Definitely 'the big one'
<p>Dave Palmer holds a 27.94 pound, 36 inch salmon he caught Friday during the 31st annual Big One Chinook Derby on Lake Coeur d'Alene. Palmer's wife, Yvonne, stands behind him.</p>
The largest chinook salmon caught in Lake Coeur d'Alene in several decades was reeled in Friday, day three of the annual Big One Chinook Derby.
Dave Palmer boated the 27.94-pound, 36-inch monster and took the lead in the derby, in its 31st year.
Randy Dingman, a local fishing guide who works at Fins and Feathers tackle shop in Coeur d'Alene, said local fishermen aren't surprised to see derby anglers catching lunkers this year.
"We could see the trend going that way," Dingman said. "A 25-pound fish was caught just four days before the derby began."
The landlocked chinook salmon have been feasting on the lake's kokanee population all summer, and the salmon will continue foraging until they make their run upriver to spawn, Dingman said.
"It's an amazing fishery," he said.
Bob Priebe pulled into second place Friday when he caught a 25.3-pound, 37.5-inch chinook.
The derby's top leaders as of Friday night, after Palmer and Priebe were:
* Bob Wynhoff, third place - 24.76 pounds, 36.25 inches
* Andy Hartin, fourth place - 24.22 pounds, 35.75 inches
* Jordan Smith, fifth place - 23.10 pounds, 37 inches
* Shelly Brown, sixth place - 22.48 pounds, 34 inches
* Dan Pierce, seventh place - 22.32 pounds, 34.75 inches
* Bob Pinto, eighth place - 22.10 pounds, 34 inches
* Dan Taylor, ninth place - 21.94 pounds, 35 inches
* Dan Palmer, 10th place - 21.14 pounds, 34.25 inches
Last year, Jordan Smith, who also works at Fins and Feathers, reeled in the first-place derby winner. That fish weighed 24.04 pounds and was 35.25 inches long.
Gayne Clifford won the 1987 Big One Derby with a 41-pound fish - the event's all-time record.
Hosted by the Lake Coeur d'Alene Anglers Association, the Big One Derby will continue through Sunday afternoon. Anglers can still enter and participate for the final two days.
The first-place prize is $5,000; second-place is $3,000; and $1,000 will go to the third-place winner.
Derby tickets are $30 and can be purchased at Black Sheep Sporting Goods, 3523 N. Government Way, Coeur d'Alene, (208) 667-7831.