Derby participants pose for a photo at the weigh-in.

ILWACO — The crowd gasped as the boy with the big fish made his way to the weigh-in table.

The 11-year-old from Naselle had caught numerous Chinook and coho fishing with his father over the years, but even they couldn’t believe the size of the hefty rainbow trout hauled out last Saturday during the 28th annual Black Lake Fishing Derby.

“It was insane. It rolled a bunch. I was scared it was going to come off,” Layne Whipple, 11, recounted standing next to his father, Matt.

Moments later both learned that the monster trout tipped the scales at 8.8 pounds, exceeding the next biggest fish by more than two pounds, easily earning first place for biggest overall fish at the the derby.

The fishing derby was held last Saturday, with approximately 75 young fisherfolk testing their luck for trophy-sized trout, with prizes awarded for the biggest fish and heaviest combined (aggregate) total.

Some staked out their favorite spot along the shoreline and made their way to one of three docks, as others launched canoes, inflatable rafts and jon boats across the the 28-acre lake.

Night crawlers, PowerBait, salmon eggs, and Rooster Tails were among the arsenal presented to the more than 4,000 planted rainbow trout from the Nemah and Naselle Youth Camp hatcheries, including more than 250 ‘jumbos,’ fish that routinely weigh more than four pounds.

Pull Quote

‘It’s like eating a hamburger versus steak.’

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife district biologist Curt Holt

Describing modern-day hatchery trout, raised on a better diet

Black Lake, along with other Pacific County lakes such as Western, Snag (Radar Hills Ponds) and Loomis Lake, are regularly stocked with catchable-size trout throughout the year, said Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife district biologist Curt Holt, who was on site to watch the derby for the 10th year.

“We’ll put another 2,000 [in Black Lake] for Memorial Day Weekend, then we put in another 2,000 during the fall, depending how the lake warms up or not,” Holt said. “Then we’ll add another $2,500 worth of fish that the city of Ilwaco purchased, which will roughly be several hundred fish.”

Holt explained that some common misconceptions abound about hatchery-raised trout, particularly regarding their appearance and meat quality, issues that have been addressed by changing what the fish eat in recent years.

“We’ve changed the diet of these fish — it now has a keratin base,” he said.

“It’s a shrimp-based diet, with no artificial flavor. We started doing it three or four years ago, looking at the quality of the fish. It cost more for us to buy (the new fish food), but the conversion rate is better… It’s like eating a hamburger versus steak. It costs a bit more but we don’t have to throw as much hamburger at them.”

The result is hatchery fish with firm colorful fillets, more comparable to what one might expect in salmon, instead of the infamous flavorless fillets that plagued the reputation of hatchery-raised trout of yesteryear.

“It’s not mushy, white meat,” Holt summed up, pointing to a color chart documenting the flesh from fish from a commercial grower that still employs that former methods that result in less than favorable table fare.

“Just take one home and try it,” Holt said.

For more information on the latest trout stocking dates and locations, visit: wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/reports/stocking/trout-plants

28th annual Black Lake Fishing Derby Winners

Biggest Fish:

Ages 0-6

Grand-Prize: Max Harrell, 4, 7.6 pounds,

1st Runner-up: Serenity Kaldenburg, 6, 5.15 pounds

2nd Runner-up: Ripley Pierce, 3, 5.1 pounds

Ages 7-10

Grand-Prize: Claire Rogers, 8, 5.7 pounds

1st Runner-up: Anders Hughes, 8, 5.05 pounds

2nd Runner-up: Kennedy Kemmer, 10, 4.55 pounds

Age 11-14

Grand-Prize: Layne Whipple, 11, 8.8 pounds

1st Runner-up: Adalyn Kary, 11, 6.5 pounds

2nd Runner-up: Tristan Laney, 11, 6.1 pounds

Aggregate (combined total)

Grand-Prize: Max Harrell, 4, 24.75 pounds

1st Runner-up: Adalyn Kary, 16.75 pounds

2nd Runner-up: Layne Whipple, 14 pounds