The silver salmon are making their way back to Resurrection Bay, marking the start of the 65th annual Seward Silver Salmon Derby.
The derby begins Saturday, Aug. 8 at 6 a.m. and runs until Sunday, Aug. 16 at noon with a variety of ways to win all derby long.
There are tagged fish, with prizes like $50,000 cash or Alaska Airlines tickets, prizes for the top 10 heaviest fish, and daily prizes for heaviest fish. Anglers of all types are welcome to join, with prizes for heaviest fish caught from a sailboat, a kayak, and from shore.
And don’t forget about the race to be the first! The angler who brings the first silver salmon to be weighed also wins a prize.
This year, participants must purchase their tickets online at ssd.seward.com. Tickets must be purchased by 8 a.m. on the day you are participating. Tickets are $10 or $50 for the whole derby. Click here for more guidance on registering and buying your Seward Silver Salmon Derby tickets.
While there are no physical tickets this year, participants must have an ID with their derby ticket at weigh-in to match their catch to their registration.
After you register, you’re ready to fish!
All fish entered in the Silver Salmon Derby must be hooked in the mouth and weigh at least three pounds. And remember, there are daily prizes for random weights, so even if you don’t have the biggest fish of the day, you could still win at weigh-in!
Once you’re done angling, bring your whole fish to the Derby Booth, located across from the B Dock cleaning station near the Seward Harbormaster in the Seward Boat Harbor. Derby volunteers will be ready to weigh and record your fish. Just tell the volunteer your name and have your ID ready for weigh-in.
After weighing, the fish become the property of the Seward Silver Salmon Derby. You can buy your fish back for $5 and support the Resurrection Bay Fish Enhancement efforts!
Volunteers at the derby booth and throughout the Silver Salmon Derby will be practicing social distancing and wearing masks and we ask that participants do as well.
Good luck anglers!