Commercial fisherman wins Juneau salmon derby

JUNEAU (AP) -- A commercial fisherman showed off his sportfishing skills during the Fourth Annual Spring King Salmon Derby.

Michael Zecevic pulled in a 41.3-pound king salmon May 20, good enough for the first place winnings of $5,000, $2,000 in airline travel and $3,000 in miscellaneous prizes.

Zecevic works as a commercial fisherman -- crabbing and longlining halibut -- and as a live crab buyer. He told the Juneau Empire he'd just returned to Juneau from a commercial fishing trip the day before he caught his winning salmon.

He and a buddy took off in Zecevic's 16-foot skiff. Zecevic hooked the winner after more than three hours of fishing.

Zecevic said he plans to use the cash to buy a newer used boat. He said he will use the $2,000 in air travel to go on his honeymoon after he and fiancee Shauna McBride marry Aug. 12.

Derby coordinator Leslie Isturis said the event raised about $17,000 for the Alumni Scholarship Assistance Program run by the Tlingit-Haida Central Council, which sponsors the derby.