JOSEPH — There weren’t any “whoppers” or records set for fish this year, but the second-annual Cross the Divide Kokanee Derby reeled in more anglers than last year and promises to keep netting them in the future, according to Andy Marcum, outdoor director for the veterans group.

“Looking forward to doing our third-annual tournament next year,” he said.

The event is regularly scheduled to take place over Father’s Day weekend.

Marcum said the derby drew about 36 anglers and 105 people, more than double the number it attracted last year. But last year, people were still getting over the COVID-19 pandemic and adjusting to the high prices for fuel, both of which have become new normals.

Marcum said the number who attended was overwhelming.

“We’re way up this year,” he said.

However, the size of the fish was a bit down from last year.

The winners

Anglers were allowed to enter the weight of the top five fish from each of the two fishing days.

James Monroe, of Portland, won first place with a total weight of 11.26 pounds. He won $2,500 and numerous fishing-related prizes. He was accompanied by Matt Martell, of Portland.

Last year, the total winning catch was 14.41 pounds.

James Ward, of La Grande, and his son, James Ward Jr., were second place for the total catch with 9.66 pounds and were also the big fish winner with a kokanee weighing 2.04 pounds. They won $1,000 and fishing-related prizes.

Barry Ranken, of Summerville, caught the largest fish last year, a 3.68-pound kokanee. This year he placed third with a total weight of 9.58 pounds.

Nick Taylor and a group of female veterans out of Tacoma, Washington, took fourth place with a total weight of 9.44 pounds.

John Walters, of Joseph, won fifth place with a total weight of 9.08 pounds.

“It was a huge success,” Marcum said. “Everybody had a great time. This is the top derby folks are going to now.”

He said Wallowa Lake holds the record for the largest kokanee ever caught.

“It was caught in 2009 by a guy who caught one right around 10 pounds,” he said.

He also said the entry fees and donations to Cross the Divide were up considerably. He said more than $7,500 was brought in by the derby.

Marcum said all the entry fees and donations go to pay for veterans for hunting, fishing, backpacking trips, hiking throughout the Pacific Northwest.

He spoke highly of the sponsors who made the derby possible and expressed his appreciation. He said Cross the Divide is planning two two retreats this summer for female veterans and a horse-packing trip up Lick Creek. Hunting starts in August in Wallowa County.

The biologist

Anglers also got to hear from Mike Lance, an assistant fish biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, who was on hand to learn and teach about the fishery in Wallowa Lake.

Lance had a microscope set up to view what he retrieved from fish stomachs after they were weighed to see what they had eaten most recently. The largest fish — the 2.04 pounder caught by James Ward — had a mayfly in its stomach. Lance said insects were the most common bait the kokanee were devouring, along with some small shrimp and corn.

He also told a bit of the history of kokanee in the lake and what ODFW wants to see for the future. He said kokanee are native to Wallowa Lake, but got wiped out by the mid-20th century. ODFW and Nez Perce Tribal Fisheries are working together to bring more kokanee back, as well as to restore sockeye runs to the lake. It is hoped this can be done as the dam at the foot of the lake is refurbished to include a fish passage as that work begins next year.

He said ODFW regularly monitors fish in the lake at night using sonar equipment. He distributed a graph showing the progress the fish have made in their recovery. The graph shows that the kokanee population had dropped to about 60,000 fish in 2008, but then increased dramatically by 2012 so there were about 1 million catchable fish.

“But the year there were a million fish, there weren’t a million catchable fish. Most of them were small,” Lance said. “Generally, when you have fewer fish, you have more larger fish.”

Since then, the numbers have dropped to around 150,000.

These range in size from the ones Lance termed as “canners” at 8-10 inches, to “balers” at 10-14 inches, to “fileters” at 14-18 inches to “trophies” at 18 inches or larger.

“We used to have fish in sufficient numbers to sustain the people who lived in the valley, particularly the Native peoples,” he said.

However, he said, the fishery in the lake has become self-sustaining again. He said that in addition to the kokanee, the lake is home to suckers, whitefish, bull trout and others.

“That includes the world record,” he said. “I was hoping to see a new record today, but there were still some good fish.”

Lance also spoke highly of the quality of the fish, saying they looked healthy.

“They sure looked delicious, too,” he said.

For more information about Cross the Divide, go to the organization’s profile at the website Guidestar.org: www.guidestar.org/profile/30-0745582

Go to wallowa.com for a photo gallery from the Cross the Divide Kokanee Derby — including, if you dare, a closeup shot of the contents of a salmon’s stomach.