06_2025_REELLIFE_digital - Flipbook - Page 14
fishing derby jason brooks
in the Pacific
A fishing derby? Here
Northwest, there are
I'd better set up a team
and sign up. I’m the “Fish
Whisperer", my buddies
and I can outfish anybody!
Actually, that’s not fair.
Although the fame and
money would be nice.
Most people sign up for a
derby just to participate
in the event and to enjoy
the camaraderie and
fellowship. Winning would
be a sidebar to enjoying the
fishing trip, enhancing the
overall experience.
Fishing derbies and
tournaments for just about
everything that swims are
organized throughout the
country each year. In the
US, there are 30,000-50,000
derbies and tournaments
organized each year. In
2023, there were around
58 million licensed anglers.
Even if only a small
percentage of licensed
anglers participate in an
event, participation could
range from 1.5 million to 5
million anglers annually.
derbies for trout, kokanee,
walleye, tuna, salmon,
surf perch, halibut, razor
clams, and chowder cookoffs. There may be derbies
targeting other species,
and those anglers will know
the whens and wheres. The
basics of this article will
cover all species. Although,
over the years the Castello
clan has enjoyed occasional
success while participating
in various derbies, overall
success has been metered.
That said, I’ve had many
“almost” in the money
derby experiences.
Many years ago, while
fishing in a big money
tuna tournament out of
Ensenada, Mexico, we
hooked a large big eye tuna
with just hours to go before
the weigh-in. By the time
the fish was secured on
deck, we only had a short
few hours to make a 40+
mile run back to the marina
for weigh-in. Despite having
one of the fastest boats in
the tournament, we did not
make the weigh-in queue
in time. We were quite the
talk around town, but made
the drive back to the border
with nothing more than a
stack of swag bags and my
own flip-flop print on my
board shorts. Then locally,
with a derby contender,
coho on ice, I’ve missed the
weigh-in for the Everett
Coho Derby by probably 15
minutes because of another
last-minute fish. These were
all skipper miscalculations
where I knew the rules but
pushed the time limit. The
list goes on, but you get
the idea. These kinds of
errors can be minimized by
creating a plan and then
sticking with it.
If you plan to fish a derby
or tournament, have a plan!
Although it doesn’t hurt,
your plan does not need
to be written out. Either
way, you and your fishing
partners need to sit down
and come up with a plan
for derby day. In working
out a plan, consider basic
things like getting enough
sleep, being on time, and
