Northwest Sportsman – August 2019

nwsportsmanmag.com | AUGUST 2019 Northwest Sportsman 39

I

f July marked the start of peak fishing

derby season in the Northwest, August

represents its Hood, its Rainier, the very

pinnacle, what with events from inside

Puget Sound to the coasts of both states.

But September’s no slouch either, as

two Oregon Labor Day weekend shindigs

wrap up and a pair of big silver derbies take

place, one of which also sees the awarding

of a boat package worth a whopping

$75,000! Let’s break them down here.

IN EARLY AUGUST come a pair of Puget

Sound Anglers derbies, both held in the

southern half of the inland sea.

First up is the South King County

Chapter’s event on Saturday, the 3rd. Now

in its 18th year, it offers a $3,500 top prize

and it usually takes a Chinook approaching

or just over the 20-pound mark to win

it. While Marine Areas 10, 11 and 13 are

all fair game, it can be hard to beat the

waters just off derby headquarters, Point

Defiance Marina. Last year saw spoons

dominate over hoochies. For more, see

pugetsoundanglers.net

The marina is also home to the Gig

Harbor Chapter’s derby the following

Saturday, Aug. 10, which features a $2,500

grand prize and raffle for a Lowrance

fishfinder. Now in its 24th year, open

waters are Areas 11 and 13. Last year’s

winner was a 15.63-pound king. For more,

see gigharborpsa.org.

Heart Of Derby

Season Here

By Andy Walgamott

LAST ISSUE WE drew attention to the

kickoff of the Oregon Tuna Classic, which

culminates in late August in Garibaldi, and

also highlighted midmonth’s 2nd Annual

Lipstick Salmon Slayers Tournament

at the, er, mouth of the Columbia (for

more, see oregontunaclassic.org and

lipsticksalmonslayer.com).

This issue we want to spotlight

the Northwest Sportfishing Industry

Association’s 20th Annual Buoy 10

Salmon Challenge, top prize $1,000 for

largest fish.

The big fundraiser is slated for Friday,

Aug. 16, and includes a day’s worth of

angling for Chinook and coho as the meat

of this year’s million-plus salmon run

comes across the bar. There’s a captain’s

meeting the evening before, and after the

fishing comes a barbecue, silent auction,

 Now through the end of season: Westport Charterboat Association Weekly

Lingcod, Halibut, Chinook, Coho, Albacore Derbies; charterwestport.com

 Now through Oct. 31: 2019 WDFW Statewide Trout Derby; fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov

For more Washington contests, see wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/contests.

MORE ONGOING/UPCOMING EVENTS

raffle and more at derby headquarters,

the Clatsop County Fairgrounds, a short 5

miles from the East Mooring Basin ramp.

“No one leaves empty-handed from

an NSIA derby,” organizers boast. “Stick

around for the fantastic door prize

giveaway at the end of the evening!”

For more, see nsiafishing.org.

WE WOULD BE remiss if we didn’t note

the return of the Slam’n Salmon Derby

to Brookings. After a two-year hiatus, it

returns for the long holiday weekend at

the end of summer. It features a grand

prize of up to $5,000 for the largest king

caught on the ocean during the three-

day event. Check out wcadventure.com

for details.

Also held that weekend on Oregon’s

South Coast, the 26th Annual Fall Salmon

Derby out of Winchester Bay on the

lower Umpqua River. It’s sponsored by

the Gardiner-Reedsport-Winchester Bay

Salmon Trout Enhancement Program.

Contact Rick Rockholt at (541) 613-0589

or [email protected].

And hard on their heels comes the

Edmonds Coho Derby, while its cousin

just to the north, the Everett Coho Derby

and its Northwest Salmon Derby Series

boat giveaway, falls on the third weekend

in September. For more info on both

events, see edmondscohoderby.com and

everettcohoderby.com.

Whether you’re fishing a derby on Puget Sound,

at Buoy 10 or along Oregon’s South Coast in late

summer, you’ll likely need a Chinook as big as Paul

Whitson’s 2018 South King County Puget Sound

Anglers Derby winner to place in the money. His

19.45-pound Chinook was worth $3,500. (PSA)

RECENT RESULTS

 Bellingham Salmon Derby, Marine

Area 7, July 12-14: First place: Tom

Hartley, 21.9-pound Chinook ($7,500);

Second: Chris Wilson, 21.6-pound

Chinook ($2,500); Third: Adam Beardsley,

20.62-pound Chinook ($1,000)

2019 NORTHWEST

SALMON DERBY SERIES

 Aug. 3: South King County PSA

Salmon Derby

 Aug. 10: Gig Harbor PSA Salmon

Derby

 Aug. 17-18: Vancouver (BC)

Chinook Classic

 Aug. 31: Columbia River Fall Salmon

Derby – cancelled

 ept. 7: Edmonds Coho DerbyS

 ept. 21-22: Everett Coho DerbyS

 Nov. 2-3: Everett Blackmouth

Salmon Derby

For more details, see

nwsalmonderbyseries.com.

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