Quincy fishing derby offers $15,000 in prizes this year
CRESCENT BAR - Up to $15,000 in prizes are being offered during the first Northern Pikeminnow Fishing Derby at Crescent Bar Sept. 24-25
The Quincy Valley Tourism Board is presenting the fishing derby as a tourism event and to rid the Columbia River of a fish that destroys the salmon population.
Federal and state agencies and northwest Native American tribes have given the derby their blessing.
"They don't want any of them, to be truthful," said Quincy Valley Tourism Board chair Pat Curran.
The government agencies have been paying professional fisherman as much as $8 per fish to catch the Northern Pikeminnow, according to Curran. The agencies were eager to support the derby idea.
"This is a service and fun event," Curran said. "The idea is to catch the most possible."
The Northern Pikeminnow eat salmon fingerlings, Curran said. They migrate from dam pool to dam pool and grow as big as 24-30 inches.
Derby contestants are able to fish anywhere from Wanapum Dam to Rock Island Dam, Curran said. The rules will be provided at a 6:30 p.m. meeting on Sept. 23 at Crescent Bar. The exact site is to be announced.
The prizes will start in the evening with drawings.
The Fishin' Magician Dave Graybill, who appears in The Columbia Basin Herald and The Crescent Bar Chronicle, makes a visit to the Derby, Curran said.
The cash prizes won't necessarily be easy to snag. Ten fish will be tagged before the derby. Contestants who catch one will be in line for money.
There will be additional prizes worth up to $10,000, Curran said. They could be cash or non-cash prizes. Two categories are the largest fish caught and the most fish caught.
The derby is also a fundraiser for the Quincy Valley Tourism Board. There is a $20 entry fee per fisherman. Kids, under the age of 16, compete for free. There will be two age-group prize categories - adult and youth.
Until Labor Day, registration is online at the Quincy Valley Tourism Board site - www.quincyvalleytourism.org - or live at the Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce. There will be additional registration sites after Labor Day.