Late afternoon rain couldn’t dampen the festivities at the Deep Water Dock following the 30th annual Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament on Saturday.
“This is what it’s all about,” tournament board member Anders Gustafson said to the anglers, family members and friends crowding the stage at the start of the awards ceremony, referring to the community gathering and the anticipation for prize money to be handed out.
The 30th annual tournament proceeded without weather delays, much to the delight of this year’s participants. The Homer Chamber of Commerce reported that 1,059 anglers and 302 boats competed in this year’s event. An estimated $169,780 was awarded in prize money, along with merchandise prizes worth more than $25,000.
Chris Keithley, from team Seldovia Fishing Adventures, is the 2024 top angler with a fish weighing in at 25.96 pounds. Between his first-place earnings and side tourney bets, Keithley won $72,291.50 in cash prizes according to the unofficial results announced in a chamber press release on Monday, March 25.
Keithley’s winning fish was also a white king, for which he was awarded a merchandise prize bucket. He also received the John Hillstrand Award, and an additional prize bucket, for being the captain of the winning team.
Overall, Saturday was a very good day of fishing for Keithley and Seldovia Fishing Adventures.
Second and third place went to a father-son duo, Bruce Graham and Luke Graham, from team Profishunt. Bruce Graham’s fish weighed in at 25.56 pounds, with Luke Graham’s fish weighing 23.74 pounds.
This year’s Top Youth Angler prize goes to 11-year-old Oslo Teigen on the Sea Wolf, with a king weighing in at 11.98 pounds.
The Scott Ulmer Award was given to Homer’s Daniel Donich, who has fished in nearly every single Winter King Tournament. Donich is the owner and operator of Daniel’s Personalized Guide Service. According to the service’s website, Donich is “a recognized leader in developing and teaching new techniques for year-round controlled depth fishing.”
Scott Ulmer, who founded the tournament 30 years ago, presented the award to Donich, whom he called “a legend.”
The chamber also commissioned a new championship trophy, which was designed and built by Bay Weld Boats, in honor of the tournament’s 30th anniversary. The trophy will “live in infamy at the Homer Chamber’s Visitor Center and feature the tournament champions’ names,” the press release states.
The chamber also thanked the tournament sponsors, local businesses and volunteers that helped make this “monumental event” happen.
A complete summary of the 2024 tournament results can be found at www.homerwinterking.com.
2024 Homer King Salmon Tournament Results — Top 10
Place, Angler, Weight in pounds, Boat, Earnings, Side Tourneys
1: Chris Keithley, 25.96, Seldovia Fishing Adventure, $30,181.50, $45,110
2: Bruce Graham, 25.56, Profishunt, $15,885, $3,477
3: Luke Graham, 23.74, Profishunt, $12,708
4: Eric Fan, 21.26, Tilt II, $11,120, $1,089
5: Josh Burns, 19.44, Knot Yet, $9,531
6: Mike Maxon, 17.64, AK1347AX, $7,943
7: James Weimer, 16.44, Kachemak Jack, $6,354
8: Skylar Scheid, 16.42, Phoenix, $4,766
9: Arthur York, 16.28, Miss Parker, $3,177
10: Jason Heintz, 16.08, Northwest Patriot, $1,589
Bruce Graham (left) and Luke Graham (right) won second and third place, respectively, in the 30th annual Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament on Saturday, March 23, 2024 at the Deep Water Dock on the Spit in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Eric Fan won fourth prize at the 30th annual Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament on Saturday, March 23, 2024 at the Deep Water Dock on the Spit in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Josh Burns won fifth place at the 30th annual Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament on Saturday, March 23, 2024 at the Deep Water Dock on the Spit in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Mike Maxon (center) accepts the sixth place trophy with his son, who was also his fishing partner, at the 30th annual Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament on Saturday, March 23, 2024 at the Deep Water Dock on the Spit in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
James Weimer won seventh place at the 30th annual Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament on Saturday, March 23, 2024 at the Deep Water Dock on the Spit in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Arthur York, 84 (left), was the ninth-place winner at the 30th annual Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament on Saturday, March 23, 2024 at the Deep Water Dock on the Spit in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
