Dena Steenson was the lucky winner of the $1,000 gift certificates during the October draw of the Kootenay Lake Angler Incentive Program. Dena and her partner keep their boat at Fishhawk Marina in Crawford Bay – where 110 entries were received this month. They consider themselves “die-hard” fishers, fishing 2-4 times a week, estimating about 70 days on the water so far this year.
“As the weather cools, the number of individuals out fishing has decreased but the number of entries per person has increased. There are a lot of experienced fishers out right now, with bigger boats out on the lake putting the time in. This also improves chances of catching a big fish – historically, the big fish are caught in November,” said Gordon Grunerud, President, West Arm Outdoors Club. “In the summer, all kinds of people are out fishing, enjoying the nice weather but the success rate is not as good.”
Dena requested gift certificates for Jones Boys Marina, one of the program sponsors, as she is hoping to buy a small boat to explore other nearby lakes with their camper.
Each rainbow or bull trout entry at one of the four depots is eligible for a chance to win a $50,000 Kingfisher grand prize package that includes: a Kingfisher 1825 Falcon boat, F115LB Yamaha engine, 2800 EZ Loader trailer with tie-down straps, T9.9XPB Yamaha kicker, Lorance 7” fish finder and GPS, 2 Scotty electric downriggers, 2 Scotty rod holders and an Ultradeck flooring package. The grand prize draw will be held in June 2021.
The Kootenay Lake Angler Incentive Program was made possible by a grant from the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF) to the BCWF, and many supporting partners: Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC, Jones Boys Boats, Ultradeck flooring, Kingfisher boats, EZ loader trailers, Yamaha Motors, Scotty Fishing Products, the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources Operations and Rural Development, and the West Arm Outdoors Club.