MYRTLE POINT – The big-money bass are still waiting to be caught. Six lucky anglers collected cash during a Labor Day Weekend bass derby on the Coquille River. They took home prizes ranging from $50 to $500, while helping reduce the population of invasive, predatory smallmouth bass. Prizes were awarded for bass that were tagged with microchips, redeemable for cash. But two bass worth $1,000 each are still at large. That means the cash is waiting for someone to reel it in, courtesy of the Port of Coquille River. “It’s really a good thing, because we can keep people fishing on them,” said Port Commissioner Fred Fry. Bass are ravenous enemies of native salmon, and the Coquille River’s fall Chinook salmon run is in danger of extinction. Numerous agencies and community organizations, led by the Coquille Indian Tribe and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, are cooperating to save the salmon run. Catching bass is one of their tactics. The port held its second bass derby Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 3 and 4), and anglers took 1,518 bass from the river. Also, the Salmon and Trout Enhancement Program gave away 68 fishing poles to young anglers. The port district plans to resume bass derbies next spring. In the meantime, Fry encourages local anglers to keep fishing for smallmouth bass. Once caught, bass should be frozen until they can be scanned for microchips. The port will set up a scanning station at 5 p.m. each Sunday at the Myrtle Point boat launch, until the fishing season ends. In addition to the two $1,000 fish, many smaller cash prizes remain to be claimed. Many of the bass caught over the weekend were given away to local residents, who were happy to have some tasty fish. The rest will become fertilizer for a local farm. Derby sponsors include the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Coquille Indian Tribe, Roseburg Forest Products, Timberline Taxidermy, 3J Ranches and the Spruce Street Bar and Grill.
