The coho salmon derby kicks off this weekend, and runs every weekend until September . Anyone with a fishing rod is welcome to take part in the coho derby. According to Alicia Holder, with the Wrangell Chamber of Commerce, the city has done coho salmon fishing derbies in the past, but this is the first one in a long time. They were common in the 1970s, she said, but the last derby dedicated to coho salmon was sometime in the '80s. The common salmon to fish for in Wrangell in recent years, she said, has been king salmon.
"This year, unfortunately, we were not able to hold the king salmon derby because of low forecasted king salmon numbers in Southeast Alaska," Holder said. "Because of the low forecast, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game had to place restrictions on king salmon fishing. So because of that ... we decided to do a coho derby."
Coho salmon are typically smaller than king salmon, Holder said, and a little easier to catch. They have a greenish-blue back with silver sides. They also have black spots on their back, dorsal fin, and upper lobe of their tail. They can also be identified by their mouths; having a black mouth with white gums. Spawning adult coho salmon develop greenish-black heads and their body color can range from maroon to dark brown.
According to a booklet provided by the chamber of commerce, the derby begins at 6 a.m. on August 11. Fishing is allowed on the following days:
August 11 and 12;
August 18 and 19;
August 25 and 26;
and September 1, 2, and 3.
Participants must purchase a ticket before taking part in the derby. Holder said that the combined weight of the top three salmon provided by each participant will determine the winner for that weekend. Each weekend first prize will be $250. There will be a $500 prize on Labor Day weekend. Participants who catch the three largest coho salmon over the entire derby will win prizes of $2,000, $1,500, and $1,000 respectively.
There are several other prizes that Holder pointed to. For example, any youth participants, aged 12-years-old and younger, have a chance to win a drone. The woman who enters the largest fish in the derby will win a sterling silver bracelet. The top fishing photo taken from the derby will also win $250. Every ticket purchased will also be entered into a raffle to win two Alaska Airlines tickets, Holder added.
"The weigh-in station is at the harbor department, so that's where people should be weighing fish," she also said. "It'll be 9 [a.m.] to 9 [p.m.]. There will be someone there every day of the derby."
Tickets to participate in the coho derby are $20. They can be bought at the chamber of commerce, Ottesen's True Value, Bay Company, Angerman's Inc., Sentry Hardware, and Buness Bros. To learn more, call the chamber of commerce at (907) 874-3901.
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