Seward Silver Salmon Derby facts for kids
The Seward Silver Salmon Derby is a super fun fishing contest held every year in Alaska! It started way back in 1956, making it one of the oldest fishing events in the state. Only the Valdez Fish Derbies, which began in 1952, are older. This exciting derby usually kicks off in the second week of August. People come from all over to try and catch the biggest coho salmon, which are also known as silver salmon. Each day, the fish caught are weighed and recorded to see who has the largest one.
Winning Prizes
The Seward Silver Salmon Derby offers many cool ways to win prizes! It's not just about catching the biggest fish; there are special awards for different achievements.
Tagged Fish Challenge
Imagine catching a fish that could make you a big winner! Before the derby starts, some special fish are caught, tagged with a unique marker, and then released back into the water. If you're lucky enough to catch one of these tagged fish during the derby, you could win a prize of up to $50,000! Finding a tagged fish is pretty rare, which makes it even more exciting.
Biggest Fish Awards
The main goal for many participants is to catch the largest fish. The 25 heaviest fish caught during the derby win various prizes. The person who catches the absolute biggest fish can win a prize of up to $10,000! Plus, they get the weight of their fish in coffee, which is a unique and fun bonus.
Other Cool Awards
There are lots of other ways to win in the derby, making it fun for everyone! Some of these special awards include:
- The very first fish caught when the derby begins.
- The very last fish caught before the derby ends.
- The heaviest "mystery fish" – this is for fish that aren't silver salmon but are caught during the derby.
- The largest fish caught while fishing from a sailboat.
- The biggest fish caught by someone fishing right from the shore.
- Awards for the total weight of fish caught by people who don't live in Seward, Alaska.
- Awards for the total weight of fish caught by people who do live in Seward.
- Prizes for the top three heaviest fish caught by young anglers, which is great for kids and teens!
