The Derby spans multiple days and anglers can participate by purchasing either a one-day ticket or a full-tournament pass, allowing them to fish for just a day or compete for the entire event. Competitors can fish from private boats, charters, kayaks, or even from sailboats or the shore, within designated Derby waters.

Every eligible catch must be weighed at the official Derby Booth in Seward Harbor before the daily cutoff time. The leaderboard updates regularly, keeping the competition lively as anglers strive to top the rankings.

Before You Cast—Get Registered

Planning to reel in a winner? Make sure you are officially registered before your line hits the water. No ticket, no prize—even if you catch the fish of a lifetime. You can register for a single day or the whole derby, but you’ve got to be signed up first.

Pro tip: Register early and save with our early bird special.

How To Register

1. Individual Angler

Most participants enter the derby on their own, choosing to register for just one day or the entire derby week. Every ticket gives you access to the full prize pool—including daily leaders, mystery weights and the shot at a tagged fish worth up to $20,000.

• Daily Derby Ticket – $20/day

• Full Derby Pass – $85 through July 31 with the early bird special; $100 after

• Youth (15 & under) – $20/day

• Choose your method: private boat, kayak, sailboat or shore fishing

You can register online in advance or stop by the Derby Booth at the Seward Boat Harbor to sign up during the event. You must register before 9 a.m. online and 1 p.m. in person at the Derby Booth before you begin fishing the same day to be eligible to fish in the derby. You may purchase tickets in advance. 

The Derby Booth and weigh-in station are open daily from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m., except on the last day of the derby when we finish at noon.

2. Professional Fishing Category (New!)

Licensed charter captains can now register their boats to compete in the Professional Fishing Category, offering extra exposure, added perks for clients and a dedicated prize pool.

Here’s how it works:

• Charter boats register in advance through hbt.seward.com

• Choose your boat type:
   

  • $200 – Boats licensed for up to 6 passengers (“6-pack”)

  • $400 – Boats licensed for more than 6 passengers
     

• Once registered, captains receive a promo code to give to their clients

• Clients fish for free in the derby on the days they’re on your boat (no additional derby ticket purchase required, however, clients must register online with the promo code given to be eligible for derby participation. 

• Fish caught on your boat from clients are eligible for both general derby prizes and Professional Division prizes. 

Pro-Division Prizes:

• $500 to the client who lands the heaviest fish on a registered pro-boat

• $500 + Trophy awarded to the captain of that boat
   

This category highlights the skill and success of Seward’s professional fishing fleet while offering visiting clients a seamless way to participate in the derby—no extra ticket, no hassle, just great fishing and a shot at the prize board!

Add Some Extra Excitement: Side Pot Betting

Think you’ve got what it takes to land a top contender? Want to add a little thrill to your time on the water—and maybe walk away with a whole lot more cash? Enter a Side Bet Pool—a fun, optional way to boost your winnings beyond the main derby prizes.

These pools are open to all registered anglers, and they offer a chance to win real money, even if you don’t top the main leaderboard.

How it works:

• Choose from a variety of side pot fees when you register - pots range from $10 - $250

• Pay the pot fee

• If your fish ranks in the top three heaviest for that pool, you win a share of the pot pool:
   

  • 1st Place: 50%

  • 2nd Place: 30%

  • 3rd Place: 20%
     

There’s even a “Guess the Winning Weight” pool, open to both anglers and non-anglers. It’s just $5 to enter and 80% of the pot goes to the closest guess.

Side pots aren’t just a thrill—they’re a shot at hundreds or even thousands in bonus winnings. Whether you're tossing in a ten or playing high stakes in the $250 pool, it’s a fun, strategic way to fish with more on the line.

Major Prize Categories

• Derby Champion – The angler with the largest silver salmon by weight will claim the grand prize of $10,000, plus the weight of the winning salmon in pounds of Kaladi Brothers Coffee and earn a place in derby history.
   

• Heavy Hitters (2nd–10th Heaviest): The next nine heaviest silvers earn cash and prizes.
   

• Tagged Fish: Catch one of our 10 specially tagged silver salmon and you could win up to $20,000.
   

• Cumulative Weight Prize: Awarded for the heaviest total weight of multiple salmon caught by a single angler during the derby. Top prize for both a local and non-local angler. 

Miscellaneous Prizes

• First Weighed Fish of the Derby: Compete with other anglers to get your salmon first at the weigh station and win a prize.

• Daily Derby Champ: Each day brings a fresh chance to top the board and win a daily cash prize.

• Mystery Weight Prizes: Match a secret daily “mystery weight” and win, even if your fish isn’t the biggest.

• Anniversary Catch: A prize awarded to the angler who lands the 70th heaviest fish of the derby, celebrating the event’s 70th anniversary!

Specialty Categories

• Youth Division: Prizes for anglers age 15 and under, including top 3 heaviest and daily prizes.
   

• Smallest Fish: A fun category for the lightest qualifying silver salmon (over 3 pounds).
   

• Non-Motorized Categories: Prizes for heaviest silver caught from shore, kayak, or sailboat.