Outdoors

POSTED: Saturday, Jul. 04, 2009

SALMON DERBY: Derby's the ticket to a new boat

All ticket-holding PSA Bellingham Salmon Derby contestants also receive at least one raffle entry each for the Northwest Marine Trades Association's annual end of summer season sport-fishing boat giveaway.

The NMTA drawing is set for Saturday, Sept. 12 in the Edmonds Coho Derby, the final contest in this year's Northwest Salmon Derby Series.

Beginning with the Roche Harbor Salmon Classic in February, Bellingham's derby is one of 13 events now affiliated with the NSDS and comes at the halfway point in the schedule.

Up for grabs in this year's NMTA lottery is a 20-foot Stabi-craft aluminum hull sport-fishing boat.

It's equipped with a 140 horsepower Suzuki main outboard powerplant and 9.9 horsepower Suzuki kicker motor.

Also, included in this sportfishing package is a EZ-Loader trailer.

The boat is trimmed out with a Raymarine electronics package, Scotty Downriggers and dual stereo system.

Anglers placing salmon on one of the top ten rungs of any derby ladder get extra tickets for the NMTA drawing. Winners of places one through five get three each, while finishers 6-10 in each derby get two extra lottery tickets each.

If a saltwater fisher buys tickets to enter all 13 of the Northwest Salmon Derby Series events and doesn't place any fish they will have a minimum of 13 grand prize chances in the hat by the September season ender.

By rule it is not necessary to buy a derby ticket to enter the sport-boat giveaway, simply ask for an entry form (one per event) at any derby, fill it out and either give it to derby coordinators or mail it to the Northwest Marine Trades Association, 1900 North Northlake Way Suite 233, Seattle, WA 98103.

Seven more NSDS fishing contests follow Bellingham's contest, including the Elliot Bay Salmon Derby in Seattle, Saturday, July 18. four in August at Des Moines, Gig Harbor, Hood Canal and Sinclair Inlet and two in September at Tokeland Marina (Willipa Bay) and Edmonds.

NMTA also provides two Berkeley Series One graphite fishing rods seated with Abu Garcia reels to each derby for prizes.

For more information about the Northwest Marine Trades Association, log on to http://www.nmta.net/.

Information about the Northwest Salmon Derby Series, links to individual salmon derby Websites plus Tony Floor's monthly newsletter, log on to http://www.discovernorthwestfishing.com/7.asp.