My brother Chad and I fished the Discovery Bay Derby over the weekend. The Derby runs for three days, Sat, Sun and Monday. The fishing hours are from daylight to 2pm on Sat and Sun, daylight to 12pm on Monday.

We left Seattle about 12:30am and got to the launch at about 2:30am. When we got there it was really windy and we were kind of worried about going out. It was too dark to see what the sea conditions were. We slept in the truck until 5:30am. When we woke up the wind was gone, it was nice and calm.

We got the boat and gear ready and launched at about 6:45am. We run across the bay to Beckett Point and troll the cove toward Cape George. Cape George is where Chad caught the winning fish last year. On our first pass thru the cove Chad gets a fish on. The hook comes out a few seconds later. At about 9:00am I get a fish on. We get it in the boat and run it in to the weigh station and it weighs 9lbs 9oz. That puts me in third place. We run back to Beckett Point to troll the cove again. At about 10:00am Chad gets a fish on. We get it in the boat and run it in. It weighs 10lbs 7oz. By then a 20lbs fish was checked in so Chad is in 4th and I'm in 5th. We are done for the day, we both got our limits. The weather was great, the sun was out and the water was calm. At the end of the first day there were 21 fish checked in and Chad was 7th and I was 11th, the leader was 20lbs even.

Sunday the 15th, Day 2. We get to the launch at about 6:30am. Its windy, there was no wind at our room in Sequim but there is lots of wind here. We launch and find the water was not bad, a little choppy but not bad. We run back to the cove and get our lines in. We troll the cove for a couple of hours with no hits at at all. We try trolling around Cape George to McCurdy Point and back to Cape George, nothing. We troll back thru the cove and around then south of Beckett Point, still nothing. At around 1:00pm we get tangled up with a crab pot. It was a bad one, both downriggers and our lines. We finally get free without losing any gear but have some bad kinks in the downrigger cables, its about 1:30pm so we call it a day. Day 2 ends with 12 more fish checked in for a total of 32 fish for the 2 days. There is a new leader at 20lbs 4oz beating the Sat. fish by 4oz. Third is 17lbs 7oz, Fourth is 13lbs and Fifth is 12lbs 7oz. Chad is at 11th and I'm at 16th.

Monday the 16th, Day 3. We wake up at 5:00am and it really windy at our room in Sequim, we are kind of worried. We get to the launch at 6:30am and there is no wind. Right after we launch the wind starts to pick up. We get to the cove and start trolling. We troll the cove all day, the wind has really picked up. Inside the cove it is protected from the wind, when you got to the ends you could start to feel the winds and you could see white caps outside the cove. So we stayed inside the cove all day. No fish, no bites, nothing. It was a very rough ride back to the launch, very windy and 3-4 foot waves. There was only one fish checked in on Monday, 9lbs 2oz. There were 33 fish checked in for the three days. Chad placed 11th and got a $150.00 gift certificate for Swain's and I placed 16th and got $100.00 in cash.

The top five:

1st-20lbs 4oz, Brad Alexander $3000 + $250 for largest fish for the day

2nd-20lbs 0oz, Patrick Allen $1500 + $250 for largest fish for the day

3rd-17lbs 7oz, James Southard $750

4th-13lbs 0oz, Geoffrey Cobb $500

5th-12lbs 7oz, Richard Hosmer $300


The fishing was slow but it was still a fun weekend. We plan on trying again next year.

Damon

Nice report. Thanks

I enjoy reading well written, detailed reports like that.

My buddy fished the Disco Derby Sat & Sun with no bites. He bagged the fishing Monday, but showed up for the awards ceremony. In the raffle (must be present to win) he won $500 cash and some $250 fish lodge deal.

I am kind of surprised so many fish the Disco Derby instead of the Sekiu Derby. At Disco, you have to do the ramp thing twice a day and lodge some distance from the ramp. At Sekiu you roll out of bed and into your moored boat. Also it seems that Sekiu has smoother water.

Congrats SlabQuest on winning the Sekiu Derby.

I think most of the people do the Discovery Derby for the shot at the money, $3000 for first place. They had prizes down 70th place this year. The main reason we went is because my brother won it last year. I think we will go again next year and if the fishing is still bad we may go to the Sekiu Derby the year after.

It sounds like the weather is usually better and the fish caught per person ratio is better at Sekiu. But I think Sekiu is a longer drive for most people and the payout is smaller.

Damon

Thanks for the detailed report Damon.

I didn't end up fishing the derby this year as I had planned.

Glad to hear there were so many nice fish landed. Congradulations to you and your bro.

DMW---- Nice report, well done.
Do you know where the top 5 fish were caught?
Have you ever fished right off of D. Pt itself, (good spot for fall Kings) or off the can at west end of P. Island where the water drops off the bar? (not)

I have an RV parked just above the ramp at D. Pt. (north ramp) and will be over there in May.

2nd place fish was caught off Diamond Pt. I don't know where the other fish were caught.

We did not fish Diamond Pt or off P Island this year, last year we tried both and did not get any fish there. Maybe next year we will try those areas again.

Damon