Salmon derby a big success

Plenty of sunshine and fish made for a huge sixth Annual Roche Harbor Derby held Feb. 5 through Feb. 7. A total of 100 boats with 344 anglers aboard took to the calm and sunny waters for a chance at $20,000 in cash prizes, and 115 fish were caught.

Plenty of sunshine and fish made for a huge sixth Annual Roche Harbor Derby held Feb. 5 through Feb. 7.

A total of 100 boats with 344 anglers aboard took to the calm and sunny waters for a chance at $20,000 in cash prizes, and 115 fish were caught.

After weighing-in, Shannon Terrell of Bellingham took home $10,000 for his first-place salmon that tipped the scales at 18 pounds, 6 ounces.

Wayne Logsdon of Mount Vernon hooked the second-place fish that weighed 16 pounds, 1 ounce, good for $5,000 and Bret Thurman from Orcas Island finished third with a 15 pound, 15 ounce fish and won $1,500.

Craig Hougen from Bellingham snagged the $2,000 prize with his 9 pound, 3 ounce fish in the Mystery Fish drawing.

Best boat total weight went to Craig Hougen, Tim Melton, Mike Hougen and Bill Melton with a total weight of 84 pounds. The quartet took home $1,500 in prize money.

The youngest angler in the derby was Ty Anderson from Friday Harbor at age 6 who was in his first Roche Harbor Derby with his father.

Chuck Payne from Friday Harbor won the $750 drawing for an entry into the 2010 Roche Harbor Derby.

In addition to the cash awards, over $8,000 in give- away prizes were drawn, donated by industry vendors and retailers.