SEATTLE – Sept. 24, 2015 – Dean Simms was getting ready to ride his motorcycle in anticipation of the Seattle Seahawks game on Sunday, Sept. 20, when he got a call that would change his fishing life forever.
That call was from Tony Floor, Director of Fishing Affairs for the Northwest Marine Trade Association. Floor had good news: Simms’ name had been randomly drawn from more than 6,500 anglers following the conclusion of the 2015 Northwest Salmon Derby Series to win the grand prize, a fully-equipped 21-foot Hewescraft aluminum boat with trailer valued at over $65,000. Simms shut off his motorcycle.
Simms, who lives in Hansville, Wash. and purchased a ticket to fish in the Olympic Peninsula Salmon Derby last February, could hardly believe he won.
The grand prize boat arrives to the Port of Everett boat launch for the Everett Coho Derby, the largest salmon derby on the West Coast.
“I couldn’t believe it. Compared to my boat, it’s like a Rolls-Royce,” said Simms. “For a fisherman like myself, I’m on top of the world.”
The boat is the 12th grand prize boat, motor, and trailer package that has been given away since the Series was created in 2004. This year’s Hewescraft 210 SeaRunner boat is powered by a Mercury FourStroke 150 and 9.9 ProKicker, on an EZ Loader tandem axle galvanized trailer. The boat came fully-equipped with top-of-the-line extras including Lowrance electronics, Scotty Downriggers, and a Dual Electronics stereo.
“We are excited for the many memories that Mr. Simms is going to have on that boat,” said Floor, who coordinates the Series. “Giving away big time fishing boat packages is the ultimate satisfaction for us.”
The Northwest Salmon Derby Series is a fishing promotion program directed by the Northwest Marine Trade Association that encourages boating and fishing in the Northwest. In 2015, the series included 14 derbies throughout the region. For each derby an angler competes in, they get one entry into the raffle for the grand prize drawing held at the Everett Coho Derby, the final derby in the series and the largest salmon derby on the West Coast with over 2,000 anglers competing.
“We are pleased with what the Northwest Salmon Derby Series is doing for boating and fishing in the Northwest,” said NMTA President George Harris. “Getting people excited about boating and fishing is what this is all about.”
When asked what Simms is going to do with his new boat, he echoed this excitement.
“I can’t wait to take my grandkids fishing on the boat. If they don’t get to feel it, they won’t get the buzz. They need to experience it. And that’s what we’re going to do,” he said.
For more information on the Northwest Salmon Derby Series, visit www.NorthwestSalmonDerbySeries.com
