Everything comes together at Anacortes Salmon Derby

The seventh running of the Anacortes Salmon Derby over the weekend was the best in the event’s history by almost any measure, and arguably one of the top state fishing tournaments, period, in recent memory.

Great weather, no wind, plenty of fish, heavyweight winners, well over a thousand anglers on the water — and always with that incomparable San Juan Island scenery as a backdrop. Very good stuff.

Those who believe that to fish a derby seriously you gotta put herring over the stern had their particular prejudice reinforced by first-place winner (21.52 pounds) Scott Fowler of Burlington. As he accepted his check for $15,000, Fowler said, “We fish bait, and it takes bait to catch big fish.” The herring was plug cut, according to derby board chairman Jay Field, and the fish was caught at Point Lawrence on the derby’s first day.

Second place and $5,000 went to Rich Olson of Everett, whose salmon weighed 19.42 pounds. Jay Murphy of Puyallup was third, winning $2,500 for his 19.1-pound salmon.

Last year’s first-place fish was slightly larger than Fowler’s, at 21.7 pounds, but the 256 total fish weighed was a record for the event and far outclassed 2012’s total of 211 chinook.

Jennifer Payne of Friday Harbor won the Women’s Division, with a 14.69-pound blackmouth, while Seth Baumgarten of Mercer Island nailed the Youth Division, at 16.52 pounds. Field said every youngster entered took home a prize.

There seemed to be no particular hot spot Saturday or Sunday. The catch was pretty well scattered over most of the productive spots, Field said, and even those who managed to camp on the banks before the early-morning ebb took fish.

A new addition to the derby was enthusiastically received, Field said. “GAFFF,” the Great Anacortes Fishing Film Festival, made its debut with home video fishing footage to entertain the 500-plus in attendance.

Winner of the Pro Division was charter owner and radio show host Rob Endsley of Gig Harbor, Wash., and Craig, Alaska. Winner of the Amateur Division was Jim Ramos of Sedro-Woolley, while Steve Chamberlin was voted by the audience as the Silver Horde Anglers’ Choice winner for his geat action footage and sound track.

The derby — a sellout every year — is sponsored by the Fidalgo-San Juan Islands Chapter of Puget Sound Anglers, and proceeds fund scholarships to benefit young adults pursuing careers in fishery management or a related field. The derby has disbursed more than $163,000 in scholarships and grants during the past six years.

Kids’ spring fishing

Put a kid and a fishing rod together and you create a great thing. Toward that end, the Everett Steelhead and Salmon Club, Puget Sound Anglers, has announced its spring schedule of free or low-cost trout fishing events for youth in the Everett area. The events are co-sponsored with other state and local organizations.

First up, April 17, is a kids’ trout fishing class at Silver Lake’s Sullivan Park in south Everett, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The $5 class covers all the basics novice anglers should know to fish trout successfully in our local lakes. For pre-registration call Everett Parks and Recreation at 425-257-8300, ext. 2.

Next is a free kids’ trout pond, April 27-28, at the Evergreen Recreation and Sportsmen’s Expo at Evergreen Fairgrounds in Monroe. Trout left from the event, sponsored by Les Schwab and the Everett Steelhead and Salmon Youth Organization, will be placed in Lake Tye.

May 4 brings the popular kids’ fishing event at Jennings Pond in Marysville’s Jennings Park. It will run from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Open to youth 5 to 12 years old, fishing is free but sponsors ask that a can of food be donated at the event for a local food bank. There will be a one-fish limit until noon, when it opens to all kids and has a 5-trout limit. The event is co-sponsored by John’s Sporting Goods, Marysville Parks, Kiwanis and others.

May 11 is the Silver Lake kids’ fish-in at Sullivan Park. It runs 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. for children ages 4 to 14 years. The event is free this year, but pre-registration with EvParks is required by calling 425-257-8300, ext. 2. There’s a 600-kid limit, and ESSC spokesman Jim Brauch said it will fill up.

On May 18 is the kids’ fishing event at north Gissberg Pond, Twin Lakes County Park, adjacent to the west side of I-5 at Smokey Point, north of Marysville. It’s free, open to ages 5-14, and there’s no registration required. Hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Everett Club stocks this one heavily and usually includes a nice scattering of big ‘bows in the 2- to 5-pound class. The North Pond is, by law, open to juveniles only.