Some never even weighed in a fish. Despite the lack of fish in any great numbers, every fisherman cast away knowing that they could be a winner. Winning is measured in different ways by different fishermen. Some make a tally of all their derby prizes. Others count the cash awards.
Many fishermen are perfectly content to put another daily pin into their derby hat.
But the real winners are those fishermen who have learned to appreciate a night spent casting under a canopy of stars in an endless black sky or the fun of sharing a laugh with friends on an Island beach. The best prizes are often the ones we can only award to ourselves. My friend Jared finds this extremely funny and we laugh in the manner of delirious people sharing a joke. His laugh has a slightly crazed edge to it. It was just after sunrise on Sunday morning and, for the second time since the derby began, we had left the comfort of our homes and spent the entire night fishing.