Tag Archives: derby

Northwest Outdoor Report

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Sol Duc Picking Up for Springers
Bill Myer from Anglers Guide Service in Forks says he’s been hooking a few nice spring Chinook on the Sol Duc river every day and the fishing appears to be picking up. Myer said most of his springers have been in the 8 to 14 pound range, but he’s heard of quite a few spring Chinook over 20 pounds already. He’s been backtrolling cured eggs and cut plug herring to get his bites on the Sol Duc. The Sol Duc springer fishery will continue to produce fish well into the month of June.

Trout Fishing Still Great Despite High Flows on Upper Columbia
Jack Mitchell from the Evening Hatch Guide Service checked in from Black Bear Lodge on the upper Columbia River to say that the trout fishing has remained great despite really high flows the past couple of weeks. The upper Columbia has swelled from 85,000 cfs to over 175,000 cfs recently from snow melt in the upper part of the basin. Mitchell says the fishing has remained great right thru the uptick in flows. He said they’re catching trout over 20 inches on a daily basis on anything from carpenter ant patterns to caddis, baetis, mayflies, and pmd’s. Mitchell says the great fishing will continue thru the month of June when the Green Drake hatch takes off.

Hein Bank Comes to Life on Second Halibut Opener
Kevin John from Holiday Sports in Burlington reported excellent halibut fishing on Hein Bank on the second halibut opener on Thursday of this past week. Kevin and the gang from Holiday Sports had their limit of halibut between 25 and 45 pounds before noon on Thursday. They caught their fish on the south end of Hein Bank in 120 to 180 feet of water. He said the hot baits were squid with a big glow in the dark hoochie and a large squid with a whole herring stuffed inside of it. Anglers should have decent weather on the Strait of Juan de Fuca for today’s halibut opener until the wind kicks up later this afternoon.

Last Razor Dig of the Season
Clam diggers will get one more chance to dig razor clams at Twin Harbors beach near Westport next Friday thru Sunday. Twin Harbors will be the only beach open for digging. WDFW coastal shellfish manager Dan Ayres says this has been the most productive clam digging season in over 20 years on the Washington Coast. Since last October diggers have harvested more than 5 million razor clams. The coast will close after this last clam dig to allow the razor clams to spawn and provide another crop of clams for digging next fall.

Kids Fishing Event on Heart Lake
One of the hottest trout fishing lakes in the region, Heart Lake near Anacortes, will close over the upcoming Memorial Day weekend for a kids fishing event. The event takes place on June 1st and the lake is closed two days prior to allow freshly stocked trout to acclimate. Kids that otherwise might not get a chance to catch a trout get the entire lake to themselves on June 1st. The Kids Fishing event has been held for 20 years on Heart Lake and is sponsored by the City of Anacortes and the Fidalgo/San Juan chapter of the Puget Sound Anglers.

First Copper River Salmon Arrives in Seattle
Alaska Airlines pilots carried a 40 pound Copper River king salmon to waiting chefs at Sea-Tac Airport yesterday. It was the first Copper River king to arrive in Seattle and marks the beginning of the yearly craze for this great eating strain of king salmon. Copper River king salmon are prized for their high fat content and restaurants pay as much as $50 a pound to purchase them for their patrons. The Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 contained an additional 24,600 pounds of Copper River king salmon and Alaska Airlines said it would run three more Copper River salmon flights like it on Friday.

Minnesota Lakes Test Positive for Cocaine
Associated Press – Scientists just studied 50 lakes in Minnesota for water quality and found a myriad of manmade chemicals in the lakes – including cocaine, DEET, synthetic estrogen, antibiotics, and antidepressants. The bug repellent DEET was found in 76 percent of the lakes and researchers were shocked to find that 32 percent of the lakes tested positive for cocaine. Cocaine was the third most common chemical found in the lakes and scientists were surprised to find it in some very remote lakes that weren’t close to population centers. Before you head to Minnesota and start snorting lake water understand that you’ll probably drown before you catch a buzz. Scientists say the levels of cocaine in the lakes that tested positive is around several parts per trillion…hardly enough to catch a buzz.

Rob Endsley
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle

The 2013 Anacortes Salmon Derby!

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You’ve heard it a thousand times: “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.”

This year, the Anacortes Salmon Derby fell on the final weekend of March, with weather that could only be described as “spectacular” and I’m not sure that word does justice to the conditions, or the event!

There’s a darn, good reason that the Anacortes Salmon Derby sells out each and every year. It’s an extremely well run event in a world-class destination: The San Juan Islands. This year the festivities commenced with the first ever Greater Anacortes Fishing Film Festival or GAFFF.

 

Robbo did The Outdoor Line proud by winning the GAFFF’y for best video by a 6’8″ Charter Operator/Radio Show host. Strangly enough Robbo’s video was the only entry in that category…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Saturday morning came and the derby fleet departed into the fog, leaving The Outdoor Line Crew behind at Anthony’s Home Port which, by the way is our new favorite remote broadcast location!

 

 

After the show, we hustled out to the north end of Orcas Island and it wasn’t long until Robbo was into a nice fish! Here, Larry Carpenter and Duane clear the gear for the “Gringo Grande”.

 

 

Unfortunately…or, fortunately for the fish, it was wild so Robbo cradled it for a quick snapshot and it was left to swim free, hopefully to hit the gravel and make more salmon with intact adipose fins!

 

 

 

One of the best reasons to fish all the derbies you possibly can is to get your gear dialed in for summer “Hammer Time”. I’ve made the switch to Diawa Saltist reels and braid mainline with a 30-foot shot of 25lb monofilament top shot. So far, so excellent!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday morning found us rubbing elbows with some past winners of the Anacortes Salmon Derby, Here is SJI legend Rod Nau making a close quarters pass.

 

After the fishing was done, it was a race to the sling! Big Red shows off her reverse-chine, chambered design which is the reason she is a chop cutter, not a back buster,,,

 

 

The final leaderboad tells the story with Scott Fowler win, Rich Olson place and Jay Murphy show!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over 250 fish were entered in the two day event with the top three fish carefully displayed on ice for all to look…and drool over! 


 

Anacortes Derby Founder, Chairman and Master of Ceremonies Jay Field prepares to get the award presentation underway in front of the 1000 participants.

 

Scott Fowler’s 21.5 pounder from day one held up and here he holds the coveted $15,000 grand prize! Not a bad weekends work!

 

Left to right, Rich Olson, second place with a 19.4, Scott Fowler 21.5 and Jay Murphy 19.1 comprise the top three “money” fish! Congratulations to all three!!!

 

If you have not had the opportunity to experience the San Juan Islands, this may be a great year to do just that. The Islands remain open for chinook until April 30th and will re-open for salmon on July first. In May and June there will be shrimp, lingcod and halibut seasons to keep us busy. Without question, three more reasons to head up to Anacortes and experience all this region has to offer! A big thanks to Jay Field, Terry and Keri Nemeth and the entire Anacortes Salmon Derby team. You are all first class people that put on a first class event in a world class location!

Tom Nelson

The Outdoor Line

710 ESPN Seattle

www.theoutdoorline.com

Northwest Outdoor Report

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New State Record Lake Trout Caught
Phil Colyar from Wenatchee just caught the new state record Mackinaw trout from Lake Chelan on Monday. The huge lake trout weighed 35 pounds, 10 ounces and beat the old state record by just 3 ounces. Colyar caught the fish in 270 feet of water in front of Kelly’s Resort on the south shore of Lake Chelan. After a 35 minute battle he and fishing buddy Jack Stagge raced to the nearby hospital in Chelan, which happened to have the only certified scale in the area. Colyar, Stagge, doctors, and nurses all watched as the scale ticked up to 35 pounds, 10 ounces. Colyar is having the fish mounted and plans to keep fishing for big Mackinaw’s in Lake Chelan, as he thinks there’s even larger Mackinaw to be caught in the lake.

American Lake Still Kicking Out Rainbows
Mike Barr from Bill’s Boathouse on American Lake says that anglers are still getting limits of nice trout fishing off the of the boathouse dock. He says a bunch of small trout in the 7 to 9 inch range just showed up, but the people that are putting in some time are going home with limits of trout in the 13 to 15 inch range. He recommends fishing yellow or lime green Power Eggs on the bottom in 12 to 35 feet of water. Barr says there’s definitely no shortage of trout in American Lake.

First Springer Caught on the Cowlitz
Todd Daniels from Tall Tails Guide Service knows of at least five spring Chinook being caught on the lower Cowlitz River this past week. Daniels says the springers have been caught in the Castlerock area and he knows that at least one of them hit a Kwikfish. There’s been sporadic reports of spring Chinook being caught on the Kalama River, as well. The forecast for both rivers is down this year with only 5,500 springer’s projected for the Cowlitz and just 700 spring Chinook projected for the Kalama River.

“Uncle Pete” Leading in the Roche Harbor Derby
After day one of the Roche Harbor Derby “Uncle” Pete Nelson is leading the derby board with a 16.7 pound blackmouth. Carter Whalen is in a very close second place with a 16.4 pound blackmouth and Derek Floyd and company are leading in the total weight category with 46 pounds 3 ounces. There’s still one more day to go in the two day derby and we’ll have more coverage and the final list of winners available on TheOutdoorLine.com.

Oly-Pen Salmon Derby Offers $22,000 in Cash
Tickets are on sale now for the Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby happening February 16-18. The derby area extends from Freshwater Bay all the way to Port Ludlow and includes the banks in the Strait of Juan De Fuca and the western shore of Whidbey Island. Derby weigh stations are located at Freshwater Bay, Port Angeles, Sequim, Gardiner, and Port Townsend. Tickets are $40 apiece and derby chairman Dan Tatum expects well over 1,000 anglers to fish in the event, which boasts $22,000 in cash and prizes. John Otness from Tacoma won the event last year with a 17.60 pound blackmouth. The Outdoor Line will be fishing in the event and broadcasting live from Port Townsend next Saturday. For more information log onto GardinerSalmonDerby.org.

Hood Canal Derby Next Weekend
Tickets are on sale for the Bill Nik Memorial Derby next Saturday at Misery Point boat launch. The derby is ran by the Kitsap Poggie Club and boasts $2000 in cash and a ton of prizes. Last year’s derby was won by Shane Morrison with a 13.6 pound blackmouth he plucked from Hood Canal. Tickets are available at Kitsap Marina, Defiane Marine, Aqua Tech Marine, Brother Dons, Seabeck General Store, Papas Eats and Treats in Port Orchard, and Camp Union Saloon in Seabeck.

Maine Legislators Out to Ban Swim Baits
KeepAmericaFishing.org is reporting that legislators in Maine just introduced a bill that would prohibit the use of all “rubber” lures. The intent of the bill is to ban the soft plastic swim baits that most Maine anglers use every day. The bill would also ban the use of biodegradable swim baits, as well. Extensive tests have proven that plastic baits cause minimal problems for fish and they usually regurgitate them or pass them without problems.

REI Executive Named Secretary of the Interior
The Associated Press is reporting that President Obama just nominated REI’s Chief Executive Officer Sally Jewell as the new Interior Secretary. Jewell has helped push REI to nearly 2 billion in annual revenues and a place on Fortune Magazine’s “Best Places to Work”. The Interior Department manages more than 500 million acres in national parks and other public lands and more than 1 billion acres offshore. If confirmed by the Senate Jewell will replace current Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who has announced he will step down in March.

Rob Endsley
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com

Northwest Outdoor Report

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February Razor Dig Scheduled
WDFW just tentatively approved a razor clam dig on the Washington coast for the weekend of February 7th thru the 12th at Twin Harbors. Long Beach will be open February 8-10 and Copalis and Mocrocks beaches will be open February 8th thru the 9th. WDFW will release a final approval for the dig after marine toxin test results come in next week.

Smaller Spring Chinook Run Forecast for the Columbia
Fishery managers from Washington and Oregon are projecting a run of just over 141,000 spring Chinook for the Columbia River this year. The forecast is down 25 percent from the 10 year average and well below the 203,000 spring Chinook that returned to the upper Columbia River last year. The forecast will allow anglers to catch up to 5,000 upriver springers before the run is updated in early May.

Lake Washington Kicking Out Cutties
Todd Daniels from Tall Tails Guide Service (206-437-8766) is reporting excellent fishing for cutthroat trout on Lake Washington this past week. He had a thirteen fish day on the lake earlier in the week that included a few blackmouth between 3 and 5 pounds. Daniels says that even though the blackmouth have to be released they are a blast on light trolling tackle. The most productive areas have been on the south end of Lake Washington between the Cedar River and Mercer Island and also up on the north end of the lake near Kenmore.

Wynoochee Fishing Well
Derek Anderson from Screamin’ Reels Guide Service (206-849-2574) is reporting steady action for hatchery steelhead on the Wynoochee River the past couple of weeks. Derek has been catching most of his fish backtrolling plugs and baitdivers. Anderson said his biggest hatchery steelhead so far this winter has been 17 pounds and he’s had quite a few chunky fish in the 10 to 14 pound range. He’s been getting his fish on a mix of plugs and baitdivers and Anderson thinks the size 35 Hot Shots in green and blue will really produce this next week in the low and clear water. The Wynoochee River should fish excellent all the way thru the month of March.

Dickson Eye’ing Queets and Hoh for Wild Steelhead
Longtime north sound flyfishing guide Dennis Dickson of Dickson’s Flyfishing (425-238-3537) says the dolly varden are still snapping Egg Sucking Cop Cars on the upper Skagit river, but the steelhead fishing has been poor. With the upper Skagit closing on February 15th, however, he’s gearing up to head to the coast to fish the Queets and Hoh Rivers for wild steelhead. Dickson’s top choice on the coast for flyfishing water is the Queets followed closely by the Hoh River. He suggests tying up pink or black leeches when the water is high and red or blue marabous for low and clear water. Check out Dickson’s weekly flyfishing reports at Flyfishsteelhead.com for up to date river reports!

San Juan Islands Steady for Blackmouth
Derek Floyd from Angler’s Choice Charters (425-239-5740) is reporting fairly steady action in the San Juan Islands this past week. He’s had blackmouth all the way up to 16 pounds and he says the average weight of the fish has been around 9 pounds. He’s been using smaller presentations like 3” and 3.5” Coho Killers and Kingfisher Lite in glow patterns behind a green glow flasher. Floyd says that the northern Rosario Strait has been fishing good as well as the north shore of Orcas Island on the ebb tide. Derek says there’s definitely been some bigger fish in the islands recently and he wouldn’t be surprised if a 20 plus pound blackmouth won the upcoming Roche Harbor Derby.

3 Spots Left for Roche Harbor Derby
Debbie Sandwith at Roche Harbor Resort reports that there are only 3 spots left in the Roche Harbor Derby next weekend. The derby boasts $25,000 in cash prizes and this year there’s a $30,000 jackpot for any winning fish over 30 pounds. The derby is February 7-9 and you can find more information about this great event at Rocheharbor.com.

Rob Endsley
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com

Northwest Outdoor Report

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Bogachiel Best Bet in Forks Area
Bill Myer from Anglers Guide Service (206-697-2055) in Forks said the Bogachiel River is currently fishing the best of all the rivers in the area. Myers said fishing has slowed down quite a bit with the low and clear water, but he’s still getting a few fish a day out of the Bogey fishing 1/8th ounce Beau Mac jigs. He said that decent numbers of wild steelhead have pushed all the way into the upper Bogey already and that there’s been fishable numbers of hatchery steelhead stacked up around the hatchery. He’s just waiting for rain to jump back over to the Sol Duc, which has been really slow the last few days because of the low water.

San Juans Still Hot for Blackmouth
Kevin John at Holiday Sports in Burlington (360-757-4361) says the blackmouth fishing in the San Juan Islands is still rock solid. He says Tide Point and Eagle Bluff are still producing good numbers of blackmouth and anglers should also take a look at Lopez Flats and Fidalgo Head in front of Washington Park. He’s getting reports of really small bait in the islands and anglers should match-the-hatch by trolling Coho Killer’s and 3 inch Kingfisher Lite spoons. The go to color lately has been any spoon with purple in it. Kevin says that anchovies are also catching a lot of blackmouth and he’s having to continually order more anchovies into the shop on a regular basis. He recommends trolling the anchovies in a JDS or Bullet Roll hood 6 feet behind an 11 inch purple or green UV flasher.  If the weather holds for the big Roche Salmon Derby in a couple weeks we could record numbers of fish caught in the derby.

Seattle Boat Show Open Now
The largest boat show on the West Coast opened at CenturyLink Field yesterday and runs thru February 3rd. The doors open at 10:00 a.m. on the weekends and 11:00 on weekdays and tickets are $12 for adults, $5 for kids between the age of 11 and 17, and free for kids 10 and under. The show features more than 1,000 watercraft, boating and fishing seminars, and the latest in boating accessories and it’s all indoors at CenturyLink field in Seattle.

Puyallup Sportsman’s Show Closes Tomorrow
You’ve got today and tomorrow to attend the Washington Sportsman’s Show at the Puyallup Fairgrounds. The show boasts a one-of-a-kind indoor “Steelhead River,” over 150 hours of free “how to” seminars, camp cooking demonstrations, the Kid’s Free Trout Pond, the “Head & Horns” competition and much more. You’ll find plenty of fishing lodges, river guides, hunting outfitters, and the latest and greatest tackle and hunting products at the show. Tickets are $12 for adults, $5 for kids under 16, and free for kids under 5 years of age. Save some money by clicking on the Washington Sportsman’s Show banner on the OutdoorLine.com to print a coupon worth $2 off on your entry ticket.

Harrisburg Sportsman’s Show Postponed After Vendors Pull Out
Reed Exhibitions, who operates the Eastern Sports Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has decided to postpone the popular sportsman’s show after a decision to limit the display or sale of “assault rifles” caused hundreds of vendors to pull out. The show was originally supposed to be held February 2nd thru the 10th, but there was enough controversy surrounding the show that Reed has decided to postpone it for now. While Reed Exhibitions has always kept attendance figures confidential it’s estimated that as many as 1 million people attend the show every year pumping approximately $80 million into the local economy. They will announce a new date for the show soon, but for now the largest sportsman’s in American is shrouded in controversy.

The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com

The 2012 Anacortes Salmon Derby!!!

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The Anacortes Salmon Derby has become nothing short of a hot ticket!

This springtime stop on the Northwest Salmon Derby Series has sold out in as little as ten days! The 2012 edition took a bit longer: "Well, it was nail-biter…" explains derby Chairman Jay Field "It took 27 days… I blame the weather…"

The weather would figure into the derby fishermen's plans as well with Small Craft Advisory winds forecast for the entire weekend. Fortunately, Saturday dawned flat calm and anglers could fish wherever they pleased!

It's the venue that sets Anacortes apart from most other events as the gang at Cap Sante Boat Haven (www.portofanacortes.com) rolls out the red carpet and a circus tent! The tent acts as a headquarters and is large enough to seat 800 anglers!

First order of business for the weekend-long Anacortes Salmon Derby is getting the boat in the water. A sling launch and moorage is included in the price of your derby ticket!

 

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"Big Red" the 710 ESPN Seattle flagship takes her place alongside of John Keizer's "Salt Patrol" Lowrance boat.

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The Anacortes Salmon Derby kicks off Friday night with a "Captains Meeting". At 6pm, the crowd assembles for a few fishing seminars, safety info and a review of the rules.

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Once the scale closed at noon on Sunday, the top five fish are displayed and envious onlookers marvel at the size of these plump hatchery chinook!


 

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The final leader board shows Ted Radke's 21.72 slab caught on Saturday morning holding up as the eventual winner.

 

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Island ace Rod Nau shows off his fourth place 21.20 pounder in front of the Derby Series Grand Prize boat.

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Anacortes Salmon Derby Chairman, the "Reverend Captain" Jay Field prepares to address the crowd and announce the winners.

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A proud and happy Ted Radke and his young son hold the plaque and check for $15,000 and are crowned winners of the 2012 Anacortes Salmon Derby!


I refer to the Anacortes Salmon Derby as the "gem" of the Northwest Salmon Derby Series and it's not just because of the $25,000.00 purse. The San Juan Islands are a world class fishing destination, Cap Sante Marina rolls out the red carpet for anglers and the town of Anacortes opens it arms and welcomes anglers to this event.


For anyone interested in starting a derby, one could do a lot worse than using the Anacortes Salmon Derby as a blueprint!

Tom Nelson

710 ESPN Seattle

The Outdoor Line 6-8 am Saturday

www.theoutdoorline.com

Fishing the 2012 “Iron Man” Derby!

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On Presidents Day Weekend, we got to see… firsthand… why the Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby was nicknamed “The Iron Man”.

Personally, until this year, I had never competed in this event, I simply admired the guys who worked the water for those days in February when the winds can whip the Straits of Juan de Fuca into an unholy froth. These conditions  test the mettle of derby anglers in a day. Two days? That's tough. Three days? well, now you're talkin' true "Iron Man" status.

"Tough" is a relative term and when you're talking about the accommodations we experienced in Port Townsend, "posh" is a better description!

Here's a shot of the Harborside Inn which is adjacent to the Port of Port Townsend. It's a short walk from your slip to your room at the Harborside Inn and makes Midchannel Bank a small boat accessable fishery!

The Harborside Inn served as our broadcast location last Saturday and we had a chance to visit with those angling teams up to the challenge of Small Craft Advisory winds threatening to build to Gale force. After we got off the air, I was really looking forward to getting some gear down despite the winds!

My fishing pards for the weekend were Tommy Donlin of Defiance Boats and John Hansen of the soon to open Tulalip Cabela's. Both experienced, passionate anglers with lots of derby experience!

 

It did not take Penninsula ace John Hansen long to get on the board! Here he is with our first derby entry of the weekend. Not huge, but it's always great to break the ice and get on the board!

 

The winds never really relented and with the scale closing at noon on Monday, Team Outdoor Line had some serious ground to make up. Luckily, we did find some fish in the last hours of the event. John slips the net under this blackmouth…

 

…which turned out to be our largest fish we landed for the weekend. It weighed 9.50 on the certified scale (it looked like a ten pounder to me…) Chalk up another chinook to the QCove flasher!

 

I say it was our largest fish "landed" because yours truly managed to lose a BIG FISH, right as the last minutes of the 2012 Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby ticked away. Whatever you do, don't let Tommy Donlin near your chartplotter when you lose a fish… he has a talent for "naming" waypoints in a hurtful manner…

 

As we pulled into the Derby award ceremony the crowd was gathering to claim their prizes and grab a burger courtesy of the Derby committee!

 

After the numbers are compiled, Derby Chairman Dan Tatum addresses the crowd of nearly 500 derby competitors!

Despite marine weather advisories and challenging conditions, fishing results were good. 217 winter blackmouth chinook salmon were submitted, with an average weight of 8.44 pounds. Anglers were in competition for a tremendous prize list worth $25,089 – including a $10,000 first prize. The final prize ladder had 52 winning fish; the smallest prize-winner was 10.25 pounds, and the winners had an average prize-winning weight of 12.32 pounds. Approximately 700 derby tickets were sold for this event


The first prize of $10,000 went to John Otness of Tacoma, for a 17.60 pound chinook that looked way more like a springer than a feeder blackmouth!

 

The $5,000 second place winner was Steven Sevilla of Discovery Bay with a 15.50 pound fish. In third place, for $1,500, was David Hansen of Port Angeles with a 15.30 pound salmon. Fourth place ($500, donated by 7 Cedars Casino of Blyn) went to John Calkins of Shelton with a 15.0 pound fish. All prizes except the large cash prizes were donated by area residents and businesses. The large prizes are funded through ticket sales. Net proceeds from each annual derby support local emergency services and other important community needs, in accordance with the charter of Gardiner Salmon Derby Association, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that runs this ongoing annual event.

It's great to see the fishing community coming out to support this event and we had a top notch experience in this derby! I'm looking forward to hitting this event next year…and every year!!! 

 

Tom Nelson
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com

Resurrected!!!

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With memories of last year's San Juan Island (Marine Area 7) smokin' hot blackmouth (winter feeder chinook) opener spinning through my head, I couldn't wait to get up to the Islands for the opener!

Add the fact that I'm going to have my pard' Robbo Endsley and Island guru Jay Field on board Big Red to compete in the second annual Resurrection Derby and I had a sleepless night leading up to the event.

Early on the morning of December first, we met at Jay's place in the Skyline Marina/community, all hands jumped in the truck to launch at Washington Park and scout for blackmouth all the way out to Friday Harbor, headquarters of the 2011 Resurrection Derby. Kevin Kline of Friday Harbor has worked his butt off launching this event, a reprisal or "resurrection" of the classic winter Rosario Derby which sadly went the way of several of our salmon fishing traditions.

While Jay Field and I looked for salmon, Robbo couldn't help glassing the island hillsides for the blacktail deer that are so abundant in the San Juans! Seriously, I'm impressed that Robbo keeps an eye on everything at all times. Somehow, he can watch rod tips, the water, other boats, the electronics and look for deer…all at once!

 

We had to work hard for our chances at fish but we managed to have a rare double header right at noon on Saturday. Robbo expertly bagged Jay Field's fish then swung around and bagged mine… Hmmm, looks like he had done that before…

 

Once it was all said and done on Saturday, the leaderboard was finalized and there were some "usual suspects" posting some impressive catches!

 

The "Reverend Captain" Jay Field at work: Jay served as Master of Ceremonies for the award presentation at the Friday Harbor Yacht Club. This room held one impressive quorum of serious salmon fishing talent!

 

Speaking of talent, San Juan Island legend "Uncle Pete" Nelson and Rob Endsley take a moment to mug for the camera.

 

Team "Big Kahuna", winners of the inaugural Resurrection Derby last year, posted a very strong showing taking Total Boat Weight honors and a check for $1000!

 

The first fish to hit the scales was also the biggest at 22.34 lbs, caught by Walt Vanwingerden and his Grandson Tommy of Bellingham. This blackmouth eclipsed last years winner by over 2 lbs. Derby Chairman Kevin Kline and Jay Field hand over the "BIG FAKE CHECK" for 10 grand! Not bad for a weekend of fishing!

 

After the Derby Banquet, the whole gang headed to Herb's in Friday Harbor and that's when things started to get a bit blurry…

 

The San Juan Islands are open from now right through April 30th. Talk about a wonderful window of opportunity! There will be solid fishing all winter and an opportunity to learn one of the most scenic and productive areas on the coast. For me, that was the biggest thing I will take home from my Resurrection Derby experience: I had three days on the water to learn from two dear friends who also just happen to be two of the most experienced guys in this neck of the woods.

I learned a ton about the Islands this weekend and I figured out something else: I have a lot more to learn about the wonderful place called the San Juan Islands!

Tom Nelson
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle
www.theoutdoorline.com

NW Bass Lake Washington Qualifer

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In years with normal springtime temperatures, the middle of May would represent nonstop action for bass. There is no better time of year to target big bass in shallow water.  It's no wonder that even the average weekend warrior has to feel they have a chance of winning when fishing a bass tourney this time of year.  This however isn't the average year and when conditions are tough like they have been this year, the cream always rises to the top.  That was proven true again this year in the NW Bass Lake Washington Qualifer.  With water temps a month or more behind, and our warmest week of the year leading up to the qualifier, it was anyone's guess where the fish would be located.  Conditions like this are where experience and instinct come into play.  

 

 Marc Marcantonio and Mike Matkowski.

 

Anglers battled it out to just minutes before weigh-ins.

Nothing beats a bass boat when it comes to covering water.

Gary Stiles, the man behind NW Bass was our guest on the show this past saturday and when asked about some of the anglers that had the best chance, two of the names he mentioned placed in the top three.  Ron Hobbs Jr. and Marc Marcantionio, both guests in the past on TOL, led the way.  Ron Hobbs was coming off a win the week before in the American Bass tourney on Lake Washington but with changing conditions, he made the call to fish a completely different area than he fished the week before.  Making the call to not even fish an area that had been so good to you the week before took guts but using the instincts that Hobbs Jr and his partner, Mike Wolsky, posses , it was the only call that made sense.  Marc Marcantonio and his partner, Mike Matkowski, used the experience they have to target a few areas that they knew should be holding fish but knowing that cold springtime weather had slowed the fish from moving up on beds to spawn they fished those areas a little differently than they would normally have fished them this time of year.  Their call was the right call as they caught and released over 20 fish.

 

Ron Hobbs Jr. telling the story of how he and Mike Wolsky came away with the win.

In Hail Mary fashion, 2nd place finisher's Ruffin Hernandez and

Tyler Walcker caught a nice largemouth on the last cast of the day to put

 them in second place.

Marc Marcantonio accepting his plaque and check for third place.

All-in-all, 64 teams fished this years tourney and almost sixteen grand was paid out.  Points were also awarded for teams trying to qualify for this years championship in September.

 

 

Roche Harbor Rundown!

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The third stop on the 2011 Northwest Salmon Derby Series was the Roche Harbor Invitational and I have to say that it is one of the best run events that I have ever had the pleasure of participating in!

Start to finish from the location, to the wonderful Roche Harbor facilities, the fishing and the people the experience was nothing but exciting, educational and a whale of a lot of fishing fun! The "educational" portion of the weekend came at the hands of one Derek Floyd of Reel Class Charters who absolutely dominated the field and displayed a mastery of one of the most challenging fisheries in the state.

Speaking of the start, Rob Endsley posted a video of the Shotgun Start which signaled the beginning of the tournament Friday morning.

Once we reached our destination, it wasn't long before we were joined by several other anglers. Here, Jay Field of Dash One Charters works his gear in the choppy waters of west Rosario Strait. 

 

David Arnold and his crew are all smiles with the day one leader which pulled the scales down to the 21 pound mark!

 

Tony "the truth" Floor served as Judge, Jury and Executioner for this year's Roche Harbor Invitational and here he is seen manning the scale for Friday afternoon's rush of fish!

 

WDFW personnel were on site taking scales to obtain age composition and coded wire tag data. Once compiled, this information is a vital aspect of the management of our chinook fisheries.

The first day's top four fish are displayed for all to see and they are a fine, fat bunch of San Juan Island winter chinook!

Top five fish are posted on the leaderboard as well as the top boat weights. Here are the day one leaders!

 

Day two started out with The Outdoor Line Crew interviewing tournament leader (and eventual winner) Derek Floyd as we broadcasted live from Roche Harbor.

 

After his on air appearance, Derek went back out and dropped the hammer on this 28.10 “blackmouth"! This monster, caught on the second day of the Roche Harbor Salmon Classic, beats the all-time record chinook from this tournament by over two pounds!!

Here are the final standings from the 8th Annual 2011 Roche Harbor Invitational Salmon Classic

100 Derby Boats; total 337 Anglers
43 fish weighed in on Friday February 4, 2011
25 fish weighed in on Saturday February 5, 2011
38 boats weighed in a total of 68 Fish
$25,000 cash prizes awarded:

$10,000 1st Place: Derek Floyd          Stanwood, WA 28.10
$5,000   2nd Place: Richard Sakuma  Bellingham, WA 22.04
$3,000   3rd Place: David Arnold         Bellingham, WA 20.16
$2,000   4th Place: Kirk Hawley          Bellingham, WA 19.15
$1,000   5th Place: Tony Petosa         Bothell, WA  19.0

$2,000         Mystery Fish Neal Kamrin  Bellevue, WA  9.0
 
 $2,000        Best Boat Total Weight   108.04 lbs  
                  Derek Floyd  Stanwood, WA
                  Julie Floyd  Stanwood, WA
                  Scott Bumstead Everett, WA
                  Shannon Bumstead Everett, WA

Derek Floyd ended up 1st place individual, 1st place, total boat weight, and the traditional side bet, for a total payout of $21,000!!! Congrats to Derek Floyd and we'll see you next year at the 2012 Roche Harbor Classic!