There may be a lot of fun and games on the schedule for Saturday's Labour Day Chinook Classic catch and release fishing derby based out of North Vancouver's Mosquito Creek Marina, but the cash prize up for grabs is no joke.
This year's event will be the third annual derby, and fishers from all over British Columbia and beyond will be angling for a piece of the $50,000 in cash and prizes, including $25,000 for the largest chinook salmon.
"We wanted to have a high profile, fun, catchand-release fishing derby in Vancouver just to showcase the world-class fishing right here out of downtown, with a big cash prize to make it exciting," says derby master Jason Tonelli. There will be experienced anglers signing up, but this won't necessarily be a copy of the big-time tournaments held in the United States where the competitors are celebrities with TV contracts and sponsorships deals for fishing tackle and beef jerky.
"That culture doesn't exist in Canada," says Tonelli with a laugh. "It's anyone from the novice angler to the experienced angler who thinks he has the best chance of winning. There are a lot of local fishing enthusiasts that sign up. There's families — there's a guy that comes with his daughters every year. There are local guides who are out there trying to win the big prize. There's people from Alberta who don't know anything about fishing, they just want to come because it's a fun party."
In keeping with the spirit of fun, the derby is strictly catch-and-release.
"We're not going and killing a bunch of chinook just so someone can win $25,000," says Tonelli, who is also owner of Vancouver's Pacific Angler, a fishing store and event co-sponsor along with Mosquito Creek Marina, Celebration On Water floating restaurant, and the West Coast Fishing Club.
There's an elaborate process for measuring the fish to keep the chinook healthy. Once a fish is hooked in one of the designated fishing areas, a weigh boat is called over on the radio. The fish stays in the water in a net until the judges arrive at which point it is taken onto the weight boat, measured for length and girth — a formula determines the weight based on those measurements — and then released back into the ocean from the weigh boat.
"(The anglers) are not allowed to bring the fish into their boat," says Tonelli, adding that judges also check the health of the fish and ensure that all of the hooks and other fishing equipment complies with Department of Fisheries and Oceans regulations.
While the system helps keep the fish healthy, it also has the added bonus of keeping everyone honest.
"It's pretty much impossible to cheat," says Tonelli. "If the fish is brought into the boat or any of their fishing tackle is outside of the DFO fishing regulations, then the fish is disqualified."
At the end of the day, it's biggest fish wins. Last year's winner was a 34 pounder. The average chinook is 18-25 pounds and anything over 30 is exceptional, says Tonelli, adding that it takes approximately one minute per pound to land a chinook.
"The chinook salmon are the largest of the five species of Pacific salmon and they're the most sought-after by sports anglers because of their size and their fighting ability," he says. The derby is timed to match the prime chinook fishing season.
"Now's the best time," says Tonelli. "The peak migration for chinook that are heading up the Fraser River is the last two weeks of August and the first two weeks of September."
The prize pool for the derby comes from the entry fee — $1,400 per boat with two anglers, $1,600 for four anglers — and Tonelli says they are expecting 40-50 boats with a maximum cap at 65. There are still spots left in the derby. Net proceeds from the non-profit event will go to the Pacific Salmon Foundation and the Squamish Nation's Capilano Little Ones School.
"It all comes full circle back to the fish and back to the local community," says Tonelli.
Now, about those fun and games — yes there's cash on the line and yes the proceeds go to charity, but at it's heart the event should be a big party, says Tonelli. The day starts with a 6 a.m. breakfast and boats hit the water at 7. Competitors are then kept entertained throughout the day by the Splash Boat which is populated by the Splash Team, employees and friends of the various sponsors who, judging by photos from past events, all look pretty good in a bathing suit.
"It's just sort of a fun party boat just to keep the energy up," says Tonelli. "Just going by the boats, spraying them with water and just having fun and making sure everyone is having a good time and catching fish."
The derby ends at 4 p.m. and the day is capped off by the Sunset Party, hosted by Celebration on Water, with music, a silent auction, 50/50 draw, burlesque entertainment, awards and more.
"The whole idea is to make it exciting, to be able to go out locally for some awesome salmon fishing, win a huge cash prize and have fun," says Tonelli. For more information visit labourdaychinookclassic.com.
