5th Annual Reel Fishing Adventure's Derby

Enough of the crappy launch, there will be much more in the future on this matter and it is imperative that all anglers make it known to the powers to be that this launch is unacceptable.

We had approximately 10-15 boats launch at the Centre while others launched from Paddlewheel in Vernon or else launches in Kelowna.  I had hoped that most anglers would launch from the Centre as it would make it easier at the end to give out the prizes but I was pleasantly surprised to see that some actually drove by vehcile to Winfield to be at the prize ceremony!  OK, maybe it was because there were draw prizes at the end of the prize handouts but whatever, thanks for driving folks!

Fishing?  Sucked, big time.  Ya, I know right now there's at least one angler out there who was not in the derby that is saying "well if any of you knew how to fish you'd catch them!" however, braggart's are in a league of their own, thank goodness.  I headed south first off to the old Hiram Walker's water intake.  This is one of "the" best spots for burbot that I have fished on OK Lk..  It can be moody but that's fishing, there have been other times however when I've had double headers jigging for them, by myself.  The Achilles heal this AM though was that wind, impossible to stay in one spot to jig and with no electric motor to hold my position I chose to troll.

Burbot aren't the most fussy creature under the water and if you mark them on the bottom then that's the place to go.  As well, you are allowed bait on OK Lk and my fav in that department is Power Bait marshmallows.  A piece of that on the hook of a shiny spoon and you can be rewarded with some of the finest eating fish you can catch!  My thoughts of winning the "other fish" category diminished after 2 hours of going back and forth over the same area and not so much as a bite.  The fish were marking in the area but just nothing interested.

So, I moved out of the area and switched up to a mid depth line and a deep line.  It wasn't a half hour and my first fish of 23 3/4" was brought (gld/sil Lyman at 48') into the boat, measured, pic taken and released.  There is no doubt it is difficult to do such a task in lumpy water but it can be accomplished.  I have always had a baby tub on board, once the fish is caught it's put in the tub to revive, while I get the camera ready.  With the camera ready you just pick the fish out of the tub, pic taken, fish back in the tub, pic checked and if OK the fish is released.  This is much more humane than leaving it lay on the deck of the boat or being drowned beside the boat in a net trying to get your camera ready.  Dave Kimble sent me this (photo) pic of the fish he caught and while the fish is a beauty (really Dave!) I found the measuring device of interest.  Dave advised me he bought it from Cabela's, a great tool for doing exactly what we require for this derby and you'll see one in my boat for the next derby!  Thanks Dave!

As the day wore on the radio would chirp out a fish here, fish there, then the phone would ring and there'd be another fish caught somewhere but, overall, the fishing was very poor.  This was contrary to what I thought it would be, being a high pressure system sneaking in and some wave action which has proven to bring more fish to the boat.  I don't know what the problem was, all I know is that there was alot of grumbling by anglers with the lack of action on this lake, again!  The fish I caught was the first and last of the day, not another bite for all the time spent out there.

I headed in early, as the wind and waves picked up even more than from the morning, and got the goodies out for the prize draw.  Kevin from Gibbons Motor Toys also came in early and got his stuff setup and ready for the anglers to come in and most of who by the way, were there on time!  Even those that launched from other areas trailered their rigs early and drove down to the Centre.

I have to first thank Kevin for a job well done on the prizes, again.  Although the cash is nice, to have the amount of prizes we do is only because of him and a big thank you for that.  We also have the following list of business's to thank for their amazing donations to our derby: