By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Anglers with a passion for catching king salmon are gearing up for the Sitka Salmon Derby – two weekends of high-intensity fishing which launch Saturday.
This year marks the 68th derby, which is run by the Sitka Sportsman’s Association.
For derby chairman John McCrehin the event signifies the start of summer, and a chance for families to enjoy time together out on the water.
“It’s the kickoff to summer and school’s out. You’ve got families doing picnics and camp-outs and this is kind of the kickoff to it,” McCrehin told the Sentinel. “We have every combination of family members fishing against family members that you can come up with.”
He sees derby entrants “that I remember when they started out at six years old, and now they’re up there in their own boat and still fishing against their parents.”
Last year’s derby winner was Savanah Plank, who reeled in a 40.2 pound Chinook. Her husband and two children are shown in the photo of Plank and her winning fish, an example of McCrehin’s observation on the family aspect of the derby.
The derby fishing limits cover Sitka Sound and outlying waters from Salisbury Sound in the north to Crawfish Inlet in the south.
So far this spring, McCrehin has heard reports of salmon up north, but he noted that things can change quickly.
“It’s like tourists – they can be anywhere. So by Saturday when we start they could be south, they could be right out here in the channel. Who knows?”
The derby begins at 7 a.m. Saturday and runs through the 3-day Memorial Day weekend. It will resume for the final two days on Saturday, June 3. Check-in stations close at 7 p.m. daily. Along with the hand-built barge, which McCrehin refers to as “salmon central,” in Crescent Harbor, there are two outlying check-in stations. One is in Kalinin Bay up north, manned by Sarah and Eric Jordan on the F/V I Gotta, and the second is south of Sitka at Goddard, manned by Mike Svenson and Mike White. These stations will be open 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on derby days, except on Monday (Memorial Day), and on Sunday, June 4, when the derby concludes at 7 p.m.
Rain showers are likely this Saturday, and precipitation is almost certain on Sunday, the National Weather Service predicts.
“We just hope for good weather and everybody’s safe. It’s the priority,” said McCrehin, who has been the chairman aboard the Crescent Harbor barge for 23 years now. He is also president of the Sitka Sportsman’s Association.
Fish entered in the derby are sold to Sitka Sound Seafoods, with proceeds going toward operating the next year’s derby and funding scholarships.
Derby fish are weighed in the round. The prize for the biggest fish is a pair of Alaska Airlines vouchers worth up to $2,500 along with $10,000 cash. Second place wins $5,000, while third is a power hauler. There also are many other prizes that are based on a variety of criteria.
New this year is the Chuck McGraw Jr. memorial contest, a team fishing challenge that will reward those who enter the greatest daily poundage of fish.
The all-time derby record for heaviest fish was set in 1956 when Connie See won the very first derby with a 73 pound, 6 ounce, king. Most derby-winning fish entered since 2000 have been under 50 pounds, with the heaviest since then a 66.5-pound king caught by Sharon Gillispie in 2002.
A state fishing license and king salmon stamp are required to enter the derby, and kings must be 28 inches or longer to be legal under state regulations.
Registration costs $25 for one day and increases by $5 for every additional day fished to a total of $45 for all five days. A five-day family ticket costs $75.
The awards will be handed out at 7 p.m., Thursday, June 15, at Harrigan Centennial Hall.
