The first annual Jeff Bradbury Memorial Fishing Derby will take place Saturday, Feb. 13. All proceeds will go to the Jeff Bradbury Memorial Scholarship Fund.
A well-known character, Jeff Bradbury taught business classes at Lincoln Academy from 1969-2000. He also taught driver’s ed, coached the boys soccer team to two state titles, and started the wrestling program. He died in September 2020.
Adam Nelson and Jeff Bradbury’s son, Andy Bradbury, are organizing the derby. Both work for Portside Real Estate Group, which is sponsoring the derby.
The derby will start at 8 a.m. Competitors may fish on any legal waters in the state. Weigh-ins will be at the Damariscotta Lake state boat launch, on Bunker Hill Road in Jefferson, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Registration is $20 in advance or $25 on the day of the event, paid at the boat launch. An option to pay online through the Jeff Bradbury Memorial Scholarship Fund page on Facebook is being set up. Anyone who wants to participate but does not have a Facebook account may call Andy Bradbury at 691-5757 or Aaron Bradbury at 380-3548.
Anyone who wants to donate to the scholarship fund may send a check to the Jeff Bradbury Memorial Scholarship Fund, Maine Community Foundation, 245 Main St., Ellsworth, ME 04605.
All fish must be legal for the body of water they were caught in. Prizes will be awarded in the following categories: largest overall fish and largest trout or salmon; and, for competitors 12 and under, largest overall fish and smallest fish (perch, sunfish, or pickerel only).
“In honor of my father we are doing a best hat and a best mustache contest with prizes,” Andy Bradbury said. “We are hoping people get creative and have fun with it.” Mustaches do not have to be real.
“We hope to make it a annual thing,” Nelson said.
There will be door prizes as well.
“Portside Real Estate Group does a lot of giving back to the community, usually in the Portland area. We wanted to do things to donate to the community around here,” Nelson said.
In October 2020, Portside sponsored a fundraiser at Shuck Station in Newcastle, owned by Nelson’s brother, Brendan Parsons, to raise money for the Edward A. Myers Marine Conservation Fund. “Last Year Portside raised over $80,000 for local charities in Maine,” Nelson added.
