Big One chinook derby starts Wednesday
Brian Walker | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 11 years, 5 months AGO
<p>Cooper Hall, 13, of Coeur d'Alene, caught this 10.6-pound chinoook on Saturday using bait in the middle of Lake Coeur d'Alene.</p>
<p>Roger Blackstone of the Lake Coeur d'Alene Anglers Association caught this 13.5-pound chinook last week on Lake Coeur d'Alene.</p>
<p>Coeur d'Alene's Gary Thompson recently caught this 17-pound chinook salmon on Lake Coeur d'Alene on Sunday using a flasher/hoochie setup, It was caught in the middle portion of the Lake.</p>
Many eyes are now on The Big One when it comes to local fishing.
The 29th annual Big One, a chinook salmon derby on Lake Coeur d'Alene, will be held Wednesday through Aug. 11.
"We're looking for a 30-pounder this year," said Roger Blackstone, chairman of the Lake Coeur d'Alene Anglers Association, the event's organizer. "The fish are healthy and there's a good kokanee base to eat. Last year we saw a 26-pounder and we're wondering if there's anything bigger out there.
"I got a good hit (two weeks ago), but I ended up losing it."
Entry is $30 for age 14 and older, and participants can register at Fins and Feathers and Black Sheep Sporting Goods in Coeur d'Alene and at Spokane Valley Marine and Elephant Boys in Spokane Valley. There is no entry fee for anglers 13 and younger.
"The good news is lots of fish are being caught," Blackstone said of recent days leading up to the tournament. "It will only get better in the coming weeks."
About 300 anglers have participated in the derby in recent years.
Mary Finley won the event last year with a 26.26-pound chinook. Frank Whitney Sr. won in 2011 with a 24.6 pounder. The record is 41 pounds caught by Gayne Clifford in 1987.
There will be cash and prizes for the top 10 adults, including $5,000 for the winner and $3,000 for the runner-up. The youth division will also have cash and prizes. The event, in its 29th year, ends at noon on Sunday, Aug. 11. Anglers can register up until the dates of the derby.
For more information, contact Blackstone at 755-4614 or stoneman23@msn.com or visit www.lcaaidaho.com.
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