The 69th Annual Seward Silver Salmon Derby kicked off on Saturday and has already seen nearly 600 fishers participate. The derby runs every day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. until the competition closes at noon on Sunday, Aug. 18.

The annual competition challenges fishers to catch silver salmon in Resurrection Bay, with prizes for the heaviest overall, heaviest of the day, and cumulative.

There are several other opportunities to win, Seward Chamber of Commerce’s Ally Burdett said Monday. A set of 10 tagged fish can be caught for prizes, there are random daily weights with prizes attached each day of the competition, and an expanded prize pool for youth fishers this year. Prizes also are described for the heaviest fish landed from a kayak, a sailboat or from shore.

As of 4:30 p.m. on Monday, the third day of competition, 85 silver salmon had been caught and weighed, with a cumulative weight of nearly 700 pounds.

The largest silver caught so far this year weighed 14.33 pounds and was landed by Anchorage-resident Jerry Martens. Burdett said that the fish, weighed on Monday, topped the previous leader, Jeff Varvill of Wasilla, by a few pounds — it also outweighs last year’s winner, which came in at 13.98 pounds.

The fisher who lands the heaviest fish wins $10,000 and an amount of Kaladi Brothers coffee equal to the weight of their fish.

Fishers can can purchase daily derby tickets for $20 or a full derby ticket for $100. Tickets must be purchased before 9 a.m. on each day of competition.

The competition will close this weekend with community barbecues sponsored by the Seward Arts Council on Friday, Seward Senior Center on Saturday and Kenai Mountains Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area on Sunday. Each barbecue runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The 2nd Annual Silver Salmon Ball will be held at the Seward Gateway Hotel on Friday evening from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

A closing awards ceremony will be held in the Breeze Inn Hotel’s lobby on Sunday, Aug. 18 at 1:30 p.m.

More information can be found at seward.com/salmon-derby. Live results and registration can be found at hbt.seward.com.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.

Seward Silver Salmon Derby staff gather for a photo between slinging hot dogs. (Photo provided by Seward Chamber of Commerce)