By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
When the final whistle blew and the 2022 Sitka Salmon Derby came to a close Sunday evening, Savanah Plank’s 40.2 pound king salmon was still on top of the leader board.
Plank landed her prize catch near Middle Island on Sunday, May 29, the first weekend of the derby.
She was back on the dock at Crescent Harbor Sunday watching as boats came in with the last fish to be entered before the 7 p.m. close of the 2022 derby.
“They called us down there to blow the last horn for seven o’clock,” Plank said. “And after the last boat came in, (the fish) were all smaller than ours. I was like, ‘Oh, we made it!’ It was exciting because we had to wait it out for a week,” Plank said this morning.
Plank’s winning fish was about four pounds heavier than the 2021 derby winner caught by Charlie Skultka Sr.
Savanah and her husband Jeremy Plank were on their way home from a camping and fishing trip on Piper Island on May 29 when Savanah reeled in the 40-pounder.
“We camped out at Piper Island and fished out there for two days,” Plank said. “And then Sunday as we headed in we decided to try again near Middle Island. It was kind of a last ditch effort but I guess it only takes one.”
Sitka Sportsman’s Association derby chairman John McCrehin said participation was good but the fishing itself was slow this year. All told, 333 king salmon were entered by 138 contestants over the five days of fishing. On the last Saturday and Sunday the top spots of the leader board changed little from last week. The average fish caught this year weighted just under 20 pounds, derby records provided by Marsha Lysons show.
“Normal participation,” McCrehin said. “The fishing coming in was slow but everybody was out there trying… We couldn’t have asked for better weather.”
With a two-king bag limit in effect, McCrehin said he had anticipated more entries.
“For a two-fish derby we should have had more fish turned in,” he said. “It was really slow every day. We didn’t see our first fish ‘til after a tide change, which is normal, but for a two-fish derby our numbers were down – but at least we got something.”
The Planks were accompanied by their two sons – Jeremiah, 7, and Ryder, 4 – when Savanah caught the big Chinook.
“They both like fishing,” the boys’ mother said. “Jeremiah is obsessed, Ryder likes it but he slept through the king catching. When we caught it he was taking a nap.”
A veteran of derby fishing, Plank won a $500 prize in a previous year.
“I grew up fishing the derby in Ketchikan and we’ve fished the derby here the last couple of years. It’s awesome,” she said.
The family wasn’t able to fish this weekend as their boat, the aluminum hulled Rough Rider, was hauled out for maintenance.
Even so, Plank said, she didn’t think they could have done any better, since the 40-pounder was the only king they landed in the first three days.
Their current boat is for sale, and she hopes to replace the vessel with one more comfortable for family outings.
Landing the biggest king salmon in this year’s derby comes with a $5,000 cash prize and two Alaska Airlines tickets.
Prizes will be awarded 7 p.m. June 16 at Harrigan Centennial Hall.
The family is already developing plans for a fall fishing trip to Belize.
“I was actually just looking at tickets last night and I was thinking about doing a dive trip to Belize,” she said. “Diving and fishing – they have amazing fishing down there. So we might use this fishing money and go get some more fish.”
“I grew up loving fishing just because you never know what you’re going to get. It’s a thrill,” she said. “But it’s great for us to get out in the boat and get the kids out and get on the water. We saw whales and wildlife and sunsets. It’s just a great family event for us.”
McCrehin also frames the derby as a family event.
“The good weather got a lot of people out,” he said. “Some of them went camping on Memorial Day weekend too. And unfortunately, the gas prices are still up and we have no control over that… We saw a few folks that pooled up in one boat rather than two separate boats, so they were still out there.”
Leader Board
1. Savanah Plank - 40.2 lbs
2. Riley Bernhardt - 33.5 lbs
3. Caleb Gray - 31 lbs
4. Kathy Miller - 28 lbs
5. Mike Pickett - 27.7 lbs
6. Jonathan Barton - 26.4 lbs
7. Steve Ramp - 25.1 lbs
8. Keri Gray - 25 lbs
9. Ron Davis - 25 lbs
10. Jackson McGraw - 24.5 lbs
Total Pounds Leaders
1. Riley Bernhardt - 169.3 lbs
2. Keri Gray - 163.2 lbs
3. Scotty Golden - 162 lbs
4. Steve Ramp - 156 lbs
5. Patrick Bean Jr - 145.4 lbs
6. Chris Lillehoff - 144.9 lbs
7. Victor Littlefield - 143.8 lbs
8. Jared Nelson - 109.3 lbs
9. Erin Kitka - 108.1 lbs
10. Gary Bernhardt - 100.6 lbs
