NORWICH – It's official – the good news is in for winter anglers as the Oxford Lions Club checks the ice on Chenango Lake. This season’s brutally cold weather has kept the ice nice and thick allowing the annual Perch Derby – held by the Oxford Lions Club – to be held on Saturday, February 8th, 2014. The derby begins at 7 a.m. and continues until 2 p.m.

NBT Bank is sponsoring a $1,000 prize for the first perch caught with a 2014 tag. As in the past, if no tagged perch is caught, the $1,000 will be raffled off to registered anglers only. Preferred Mutual Insurance and Blueox Corporation are sponsoring the second $500 prize for the lucky angler catching a second perch with a 2014 tag. Also, $150 will be paid for the largest perch and $150 for the largest pickerel caught during the day, compliments of Mayhood’s Sporting Goods and David and Mary Emerson.

By law, the ice surface on Chenango Lake needs to be a minimum of 12 inches thick for the derby to take place. Tred Place and Ken Paul of the Oxford Lyon's Club along with Josh Sheldon set out on Saturday, Feb. 1 to assure that the surface met the requirements.

The results indicated that the ice thickness at approximately 80 yards from shore registered at 15 inches thick.