Weigh in 253 salmon

BREWSTER – When Maurice Santillants of Lynnwood dropped his line in the Brewster pool on the Columbia River last Friday morning, August 3, he did not expect that he would haul in a 34-plus-pound hatchery chinook salmon that would dwarf the King of the Pool winner in the annual Brewster King Salmon Derby. However, Santillants did not enter the Derby.

“We come over here about the same time every year,” Santillants said of he and his fishing partner’s annual trip.

After boating the lunker salmon, Santillants decided to swing by the derby headquarters to get an accurate scale weight of the catch. As derby co-organizer Randy Coles placed the king on the scales, the reaction of those present as the digital display flashed at 34.32 pounds indicated the surprise at a catch that exceeded the early leader by more than 10 pounds.

Despite a last-minute resurrection of the previously cancelled derby when the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reopened chinook salmon season on August. 1, entries still numbered 208 fishermen including 17 in the 9-to-14-year Youth Division and 10 in the 8-and-under Child bracket. Nearly 50 sponsors including businesses, guide services, and sports outfitters signed on to support the derby.

Anglers launched a total of 81 boats and weighed in 253 salmon, 230 of those chinook and 23 sockeye during the three-day tournament run. On Friday, August 3, 86 chinook and 19 sockeye crossed the scale; Saturday saw 97 kings and two sockeye; Sunday concluded with 47 chinook and two sockeye.

Cash and prizes, not including raffles, were spread among 15 competition categories, with nine of those being side pots.

As it turned out, the non-derby entry weighed in on Friday eclipsed the eventual 27.43-pound King of the Pool winner caught by Drew Waltee by more than six points. Waltee collected the $2,000 top prize for his efforts, and another $1,500 for the largest salmon in the Adult Division.