Monterey Bay Salmon & Trout Project

By Larry Wolf

The salmon season started strong in April and is still going strong as I write this article.  We had a great turn out for our 6^th Annual Mammoth Monterey Bay Salmon Derby.  The top prize went to J. L. Grace from Concord, Ca.  Mr. Grace won a $1,000.00 with a 29.04oz fish, weighed in at Moss Landing.  He caught the fish off the Pajaro hole trolling.  Second place went to J. Moodenbaugh, who won $500.00 with a 26lb.12oz fish.  His fish was weighed in at Monterey.  Third place went to B. Baum, who won $250.00 with a 24lb. 15oz. Fish.  His fish was weighed in at the Santa Cruz Upper Harbor.  We had over 400 fish weighed in during the three-day tournament.  We gave away 30 prizes based on weight.  An additional 30 prizes randomly drawn, to anyone who weighed in a fish.  An additional 15 prizes to people who fished but did not catch any, but the still turned in their weight tickets.  We also gave 3 prizes to mystery weight fish.  New this year was our Three Day Weight Totals.  The total weight for three fish weighed in over three days was 56lbs.03ozs.  The winner was Lauren Nilson.  He won $300.00 and a Penn Sabre Rod & 545 Reel.  Second Place went to Walter Moe with a three-day total of 53lbs. 13ozs.  Walter won a Penn Rod & Reel.  Last, for our Grand Prize Raffle, we gave away 26 prizes.  Ron Beck won the grand prize, which was a trip to Breezes Resort in Runaway Bay, Jamaica, from Felton.  Ron also fished in the derby and turned in his Derby Raffle Ticket when he was done.  All together, we gave away 106 prizes in this yearâs derby. 

The Derby raised over $10,000.00 for MBS&TP.  This money is being used to buy new Salmon Net Pens for the Santa Cruz Harbor starting next year if we receive all the necessary permits.  This operation will replace our Moss Landing Harbor pens that were decommissioned due to constant dredging of their harbor.  With any luck, we should be releasing an additional 120,000 King Salmon directly into the bay.  Many of the fish that are caught during August and September, are our hatchery fish that were released over the last three years.  These fish will not leave this area.  Because we acclimated them to our harbor when we received them, they will not migrate away from this area.  These fish are planted here to take the pressure off native fish returning to streams to spawn.  Sport and commercial fishermen catch our hatchery fish.   Seals and sea lions also get their fair share. 

Again, I would like to thank all of you who helped or fished in the derby.  All the sponsors and their donations were truly appreciated.  Our fishing in the Monterey Bay is some of the best fishing in the world.  We do need more volunteers.  The effort needed of a few is overwhelming but the effort of many is much easier on all of us trying to keep what we have.   Contact the hatchery or me directly if you can spare some time. 

Thanks Again.

Larry Wolf

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