If you like to eat or catch fish, Sitka is definitely a place to visit. The Sitka king salmon derby takes place over 5 days and 2 weekends in the spring (end of May this year) and many boats and fishermen prepare their gear weeks in advance for the first morning’s launch. Some boats make a 2-3 day camping trip of each weekend while others launch and return each day.
I joined Thomas, another dentist and Ole, and avid sport fisherman from Juneau for the first weekend of the Derby. We left for the dock early in the morning to catch the early tide leaving between 4:30 and 6 am each of Sat, Sun, and Mon. The long days on the water were rewarded with fresh grilled king for dinner – there’s nothing like it, especially grilled on a cedar plank!
After three days of time on the water with one skunk day, leaving after sunrise between 4:30 and 6am, Thomas and Ole managed to land 43.3 and 39.9 lb king salmon – good for 4th and 5th place overall in the derby.
Thomas and his 43.3 lb king salmon
Ole with 39.9 lb king
The biggest king I caught
One of many sea otters hanging out
