93-year-old woman catches lunker salmon to win derby

A 93-year-old great-grandmother was crowned Queen of the Silver Salmon Sisterhood recently after out-fishing nearly 800 entrants during a women's-only competition in Valdez, Alaska.

Lenore Groundwater, visiting from Arizona, won the Silver Salmon Derby with the catch of a 16.58-pound salmon and during the ceremony she played to the crowd, explaining that fishing is more about luck than skill.

"That's the same thing about living so old," she joked.

Before being honored, when asked by a derby official whether she wished to reveal her age, she replied, "I'm 39 backward."

Groundwater is an inspiration, having taken up salmon fishing five years ago. But she implied she can do without all the attention. "It's probably not helping my high blood pressure," she said.

Her prized catch edged the second- and third-place catches by less than a pound. The best part about winning, she said, was calling her husband to rub it in as he was getting skunked while fishing nearby on the Kenai River. "It was a great phone call," she remarked.

Not surprisingly, Groundwater announced that she'll share the winnings with her grandchildren. Watch video of her speaking during the ceremony here.

-- Image shows Lenore Groundwater and son Lance posing with her 16.58-pound silver salmon. Courtesy of Valdez Fish Derbies

Comments

[Fishing for Salmon in Lake Michigan]

Awesome story, I love seeing more women and children involved in the great sport of fishing. And yes, women usually can compete with their husbands without a problem. Great job!

[Laurie Prax]

Watch video of Lenore at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDQe2sS4apM