There’s a new salmon derby on our street, and this one raises important — and perhaps troubling — questions about the direction of competitive fishing contests in the Pacific Northwest.
The event, titled the Dash One Invitational, is billed as “the Northwest’s newest, richest salmon derby,” and the latest addition to the Northwest Marine Trade Association’s Northwest Salmon Derby Series. It’s scheduled for July 1-2, out of the Cap Sante Boat haven in Anacortes.
So far, so good.
But there are three factors here that, in the opinion of at least some area salmon fishermen, open the new derby to criticism. The first is that the Dash One Invitational plans to award a first prize of $100,000; a second prize of $40,000, and a third prize of $20,000 — by far the most lucrative fishing contest here since the “million-dollar” derbies of 20 years ago.
The second factor is that it is, unabashedly, a for-profit business venture, created and marketed by Jay Field, an Anacortes business owner and the driving force behind the Puget Sound Anglers’ highly successful (and not for profit) Anacortes derby.
And the third is that it comes close on the heels of the establishment of another for-profit event in the San Juan Islands, the recent Roche Harbor Hook ‘em and Hold ’em Salmon/Poker Party. Do two events constitute a trend? I don’t know.
Field is getting hammered in some quarters, particularly by a couple of fishing blogs, and in the interest of transparency, I have to say that I personally have never been particularly sympathetic to the idea of big-money, “professional” fishing tournaments — bass, tarpon, marlin, whatever. In my undoubtedly narrow, parochial opinion, fishing should remain a way to escape the stresses of everyday life, not increase them.
A lot of other sport fishermen feel differently, however, and Field is not the villain in this piece. He has donated hundreds of hours to the Anacortes derby, forming it into one of the best, largest, family-oriented events on the West Coast, and he will continue to do that. He also has put in a lot of time and effort on other forms of civic activism and charitable work. If he wants to turn his unique set of skills as business owner, charter fishing operator (the derby is named after his Dash One Charters) and experienced fishing derby organizer into a shot at making a few bucks, why not? It is certainly his prerogative to do so.
Field has pledged to return $25,000 to local salmon enhancement if the derby books its full subscription of 57 boat/team entries. He says the boost to the local Anacortes economy will be as welcome as that for the larger, general-participation derby.
“Put some heat on the street. Keep the storefronts lit,” he says. “There’s nothing wrong with a little dose of capitalism.”
He also says the event should garner national attention, and he’s promoting it in the Great Lakes area and other spots.
“That type of exposure should really highlight the angling opportunities available to visitors to the Northwest,” he says. “I want to bring together some of the best salmon anglers in the country to fish for the kind of money available to professional bass and billfish anglers.”
Steve Thiesfeld, Puget Sound Recreational Salmon Manager for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, said a prize cap and a permit requirement is in place for game-fish contests (trout, bass, steelhead), but not for “food” fish. So what about the argument that the derby could put additional, artificial, strain on a scarce resource?
“He’s limited the event to, what, 60 boats?” Thiesfeld said. “At that level of participation, it’s hard to get too concerned about adverse pressure on the resource. And they’ll be working on probably 70 percent marked, hatchery fish.
“That said, however, the event has our attention.”
TJ Nelson, radio outdoor show host and Lake Stevens resident, is in favor of the new derby.
“This won’t cause the downfall of salmon runs in the islands,” he said. “We need more anglers, not fewer. We need more license revenue and fishing activists interested in managing and conserving the resource, not fewer. If we don’t get a higher percentage of the population interested in fishing, particularly young people, we’re all going to be out of business.”
Nelson said outdoor recreation is losing young people to the Xbox, and that “we need to spice things up a little bit; maybe more than a little bit.”
“If this high-profile approach helps interest kids in looking at good salmon fishermen through the eyes of ‘Wow, that’s cool, doing big-time stuff,’ then maybe we need more of that,” Nelson said.
Dash One Invitational tickets go on sale in mid-February. For more information go to www.dashonederby.com.
ANACORTES DERBY TICKETS
And speaking of the “regular” Anacortes salmon derby, the tickets have been on sale since Monday at Holiday Sports in Burlington, John’s Sporting Goods in Everett, Anacortes Ace Hardware, Sportco in Fife, Outdoor Emporium in Seattle, and Lummi Fishery Supply in Bellingham. Anthon Steen at Holiday Sports said last year’s quota of 800 tickets sold out in 14 days, and there were some unhappy fishermen who didn’t move on them in time.
The cap has been raised to 1,000 participants for this year’s event, which is scheduled for the last weekend in March and offers a first prize of $15,000 and total cash payout of $25,000.
SMELT
There’s still opportunity for smelt jiggers at both Cornet Bay and the Oak Harbor Marina, with limits possible if you hit it right.
The four-day Cowlitz River dipnet season opens Saturday, and continues on Feb. 13, 20 and 27. The hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.. The run is expected to be another depressed one, but commercials have taken about 2,700 pounds so far from the Columbia, and there were confirmed reports of smelt in the lower Grays and the lower Cowlitz late last week. State biologist Joe Hymer in Vancouver said, however, that there was little sign of bird activity on either river early this week, and few seals in the mainstem Columbia near Longview.
UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN
Good Mackinaw fishing in Lake Chelan for the larger fish normally seen this time of year; slow for Rufus Woods triploid rainbows; slowing for steelhead on the Columbia, but the ice is off the Methow and the Okanogan, and the usual good ice-off steelheading should be getting under way. Those with a drift boat and an interest in fishing the Okanogan, should put in at Omak and take out at the second bridge in Okanogan, according to guide and Brewster resident Rod Hammons (randr@swift-stream.com).
BLACKMOUTH
Fair fishing for blackmouth in the San Juan Islands — not so much by the numbers, but for some nice-sized fish. State personnel checked 44 anglers on Saturday at the Washington Park ramp west of Anacortes, with six chinook, and on Sunday, 39 with four. The folks at Holiday Sports in Burlington, however, said Dash One Charters has been doing well on blackmouth to the mid-teens, and that a fish in the mid-20s was reported taken off San Juan Island.
Dash One has been working the usual spots — Guemes Channel, Lopez Flats, and Thatcher Pass.
HERRING SHORTAGE?
Anthon Steen (above) said herring might be tough to come by this year, especially reds and greens. Anglers stockpiling bait for the expected large run of Columbia River spring chinook are buying it up quickly, he said, adding that Puget Sound Herring Sales has quit fishing until summer.
“Once this is gone, the only other option will be the more expensive, non-vacuum-packed Canadian bait,” he said.
BRANT
Waterfowl season ended Sunday, and brant hunting reportedly was quite successful this winter, with birds taken on both Samish and Padilla bays.
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