Derby leader Bert Edenso says his king didn’t behave like a big one. “There wasn’t much of a battle.” (SSA photo/Eric Jordan)
In spite of great weather and fine fishing, no one was able to top the leader in the second weekend of Sitka’s Salmon Derby.
Bert Edenso’s 42.6 pound king remained in first place, and second and third place were unchanged as well. Jarrett Hirai’s 41.4-pounder was the number-two fish, and Tony Balovich’s 38.6 pound king was number three.
Edenso will claim the $7,500 cash prize and a pair of first class tickets on Alaska Airlines. Hirai will take $2,000 in cash and an inflatable and a Mercury kicker from Gary’s Outboard. Balovich gets $1,500 in cash from Lakeside Grocery.
But this doesn’t begin to touch the total value of derby prizes. Sitka Sportsmen’s Association president Steve Ramp says that 2015 was the richest in the derby’s 60-year history, with over $42,000 at stake for total weight, total poundage, hidden weights, and other categories.
“The buzz I hear is that our association tried to spice it up with special prizes this year, and when the word got out I think businesses stepped up their donations quite a bit. There’s over 75 local businesses that donate prizes to the derby. It’s really a huge outpouring of support in the community.”
Other winners this year were Gary Bernhardt, who landed the most poundage of king salmon over the 5 days — 15 fish weighing 324 pounds. Bernhardt will win $1,000 cash for his effort. And any member-in-good-standing with the Sportsmen’s Association who landed the biggest fish on any of the five days of the derby will win $500.
There were a couple of derby prizes that won’t be claimed this year: The first fish over 60 pounds — had there been one — would have won $6,000, and would have been a contender for derby winner, making it worth nearly $14,000. And if there had been a fish between 50 and 59 pounds, it would have been entered in an insurance lottery paying up to $25,000.
The derby results are not official until the Sitka Sportsmen’s Association Banquet on June 11.
