ALTON BAY — Fishermen John Lincoln and his son, Jacob, 14, started their day early at the 30th annual Winni Derby, dropping their lines off the town dock at Alton Bay.

“My first cast, I caught a bass,” Lincoln, of Marlborough, Mass., said Saturday. But since that early morning catch, nothing, no luck.

This is the ninth year the father and son have fished in the derby, presented by the Lakes Region Inland Fishing Association and the Laconia Rotary Club and held at Lake Winnipesaukee. The derby awards cash prizes daily for the largest landlocked salmon and trout caught, with a derby grand prize of $12,500 in the salmon division and a $5,000 cash prize in the lake trout division. The top prize in the junior angler division is a 2011 motorboat and trailer. The derby continues through noon today, with grand prize winners announced at 1 p.m. at the Laconia Ice Arena. (Look for coverage in Monday's New Hampshire Union Leader.)

The fish may not have been biting off the docks on Saturday, but the Lincoln's didn't seem to mind.

“It's relaxing,” said John, describing the sport's appeal. “You get away from it all.”

The two said they fish every weekend, often coming up to Lake Winnipesaukee, where they stay with John's in-laws in Gilford.

Lincoln said this time of year many anglers — and the salmon — head out to deeper, colder water. And while Saturday's weather — with clear skies, bright sunshine and near 80-degree temperatures — was perfect for sunbathing, it was less than ideal for fishing.

“It's better if there's a chop on the water and a little overcast,” New Hampshire Fish and Game fisheries biologist Scott Decker said at the Alton Bay weigh station. “Most of the salmon are in deeper water now. As the water warms up, they follow the bait,” he said, noting that early spring is the prime time for fishing closer to shore.

Those with well-equipped boats, such as Walter Smith of Hudson and his friends Ken and Corey Bell, made the most of the weekend. They have been fishing this derby, described as one of the largest in the region, since it began. Smith said that aside from catching fish, the pastime brings one closer to nature.

“I saw a loon try to feed on a bigger fish than he could have handled,” he said. Usually, Smith will release the fish, carefully adhering to guidelines to prevent wounding.

“Most of the time here on the lake we just catch and release the fish,” said Smith.

Ken Bell said he tries to keep the fish out of the water as briefly as possible before returning it to the lake. The larger fish entered in the Winni Derby are required to be dead.

Smith said he's spent $7,000 to get the boat into the water just this year alone. The 21-foot Parker model fishing boat, valued at about $40,000, is equipped with state-of-the-art fish-finding electronics and a global positioning system. The boat has a small cabin for resting in and an array of fishing poles and equipment for any species. The trio will pump more money into the local economy by eating at local restaurants and staying at a nearby inn.

Earlier in the day, Corey Bell had netted a 20-plus-inch landlocked salmon that he entered into the derby. The trio will grill the fish with some lemon.

There are more fish to be had, for certain. Biologist Decker said the fisheries stock 25,000 salmon yearlings into Lake Winnipesaukee each year. The lake trout breed naturally.

From the main weigh station at Weirs Beach, Laconia Rotary Club President and Winni Derby Chairman Diane LaBrie said the fish thus far were coming in a “little small” compared with those caught in past derbies.

As of Saturday afternoon, the largest landlocked salmon was a 3.8 pounder; the largest lake trout weighed 9.18 pounds; and the largest fish in the junior division weighed 4.26 pounds.

LaBrie expected to sell up to 2,000 tickets to the derby by the end of the weekend, surpassing last year's 1,200 total.

She said participation was “great,” but the fishing conditions “not so great.”

“It's a little too nice out there,” she added.