VOCAL EXERCISES - Artist in the Schools instructor Sarah Branton of Cherry Creek, Colorado, leads an exercise in the Sitka High School band room this morning as she teaches students how to improve their volume. Branton will be here all week working with choirs at Blatchley Middle School and Sitka High. Her instruction is part of the effort to rebuild school choir programs and numbers following the pandemic. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By SHANNON HAUGLAND Sentinel Staff Writer City Administrator John Leach says Southeast Conference [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND Sentinel Staff Writer Voting has been slow in the seven days since early votin [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND Sentinel Staff Writer The Sitka School District welcomed an Artist in the Scho [ ... ]
By JOSHUA A. BICKEL The Associated Press KODIAK (AP) — Lane Bolich first came to work in Alask [ ... ]
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today: September 25 At 7:07 a.m. a bear was re [ ... ]
BMS Podcast Club to Register Sixth- through eighth-grade students can register for the Blatchley P [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND Sentinel Staff Writer The Assembly will conduct its annual distribution of cit [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY Sentinel Staff Writer As part of fundraising aimed at increasing the stipend re [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS Alaska Beacon Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom has signed new regulations that allo [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS Alaska Beacon The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration is asking a U.S. D [ ... ]
Natural Resources Discussed at Meet Sitka Tribe’s Natural Resource Committee will meet 6:30 p.m. [ ... ]
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today: September 22 At 9:34 a.m. trash was rep [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND Sentinel Staff Writer Sitka Fine Arts Camp has received a $372,000 grant from [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY Sentinel Staff Writer Alaska U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan emphasized the importance o [ ... ]
By Sentinel Staff Sitka’s Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary School has been named a National Blue Ribbo [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS Alaska Beacon This year’s Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend will be $1,312. The Al [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS Alaska Beacon Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan has picked a nine-member pa [ ... ]
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today: September 21 At 5:08 a.m. assistance wa [ ... ]
Climate Connection -- Sitka’s Probable Temperature Futurehe nonprofit Probable Futures has map [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY Sentinel Staff Writer Alaska U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski spoke in opposition to a [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND Sentinel Staff Writer How many days of food do you have available in your home [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND Sentinel Staff Writer The U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing a $1 mil [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS Alaska Beacon More than half of Alaskans born within the state have moved away, ac [ ... ]
By JAMES BROOKS Alaska Beacon The Alaska Legislature will not meet in a special session this fall [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
Seven-Year-Old Angler Leads Salmon Derby
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Seven-year-old Caleb Gray recalled his reaction to catching his derby-leading 32.5-pound king salmon Monday as:
“‘Woohoo! Yeah!’”
With his catch, he rose to the top of the leader board at the end of the first weekend of fishing in the 68th Sitka Salmon Derby, sponsored by the Sitka Sportsman’s Association.
With two more days left in the derby, next Saturday and Sunday, here is the leader board so far:
1. Caleb Gray, 32.5 lbs
2. Riley Bernhardt, 29.5 lbs
3. Kenny Gray, 28.5 lbs
4. Adam Olsen, 26.5 lbs
5. Neil Akana, 25 lbs
6. Jared Nelson, 24.5 lbs
7. Rebecca Olsen, 24.5 lbs
8. Caleb Gray, 24 lbs.
9. Jake Peterson, 22.5 lbs
10. Calvin Boord, 22.1 lbs
11. Victor Littlefield, 22 lbs
12. Parker White, 22 lbs
Kenny and Caleb Gray (Photo Provided)
Derby organizers described the first three days as relatively slow, but 276 kings were turned in by 94 participants.
Marsha Lysons, SSA fish statistician, said the weather was probably the worst she’s seen for a derby, “but the ones that went still seemed to be enjoying their time on the water and with friends and family.”
Caleb was out fishing with dad Kenny Gray of Sitka, and grandpa Keith Gray, who flew in from Kodiak to participate for the first weekend. The three had good luck in a spot south of town, which they’re keeping under wraps for now.
Caleb caught two fish a day on Saturday and Sunday, including a 24-pound king on Sunday. He described the weather as “rough and wavy and nice” throughout the weekend, with the two Grays turning in their limit of fish to the F/V Partisan at the Goddard weigh-in station Saturday and Sunday.
The first big surprise of Monday was when Kenny caught a 28.5-pound fish in a kelp bed, to place himself on the leader board in the morning, He remains at third place.
But the bigger surprise was yet to come, around noon on Monday. Caleb said he didn’t know how big the fish was when he felt the king bite, but was able to re-enact for the Sentinel the sound of the line paying out as the fish ran about 100 feet two times before the seven-and-a-half year old successfully landed it.
When Caleb was asked if he knew his fish was big he said he thought it might be “bigger than Riley’s.” He was referring to his teammate, Sitka High School rising sophomore Riley Bernhardt, the derby leader at the time with a 29.5-pounder. (The team competition is new this year.)
Monday’s fish were all turned in at the Crescent Harbor weigh-in station, which organizers call “Salmon Central.”
Caleb said he enjoyed “fighting” with the fish, and is looking forward to next weekend, when he and Kenny will be joined by mom Keri, a Sitka High math teacher; and baby sister Chloe, who is a month old. They’ll be fishing on the same boat, the family’s 29-foot North River aluminum vessel which doesn’t yet have a name.
New this year in the competition is the Chuck McGraw Jr. memorial contest, a team-fishing challenge that will reward those who enter the greatest daily poundage of fish.
Also on Caleb and Kenny’s team are Riley and Gary Bernhardt, who are fishing on another boat.
The leaders in the total pounds category:
1. Caleb Gray, 125.9 lbs, 6 fish
2. Riley Bernhardt, 115 lbs, 6 fish
3. Kenny Gray, 100.2 lbs., 6 fish
4. Erin Kitka, 93.4 lbs’, with 6 fish
5. Jack Haley, 86.9 lbs., 6 fish
6. Jared Nelson, 85.4 lbs.
7. Morgan Enfiejian, 78 lbs., 6 fish
8. Neil Akana, 73.5 lbs., 5 fish
9. Lola Haley, 73.2 lbs., 6 fish
10. Gary Bernhardt, 68.7 lbs., 5 fish
11. Charles Clement, 68.3 lbs., 6 fish
Fish entered in the derby are sold to Sitka Sound Seafoods, with proceeds going toward operating the next year’s derby and funding scholarships.
Derby fish are weighed in the round. The prize for the biggest fish is a pair of Alaska Airlines vouchers worth up to $2,500 along with $10,000 cash. Second place wins $5,000, while third is a power hauler. There also are many other prizes that are based on the ranking by weight of fish entered.
Last year’s derby winner was Savanah Plank, with her 40.2 pound Chinook.
Looking ahead to next weekend, John McCrehin, SSA president and derby chair, said the forecast is calling for nicer weather with less wind.
Login Form
______________________
AK COVID-19
At a Glance
(updated 9-12-2023)
By Sentinel Staff
The state Department of Health and Social Services has posted the following update on the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Alaska as of 8:57 a.m. Tuesday, September 12.
New cases as of Tuesday: 278
Total cases (cumulative) statewide – 301,513
Total (cumulative) deaths – 1,485
Case Rate per 100,000 – 38.14
To visit the Alaska DHSS Corona Response dashboard website click here.
COVID in Sitka
The Sitka community level is now "Low.'' Case statistics are as of Tuesday.
Case Rate/100,000 – 152.50
Cases in last 7 days – 13
Cumulative Sitka cases – 3,575
Deceased (cumulative) – 10
The local case data are from Alaska DHSS.
______________________
20 YEARS AGO
September 2003
Sitka Tribe of Alaska is “upset and disturbed” about the Senate appropriations bill that cuts spending for Alaska tribal courts, STA Vice Chairman Gil Truitt said today. He was referring to Sen. Ted Stevens’ move to divert Department of Justice grants from tribal courts and tribal police officers to fund the Village Public Safety Officer program.
50 YEARS AGO
September 1973
Photo caption: Receiving service pins at a Carpenters Union Local 466 dinner meeting at the Kiksadi Club were, from left, Arthur Littlefield, Alvin Helm, Harley Finch, Dave Gibson, Gerald Hughes, Fred Nelson, Walter Moy, Edward Nelson, William Sutton and Don Stromme.