part of the WHPWA community.
FISHING ON WEST HARBOR POND
Fishing is a great year-round activity on West Harbor Pond
© 2024 by West Harbor Pond Watershed Association.
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