The annual Roche Harbor Salmon derby held earlier this month marked the start of the derby season. The winning fish, a 21-pound, 3- ounce black mouth, earned the skilled angler $10,000.

Now that is what I call a grand prize!

Great news came from this derby as they weighed more fish this year than any previous year and reports from the San Juan Islands confirm there are good numbers of fish out there to be caught.

The Discovery Bay tournament was also held this past week but I do not have winners for that event.

The Anacortes Puget Sound Anglers derby will be a very popular one as the entry fee is easier on the wallet than the $600 Roche Harbor Derby. Visit www.anacortessalmonderby.com for information and rules.

The last derby will be the annual Everett Salmon Derby later on this year and I will be sure to give you the scoop on it once I get the information. This is another one of those big-money derbies which includes the chance to win a new boat.

Lures seem to be the big fish winners right now.

I mentioned the green spatter-back hoochies and of course some of the more popular spoon colors in my last article. Keep them down near the bottom or where you are marking bait.

Early in the season in Marine Areas 8-1 and 8-2, a lot of shakers were being caught. But in Area 7 very few have been reported compared to the legal fish being retained.

A smart idea before you head out would be to go to the local sporting goods store for details on what lures are working and which areas are the current hot spots.

The people that work in these stores are usually avid anglers themselves and they get reports every day on where the fish are.

The Internet is another great resource for anglers to do research.

The WDFW Web site has the weekender report and gives the angler good information on fish catches reported at local boat launches and from WDFW biologists.

There are also forum and discussion boards on the Internet as well.

One of my favorites is game

fishin.com, which is comprised mostly of anglers from the Northwest.

Another popular one I recently discovered is washing

tonfishingfools.com.

Both sites have valuable information on them. If you have questions, you can post them and you’ll certainly get an answer. Believe me, I use them all the time.

There are so many different techniques I would love to learn and thanks to local clubs and these Web sites, I can finally get the information I need to give them a try and add them to my own arsenal.

These Web sites are packed with anglers with years of experience who are willing to help you get started or improve your fish catching ability.

Speaking of the Internet, I would love to here from you. You can send me an e-mail at whidbey_fff@yahoo.com.

Until next time be safe and get out on the water.