It looks like adults are back on top in the 69th Sitka Salmon Derby. But just barely.
After the first three days of fishing over the Memorial Day weekend, Ron Davis is in the lead with a 39.5 pound king. Although his age is not given, it’s clear from his photo on the Derby barge that he has several decades on last year’s winner, Caleb Gray, who took the 2023 prize as a ten-year old.
Gray, now at the ripe age of eleven, is in third place in this year’s derby with a 28.5-pound king. And Gray also leads in overall poundage, with 128.5 pounds of fish turned in over the first three days, versus Davis’s 103.6 pounds.
Other anglers in the running in this year’s Sitka Salmon Derby include Jackson McGraw with a 36.5 pound king that has put him in second place. Ella Culliver is fourth with a 28-pounder, and Kathy Miller fifth at 27.3 pounds.
First weekend standings: 2024 Sitka Salmon Derby
Leader Board
1. Ron Davis – 39.5 lbs
2. Jackson McGraw – 36.5 lbs
3. Caleb Gray – 28.5 lbs
4. Ella Culliver 28 lbs
5. Kathy Miller – 27.3 lbs
6. Karen Haley – 26 lbs
7. Wes Bowen – 25.1 lbs
8. Terry Korthuis – 25 lbs
9. Rose Smith – 24.5 lbs
10. Jack Haley – 23.8 lbs
Total Pounds Leaders
1. Caleb Gray – 128.5 lbs
2. Ron Davis – 103.6 lbs
3. Schuyler Mace – 98.1 lbs
4. Riley Bernhardt – 88.5 lbs
5. Thomas Anderson – 82.2 lbs
6. Victor Littlefield – 77.7 lbs
7. Jeramiah Johnsons – 75.8 lbs
8. Brian Bellows – 72 lbs
9. Kathy Miller – 69.9 lbs
10. Patrick Bean – 69.8 lbs
Schulyler Mace holds third place in total poundage with 98.1 pounds; former winner Riley Bernhardt fourth with 88.5 pounds, and Thomas Anderson fifth with 82.2 pounds.
A total of 117 people entered the derby in its first weekend, landing 292 fish. Derby officials note that the average size is up slightly over last year.
The Sitka Salmon Derby continues next Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and 2. In addition to prizes for the largest fish and most poundage over the entire event, there are prizes for the largest fish of the day, as well as hidden weight prizes.
The event is a fundraiser for the Sitka Sportsmans Association, which provides scholarships, and operates an indoor shooting range, outdoor trap shooting range, and an RV park.
