Kegel wins Koocanusa derby
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May 21, 2020
Courtesy Photo
BIG FISH - Curt Kegel of Thompson Falls holds his 10 pounds, 6.96 ounce rainbow trout that won first place in the annual derby at Koocanusa Resort and Marina last weekend.
A Thompson Falls man has quite a fish story after catching the biggest fish at a derby in Lincoln County last weekend. Curt Kegel won the annual derby at Koocanusa Resort and Marina. His winning rainbow trout weighed in at 10 pounds, 6.96 ounces.
This was the 17th annual derby at Lake Koocanusa, according to resort owner Randy Burch. They had 235 participants and 87 boats this year, which Burch said was down about 100 people. "With everything going on this year, we didn't get approval until May 7," Burch stated. "We're happy we were able to have a derby this year."
Burch said Kegel's winning catch was a nice size for Lake Koocanusa. "It's a nice size fish. Our rainbows average 7 to 12 pounds, so any time you're in the double digits it's a nice fish." By comparison, Scott Pardee of Thompson Falls won the 2019 derby with a rainbow that was 6 pounds, 15 ounces. Burch noted the two-day tournament pays out 100% of the proceeds, and this year that was over $5,000 in total prize money.
The tournament also includes a salmon division. Burch said the salmon were "running kind of small this year," averaging 6 to 9 inches. The winning salmon was 4 pounds, 14 ounces.
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