Fast Start for the NW Salmon Derby Series! 3

The calendar still says "2010" but the 2011 Northwest Salmon Derby Series is now officially underway!

The Bayside Marine Salmon Derby served as the lid lifter for the 2011 edition of the 16-stop Derby Series. A event-record 276 anglers came out, answered the challenge and responded by taking the largest chinook in the 19-year history of this event!

The Outdoor Line Radio Show broadcast this past Saturday morning (11/6/10) came to you live from Bayside Marine. My on-air pards, Rob Endsley and Robbie Tobeck were kind enough to let me sneak out of the show at daylight so "Team Outdoor Line" comprised of Jay Field, Tony Floor and myself could get out in the Stabicraft ESPN flagship "Big Red" and compete. As we deployed the Cannon Downriggers, Robbo Endsley called on the cell and said "I've got a feeling you're gonna get a big one today". His inkling would prove to be prophetic and I should've had him buy me a lottery ticket that day!

Jay Field and I had the opportunity to get out and pre-fish this event and with the knowledge gleaned from our "Field research" we were able to get on some fish in a hurry.

I was lucky enough to get on the board with this 14 pounder on our second pass and Robbo "The Prophet" Endsley's  prediction proved true!  

Jeff Lalone of Bayside Marine and his friend Dave Stauffer patroled the derby fleet in the Evinrude powered "rocket ship" known as the BaysideMarine.com 

Shortly after the rocket ship "fly-by" Tony Floor boated this fine 12 pounder and we were feeling good about our chances in the derby! 

Not to be shut out, Jay Field came right back at us with this fat 13 1/2 pounder! 

We continued marking fish and bait which encouraged us to keep at it. Tony Floor put the hooks to another 11 pounder and recorded the only limit of the derby weekend. With the derby scale closing at 5pm we decided to pull the gear at 3:30 and run for Bayside. The word on the street was that fishing for other boats was tough and as of 1:15pm no fish had been entered. We wondered if we had the win, place and show specimens locked up! However, such illusions of grandeur would not prove to be the case.

When we reached the scale William "Hot Plug" Hayes was grinning as his 22lb 9oz behemoth absolutely dwarfed the competition!

We ended up with Jay Field's 13-6 good for 6th place, Tony Floor's 12-1 in 7th and my 14-4 ended up as the 4th largest chinook in the derby. 

Bayside Marine hosted the event with a fine salmon BBQ and a packed house assembled to watch the prize presentations. 

"Hot Plug" Hayes is all smiles holding the $2000.00 winning check and is flanked by Bayside Marine owners Jeff Lalone on the left and Dan Hatch on the right. 

The next stop of the Northwest Marine Trade Association's Northwest Salmon Derby Series is the new Resurrection Derby on December 4th, 2010 in Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands. These derbys are all excellent opportunities to learn from some of the best local salmon anglers.

Come out, get in the game and we will see you on the salmon tournament trail!

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