Bob Feeter of Route 20 in Sennett caught the second largest fish in the 42nd Annual National Lake Trout Derby on Seneca Lake, this past Memorial Day.

While fishing in a 17-foot boat, using a spinning rod with a 10-pound test line, he hooked a 10.67-pound brown trout to take first place in this division, and win a $2,000 prize.

The “derby” is divided into categories: lake trout, brown trout and landlocked salmon.

Bob says the Seneca Lake Derby, sponsored by the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, “is the best one in the Finger Lakes.”

Hebegan fishing in the Owasco Outlet more than 40 years ago and moved to lake fishing when he “got a boat.” He has entered many derbies over the years, and took first place in the landlocked salmon category in both 2000 and 2001.

After winning two years in a row, he was asked to take a polygraph test to be sure he abided by all New York State Fish and Game Laws and “Derby Rules.” He was asked again, in 2006, to take another “lie detector” test, and as before, answered all questions to the satisfaction of the judges.

Bob remembers an incident about three years ago when he was fishing from a boat.

“I had a fish on my line, and a man in another boat also was fighting a fish. I pulled my line in and found that his line was tangled in mine.�

The fish had taken both baits.“

Bob is a devoted fisherman and recommends that anyone who likes to fish enter one of the derbies held yearly on one of the Finger Lakes.

Tom DeFurio is former town supervisor for Sennett and enjoys writing about the people of Cayuga County