search

Rules

  • REGISTRATION & GENERAL RULES

    All anglers participating in the Derby must be registered before fishing and possess a valid ADF&G sport fishing license. Anglers may register online at hbt.seward.com in advance or during the Derby, or in person at the Derby Booth during Derby operating hours. 

    Same-day registration is available online until 9:00 a.m. and at the Derby Booth until 1:00 p.m. 

    Anglers who are not registered before fishing or cannot be verified in the registration system at the time of weigh-in will be ineligible for Derby prizes. 

    The Derby Booth and official weigh-in station are open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The final day of the Derby closes promptly at 12:00 p.m. (noon).

    Fish must be entered by the registered angler who caught them, and that angler must be present at weigh-in.

    Anglers may compete in only one division per day (Boat, Shore, or Kayak).

    A youth category entrant is an angler who is 16 years of age or younger on the opening day of the Derby.

    Entry fees, including side pots, or other side entries are non-refundable for any reason, including weather, charter cancellations, or fishing success.

     

     

  • BOATS

    All participating vessels must depart from and return to Resurrection Bay on the same voyage (overnight trips are eligible provided they start from and terminate in Resurrection Bay, even if the vessel docks elsewhere during the course of the multi-day voyage). Participating anglers may fish inside or outside of Resurrection Bay, but because the bag and possession limits differ inside and outside of the bay, participants must carefully adhere to Alaska Department of Fish and Game regulations applicable to each area.

  • TACKLE

    Silver salmon to be entered in the derby must be caught on a sport-fish rod and reel. SNAGGING IS NOT ALLOWED.

    Entrants may have only one line in the water at a time. Entrants shall hook and reel up their fish unassisted. Assistance may be provided only to safely bring the fish aboard the vessel. Violation of these rules will permanently disqualify any individual on a boat along with all the boat’s occupants, or any individual on shore.

  • JUDGING STANDARDS

    All fish must be hooked in the mouth. Only silver salmon weighing three pounds or more can be entered. Prizes are awarded by weight (heaviest fish receives first-place prize). All fish weighing 16 pounds or more or those eligible for placement in the top ten heaviest fish are eligible to be checked by a Derby judge. If a snag mark is found on any fish, the fish is not eligible for any prizes. Any evidence of fish tampering will result in permanent disqualification. Adult participants weighing fish must possess a valid ADF&G sport fishing license.

  • WEIGH-IN PROCEDURES

    Only silver salmon caught by registered anglers may be weighed. Fish must be entered by the registered angler who caught them, and that angler must be present at weigh-in. All fish entered in the Derby must be presented dead and in the round (fresh, whole, and uncut) at the official Derby Booth weigh station. The entrant must present identification at the time of weigh-in. All fish are subject to inspection and may be opened for verification.

    All weighed fish become the property of the Seward Silver Salmon Derby. Participants may buy back their fish for $5 only at the time of weigh-in through the Fish Buy-Back Program. Only the entrant who caught the fish may purchase it back. It is illegal under Alaska law to sell sport-caught fish to another party. This law is enforced, and violators may be subject to fines.

    All fish that are not bought back are sold to a local processor. Proceeds from fish sales and the Fish Buy-Back Program support the Seward Chamber's Fish Restoration Fund. 100% of the Fish Restoration Fund is used to purchase smolt to help replenish the salmon population in Resurrection Bay.

    The Derby Booth and official weigh-in station are open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. during the Derby. The final day of the Derby closes promptly at 12:00 p.m. (noon).

  • FINAL DECISIONS

    Judges shall be appointed by the Seward Chamber and contacted as needed by the Chamber employee on site at Derby headquarters. Weigh-in officials, recorders, and booth operators are volunteers coordinated by the Chamber. The Derby judges' decisions and the rules of the Derby herein described shall be considered final and binding upon both participants and sponsors, except that the Seward Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has the authority to make decisions in all matters pertaining to the Derby, including eligibility, fish weights, standings, prize assignments, time limits, fishing limits, the right to receive awards, and all matters relating to participation in and conduct of the Derby.

    Judges may disqualify a fish or angler for any reason, and decisions of judges on all matters pertaining to the Derby are final. Should there be doubt as to a weigh-in official's or judge's determination regarding whether an entrant's fish is a silver salmon, the fish will be weighed and an Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist will render the final determination. If it is not a silver salmon, it will be disqualified.

    Fish are ranked by weight at the time of entry. Ties for any prize position will be decided by a coin flip, with the losing entrant receiving the next prize in line. Any questions or disputes regarding fish weights, standings, prize eligibility, or prize assignments must be brought to Derby staff before the awards presentation on the final day of the Derby. All decisions of Derby officials are final.

  • General Prizes

    Winners need not be present to win. Following the Derby, the Seward Chamber of Commerce will publish the official prize list, notify winners by email, and award prizes within 21 days of the close of the Derby, with the exception of tagged fish prizes, which may require additional verification and processing. Local winners must claim their prizes at the Seward Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center within 30 days of notification. Prizes for non-local winners will be mailed or emailed, depending on the prize, using the email and/or mailing address provided during registration unless updated before mailing. The Seward Chamber of Commerce is not responsible for undelivered prizes resulting from incorrect or outdated contact information provided during registration. Any unclaimed prizes become the property of the Seward Chamber of Commerce.

    The official prize list published by the Seward Chamber is final and supersedes any previous or draft versions. Prize values shown on the official prize list are estimates provided by sponsoring businesses. The Seward Chamber is not responsible if the actual value of a prize differs from the sponsor's estimated value.

    No prizes may be redeemed for cash or exchanged.

    Daily Prizes

    Daily Heaviest prizes are awarded to the heaviest weighed fish each day for men, women and youth. Random Daily prizes are awarded based on the entrant with the fish weighing closest to a pre-set secret random weight. Daily Heaviest winners can be tracked on the online leaderboard at hbt.seward.com. Daily Heaviest and Random Daily winners will be emailed the following day and may pick up their prize at the Derby Booth during operating hours. In the event that the winner is not able to pick up the prize during the Derby, the prize will be returned to the Chamer of Commerce & Visitor Center in the week following the Derby and distributed according to the General Prize Rules outlined above.

    ALASKA AIRLINES RAFFLE

    Enter into the Alaska Airlines raffle for a chance to win TWO FREE roundtrip Alaska Airlines tickets! Enter here. Tickets are valid for travel within Alaska, the lower-48 states, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, and Central America. Contest ends August 16th at 11:59pm the winner will be announced and contacted shortly thereafter.

    Disclaimer: By participating in this raffle, entrants confirm that they have reviewed and understand the applicable gaming laws and regulations in their respective city and state. Participation is only permitted where legally authorized. The Seward Chamber of Commerce shall not be held liable for any individual who enters the raffle in violation of local, state, or federal laws.

    GUESS THE WINNING WEIGHT

    Guess the weight of the heaviest salmon of the derby and win. For this category, both non-anglers and anglers are allowed to bet in this pool. Not fishing but want to place a bet for this category? Simply register online and click “Guess the weight for the biggest fish $5” and checkout. Winner of this side bet will win 80% of the pot, while the Seward Chamber of Commerce will collect 20% of the funds. You must be 18 years of age or older to participate. Guesses must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the day before the first day of the Derby. Once the Derby begins, no new guesses or changes to existing guesses will be accepted.

    Note: This is the only betting pool non-anglers are allowed to participate in. 

  • SIDE POT BETTING

     

    For more ways to win, bet on yourself with a Side Pot.

    In addition to overall Derby prizes, Side Pots give you another chance to win by competing only against the anglers entered in your pool. 

    Side Pot pools are available in $10, $25, $50, $100, $150, and $250 levels. Enter one, or all six, for even more chances to win. By entering a pool, you're betting that your largest silver salmon will place in the top three among all anglers entered in that pool. Only your single largest fish counts toward each Side Pot. All Sie Pot bets MUST BE PLACED PRIOR TO FISHING. The timestamp of winners side pot entries will be checked to ensure they were placed prior to the angler's first day of fishing.

    The total prize pool for each Side Pot is based on the total amount collected in that pool. So the more anglers who enter, the bigger the pot. The Chamber retains 20% of each pool to help cover Derby costs, and the remaining 80% is awarded as follows:

    • 1st: 50%
    • 2nd: 30%
    • 3rd: 20%

    Participants must be registered for the Derby and be 18 years of age or older to enter.

  • TAGGED FISH

    Silver salmon are tagged prior to the Derby and released within and around Resurrection Bay. Tagged fish prizes include business-sponsored prizes and Seward Chamber-supported cash prizes up to $20,000. For this year's tagged fish prizes, see the official prize list.

    Eligible entrants who catch a Derby-tagged fish during the Derby will randomly select a sealed envelope containing a prize. Prize envelopes are prepared using a double-blind method, and the prize selected is unknown until the entrant opens the envelope. Prize values are not assigned to individual tagged fish in advance.

    All tagged fish caught will be worth $100 if presented to a Derby official for verification before the start of the Derby or through September 30 of the year the fish was tagged. Prize envelopes will not be opened for tagged fish caught before or after the Derby, caught by non-entrants, or disqualified from the Derby.

  • TAXES

    Any taxes on cash or other prizes are the responsibility of the individual winner. Winners whose prizes are subject to IRS reporting requirements must provide the requested taxpayer information before receiving their prize(s). Failure to do so will result in any withholding required by applicable federal law prior to award of the prize.

  • WAIVER OF LIABILITY

    By registering for the Seward Silver Salmon Derby, participants acknowledge that fishing and participation in Derby activities involve inherent risks. Participants voluntarily assume all risks associated with participation, and release and hold harmless the Seward Chamber of Commerce, its board members, employees, volunteers, sponsors, and event partners from claims arising out of their participation in the Derby.

    I additionally understand that photographs, video, and other recordings may be taken during the Seward Silver Salmon Derby. By participating, I grant the Seward Chamber of Commerce the irrevocable right to use my name, likeness, image, voice, and/or fishing catch in photographs, video, and other media for promotional, advertising, educational, and other lawful purposes, without compensation or further approval.

     

  • CODE OF CONDUCT

    All Derby participants are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful manner at all times. Harassment, abusive behavior, and discriminatory remarks or actions toward other participants, volunteers, staff, or members of the public will not be tolerated and may result in immediate disqualification, including forfeiture of fees and prize eligibility where applicable, or other action deemed appropriate by the Seward Chamber. The Chamber reserves the right to determine, in its sole discretion, what constitutes a violation of these standards.