The annual fundraiser ended at 3 p.m. with teenager Chaunti Hall claiming first prize in the pro division for a 42.91-pound king she caught on opening day. Among her winnings: A 16-foot boat, 25-horsepower motor and trailer.
"We go camping every year. I'm going to take it down to Kenai with us," Hall said in a phone interview from Georgia, where she traveled for a friend's Sweet 16 party.
Anchorage angler Sean Hartman gave the teen cured roe to use as bait and aided in the winning catch. "I was helping her hold the pole and she was reeling it up," he said.
The salmon derby typically raises $30,000 to $50,000 in ticket sales, merchandise and sponsorships for the Downtown Soup Kitchen, said executive director Holly Lawson.
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