Starting today and lasting through Sunday, Juneau sport fishermen will ply the backside of Admiralty, Douglas, Shelter islands and elsewhere in search of a money fish.<\/p>\n
The 72nd annual Golden North Salmon Derby starts today at 7:30 a.m. Whoever can land the biggest whopper will take home a cash prize of $10,000 and prizes worth an additional $1,700.<\/p>\n
Unlike years past, this year, a silver will win gold. As part of a conservation measure, Derby officials won’t accept king salmon during the 72nd annual Golden North Salmon Derby.<\/p>\n
Without chinook, or king salmon, shaking up the leaderboards, a coho, or silver salmon, will take the top spot this year, as it did last year.<\/p>\n
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game effectively made the decision. Though ADF&G doesn’t run the derby, it issues Territorial Sportsmen Inc., the organization which runs it, a permit to sell fish entered for a prize. (That money goes toward a scholarship program and Derby prizes.)<\/p>\n
King salmon fishing is open, but numbers are dangerously low in Southeast Alaska and in many parts of the state. As part of a conservation measure, Fish and Game didn’t permit Territorial Sportsmen to sell king salmon this year.<\/p>\n
“I think with the amount of effort that we see during the derby weekend I think it does go a long way for future returns if we’re not going out there and targeting king salmon during the derby,” ADF&G sport fish management biologist Dan Teske said by phone Thursday.<\/p>\n
The switch to a coho-only derby didn’t hurt fish sales last year, Golden North co-chair Jerry Burnett said.<\/p>\n
“Last year was one of our better years in terms of fish and that was cohos only,” Burnett said.<\/p>\n
Derby winners are measured by weight, and kings are much bigger than coho, so the Golden North has traditionally been thought of as a king salmon derby. Past king salmon winners weighed into the 50 pound range.<\/p>\n