After three days, 8-year-old Gemma Diehl led the Sitka Salmon Derby (photo courtesy of the Sitka Salmon Derby).
After three days, the current leader in the Sitka Salmon Derby is a grade-schooler.
On Monday, eight-year-old Gemma Diehl landed a 51.4-lb king salmon nearly as tall as she is – and took the lead from her mother, Sherry Diehl, who is in second place with a 48.4-lb king.
In third place is Mike Davis. His king weighed in at 41.7 lbs.
The 59th annual Sitka Salmon Derby, sponsored by the Sitka Sportsman’s Association, opened at 7 a.m. Saturday (5-24-14), and ran through Monday. Derby fishermen will have two more days to try to top the current leaders when the competition picks up again this coming Saturday and Sunday, May 31 – June 1.
Derby barge chairman John McCrehin said that organizers could not have asked for better weather, or better fishing. “There’s some big fish out there,” he said.
As of Monday night, the derby’s total pounds leader was Brady Harang, with nine fish weighing a total of 174.6 lbs.
Gemma Diehl led the kids’ derby, for fishermen 15 and younger. She was followed by Kaylin Gardner, also eight years old, who landed a 21.5 lb king, and Grace Harang, who landed a 20.5-pounder.
The top prize in the derby is $7,500 and two round-trip tickets from Alaska Airlines.
