At 6 a.m. Saturday, Alaska's biggest salmon derby gets under way when the 53rd edition of the Seward Salmon Derby starts.
Anglers out of Seward have been catching silvers the last three weeks in Pony Cove and near Cheval Island outside of Resurrection Bay. A rule change initiated last year allows derby anglers to fish outside the bay as well as closer to dock.
That opens up more territory, but not necessarily the richest territory.
Last year's winner, Scott Martin of Anchorage, caught his 17.23-pounder near the Small Boat Harbor breakwater with less than 24 hours to go before the derby's conclusion. Shirley Baysinger of Cooper Landing caught the biggest Seward derby silver ever, a 22.24 monster that won her the 2002 title.