Resurrected Monroe Sportsman Show on tap

By Wayne Kruse

For The Herald

The resurrected Monroe Sportsman Show, bigger and better than ever, is on tap Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds. After a hiatus of several years, the event is back, sponsored by Three Rivers Marine and run by the Sno-King Chapter, Puget Sound Anglers, with something for the whole family.

Hours are noon to 8 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are free for young people under 12 and active duty military; $6 for everyone else.

Vendors will be pricing their wares at significant discounts, and with better weather bringing thoughts of outdoor activities, it’s a good opportunity to gear up for the season.

There will be a stocked trout pond onsite for the kids, where they can learn to cast and catch a rainbow, and a number of guest speakers for the adults:

— Halibut, with Steve Kaimmer, Friday, 6 p.m. Halibut fisherman and retired biologist Steve Kaimmer shares his videos on how halibut strike baits, taken while he worked for the International Pacific Halibut Commission. He will also offer tips on rigging to help you become a better halibut angler.

— Kokanee Fishing with Brianna Bruce, Saturday, 1 p.m.. Join professional guide Brianna Bruce and learn about local kokanee fishing action. This is an outstanding fishery that is family friendly and doesn’t take all the gear on a fully-rigged fishing boat to be successful. Learn tactics that will work on local lakes such as Lake Stevens and other kokanee lakes throughout Washington.

— Northwest Seafood Cooking with Patrick Fagan, Saturday, 3 p.m.. Catch the presentation by angler and professional chef Patrick Fagan and learn how to turn your catch into a culinary masterpiece. Proper care and preparation make all the difference, and chef Patrick will share tips and techniques sure to increase the quality of your meals.

— Fishing Lake Chelan with Tom Drews, date and time TBD. Puget Sound Anglers member Tom Drews will share the excellent fishing opportunity offered by Lake Chelan, that you don’t have to be up too early for, and the kids can enjoy as well. Tom will focus on kokanee and lake trout techniques and locations.

— Pre-Season Scouting with Brian Lewis, date and time TBD. Good scouting can mean the difference between a memorable hunt and a long walk in the woods. Join guide Brian Lewis from Twisted Horn Outfitters for a talk on scouting deer and elk, and learn how to turn enjoyable time in the field before the season into better success during the season.

Questions? Email info@monroesportsmanshow.com.

Trout derby

Let’s try ‘er again, boys and girls. Last year’s state-organized trout derby was apparently so successful in selling fishing licenses and adding a little zip to the planted rainbow trout program that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has decided a repeat is in order. The event has even been expanded to lakes around the whole state, as well as a few sponsors in Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia.

The entire derby, running from the general lowland lake trout season opener on April 22, through October 31, is worth a total of over $25,000 in prizes, compared to about $20,000 last year. Some 900-plus trout bearing a unique, yellow tag have been planted in over 100 Washington lakes, donated by various businesses, also more than last year’s plant of 700 tagged fish. Each prize coordinates with a specific tag, usually planted in a lake near the sponsoring business’ location.

Get a license, catch a tagged trout in a derby lake, contact WDFW at 360-902-2464 for instructions on how to claim your prize, and visit the sponsoring WDFW license dealer to collect it. The phone number is also on each tag and, of course you must save and show the tag. It will be on a hatchery rainbow of 10 or 11 inches, beneath the dorsal fin.

Department records show 340 prizes claimed last season and, if that trend holds this year, some 450 happy anglers will walk away with goodies. The prize list is a mix of gift cards, tackle, fishing trips, resort stayovers and a lot more. They range in value from $25 to just under $2,000 (probably broken into multiple prizes), and the majority are gift cards.

A selected list of lakes planted with at least one tagged trout, in this area and east of the Cascades, would include:

Snohomish County: Lake Bosworth, LakeKi, Martha Lake (Alderwood Manor), Lake Riley, Silver Lake and Storm Lake.

Skagit County: Clear Lake, Lake Cavanaugh, Heart Lake, Lake McMurray and Lake Sixteen.

Douglas County: Jameson Lake.

Grant County: Corral Lake, Deep Lake and Rainbow Lake.

Chelan County: Wapato Lake.

Okanogan County: Alta Lake, Spectacle Lake, Pearrygin Lake, Conconully Lake and Reservoir, and Wannacut Lake.

Talk last year about expanding the derby to include bass and other warmwater species has not been taken off the table, but WDFW coordinator Steve Thisfeld said the department would wait to see how this second year of the trout event goes before making a decision.

There is no entrance fee or extra cost to take part in the derby. Anyone with a valid resident or non-resident 2017 annual freshwater or combination fishing license may participate. The 1-3 day temporary combination licenses are not valid for the eight-day period beginning April 22.

All anglers who take part in free fishing weekend can participate in the derby and redeem any tags caught on that weekend.

For more information and/or full rules, go to www.wdfw.wa.gov/fishing and click on the 2017 Trout Fishing Derby logo.