I have learned that the first kokanee derby on Lake Chelan was a great success. It was held last weekend and over 80 anglers bought tickets for the “Something Catchy Kokanee Derby”. Fishing was good, too. There were 275 kokanee caught, and Aaron Kelly was the winner of the derby. There was also a competition between the Eastside and Westside guides, and the Eastside guides came out on top. The total catch for the derby should indicate that the kokanee fishing is definitely back “on” on Chelan. I am very eager to get up there get a mess of them. This weekend is the annual Kids Free Fishing Day at Rock Island. The Department of Fish and Wildlife is loading the pond with trout, and I hear they are going to put some whoppers in Pit Pond this year. Everyone that would like to participate should bring their own fishing gear to this one. I will be there to help out, so stop by and say hi. I am going to be at Buffalo Lake to see what the early spring fishing is like on this Colville Reservation lake. I will be sharing my experience with you in my reports and in next week’s Nickel Ads and Nickel Nik in Tri-Cities.