The 2019 Winter King Salmon Tournament is Saturday, March 23 and with charter captains doing very well on feeder kings in Kachemak Bay this week, conditions are prime for an excellent derby.
Relatively mild weather, with light winds and drizzle, but temperatures in the 40s should both help the attendance and chances for fishing success too.
Sponsored by the Homer Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center, the Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament may well be the kickoff to fishing season in Alaska and is one of the premier fishing tournaments of Alaska. Every March anglers take to the waters of Kachemak Bay in search of king salmon.
The one-day tournament awards tens of thousands of dollars in prize money to the largest kings caught. In 2018, 1267 fisherman and 379 boats competed. Last year there was over $160.000 in cash and prizes awarded.
There are also additional opportunities for side bets and prizes offered every hour of the tournament on the radio and Facebook. After the fishing lines are pulled from the water join the festivities at the weigh-in stations located at Coal Point Trading company on the Homer Spit.
Onliner registration is underway at HomerWinterKing.com. In-person registration and side bets will be March 20-22 at the Homer Chamber of Commerce.
The City of Homer Port & Harbor offers one free night of moorage (per boat) for official registrants of the Tournament.
Here are frequently asked questions and tournament rules:
1. All required anglers must have a 2019 Alaska Department of Fish and Game fishing license and a valid King Salmon Stamp. All anglers must comply with all Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game regulations. Accusations of ADF&G rule violations must be reported directly to the Alaska State Troopers at 235-8239. Safety equipment must be in compliance with Coast Guardregulations.
2. Registration – All anglers must have completed a tournament entry form prior to fishing. A paid licensed Charter Boat Captain and a deck-hand do not need to be registered in the Tournament UNLESS they are planning on fishing in the Tournament. All individuals on a boat that is participating in the Tournament must be registered in the Tournament. The Homer Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center reservesthe right to photograph all entrants, reproduce any photographs for publicity and retain all photo rights.
3. Communication – All participating boats must have a VHF radio or cell phone aboard. All salmon landed must be reported to Tournament Headquarters on VHF #69 or cell phone 399-7477 at time of landing. (boat name, angler, time, etc.).
4. Boundary – The north boundary is the Coast Guard marker light at Anchor Point extending offshore on a line at 59°46.113’ north to the west boundary at 152°00.00’ west which runs south to a line at 59°25.00’ north which runs east to point south of Point Pogibshi.
5. Fishing – One (1) rod per angler. Fishing lines in no earlier than the ringing of the bell at 9:00 am for all boats. Lines out at 4:00pm.
6. Weigh In – All fish must be weighed in by the registered angler at Tournament Headquarters by 6:00 pm. Anglers must call tournament headquarters in advance to arrange for fish to be weighed in before 2:00 pm. No live fish will be accepted as an entry. Top ten qualifying fish must be gutted and inspected at Coal Point Trading.
7. Prizes – All entries and prize awards are subject to review and final determination by the Tournament Committee. All prize winners are subject to verification of child support payments and IRS withholding. Prize money will be awarded upon final results being approved by the Committee. In order to receive prize money, entrant must first execute a standard declaration and release form confirming compliance with the Tournament Rules. All participants are subject to a polygraph test at the discretion of the Tournament Committee and refusal to take such test will result in automatic disqualification. Decisions by Tournament Committee will be final and binding.
8. Violations – All complaints of rule violations must be submitted in writing within 24 hours of the end of fishing. Vessels and anglers violating ANY tournament rules and State/Federal guidelines will be permanently banned from entering in future tournaments sponsored by the Homer Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center.
9. Weather – In case of bad weather on Saturday, March 23, the Tournament will be postponed until Sunday, March 24. If weather is still an issue then it will be postponed until Saturday, March 30 or Sunday March 31. In case of questionable weather prior to start of fishing, the Tournament Officials will assess the conditions every thirty minutes, with the final decision for the day being made prior to 9 am.
10. Cancellation Policy – No refunds will be given for tournament entry after the start of fishing unless the tournament is canceled or postponed. If the tournament is postponed before 10 am the day of the tournament, full entry fee will be refunded or applied to rescheduled date. All anglers registered in the tournament at time of cancellation must notify tournament officials before the start of the postponed day’s tournament if they plan to withdraw. No refunds will be issued to anglers who have entered fish. All refunds will be mailed to entrants within 10 working days of cancellation date.
11. A boat side bet is a bet placed under the name of the boat in any of ten different categories. Maximum number of boat side bets placed under the name of a boat is FIVE (5).
12. Each boat must appoint a representative, who must be an angler or the captain of the boat, for bets placed before 8:30 am day of tournament
13. Each boat representative or captain is responsible for receiving and disbursing the prize money. 14. If a boat enters a side bet category, only fish caught on that boat can be entered under that boat name.
15. Any angler’s fish caught on a boat participating in a side bet can be entered as a side bet fish even if that angler was not a side bet participant.
16. Prizes – The winning boat in each side bet category wins 70% of the total boat entries for that category. All other proceeds of the boat side bets go to tournament sponsor.
17. All tournament participants shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless the Homer Chamber of Commerce, its officers, employees, agents or contractors from any and all liability (including attorney feeds) or claims for damage, including personal injuries, environmental damage, death and property damage arising out of or resulting from participating in the Winter King Salmon Tournament.
18. One fish per registered angler can be weighed for prize consideration.
19. In the event of a tie, all prizes shall be split between the anglers in an equitable manner by the Winter King Committee Chair.
What You Need to Know What is a Boat Side Bet:
Boat side bets are a way to increase your winnings if someone on your boat catches “A BIG ONE”. If you enter any of the $25 through $300 boat side bet categories, you are betting that someone on your boat will catch the biggest king out of every other boat entered in that category. All individuals on board the boat must be registered in the Tournament. Top 20 unofficial results will be announced immediately following weigh-in at the awards party. Official results and boat side bets will be announced the Monday following the Tournament, after results have been certified by the Winter King Salmon Tournament Committee. IRS regulations require gambling winnings to be reported by the Chamber of Commerce. Individuals may be taxed on their winnings.
Fishing Rules Enforcement: Report any violation of tournament rules to the Homer Chamber of Commerce. If someone is breaking ADF&G or Coast Guard rules, contact the state enforcement office at 235-8239. The dispatcher will immediately contact the troopers on the water. The Alaska State Troopers Patrol Boat will be on the water all day.
