The 29th annual Winter King Salmon Tournament will take place on Saturday, March 18.

All registered anglers must have a 2023 fishing license and a valid king salmon stamp.

Lines go in at 9 a.m. and must be out at 4 p.m. Weigh-in will begin at 6 p.m. Anglers must be in line at tournament headquarters by that time to be eligible for weigh-in.

This year’s event will be held at the Deep Water Dock at 4667 Freight Dock Road. In addition to the main tournament, boats will also have the opportunity to participate in team side tourneys or win prizes through random merchandise drawings every hour of the tournament, according to the Homer Chamber of Commerce website. Festivities will be held at the weigh-in stations by the Deep Water Dock after lines are pulled from the water.

In the event of inclement weather on Saturday, the tournament will be postponed until Sunday, March 19, according to the chamber website. If bad weather conditions continue, the tournament will be postponed until Saturday, March 25 or Sunday, March 26.

Reputed as the biggest fishing tournament on the West Coast, in 2022 the Winter King Salmon Tournament had 1366 fishermen and 408 boats participating. $218,189 in cash and prizes were awarded to competitors.

The 2022 top place angler was then-15-year-old Weston Marley with a fish weighing in at 27.38 pounds, according to the chamber website. Marley’s younger brother, Andrew, was the tournament champion in 2021. Marley earned $84,619 in total cash prizes, including his team’s side tourney winnings. The 2022 youth prize winner was then-12-year-old Braydan Niebuhr with a 10.46 pound King, the website states. For more information on the winners of the 28th annual tournament, visit homeralaska.org/events/annual-events/winter-king-salmon-tournament/.

For the 2023 Tournament, COVID concerns may still be a factor so the chamber will make modifications as necessary to help keep this a safe event for the tournament participants and the community, the chamber website states. This tournament will utilize abundant outdoor spaces for the event area and public gathering areas.

This event is hosted annually by the Homer Chamber of Commerce. Other sponsors include Ulmer’s Drug and Hardware, Coal Point Trading Co., Kachemak Gear Shed, City of Homer Port and Harbor, and Muslow & Agnew Group, LLC.

To register, visit homerwinterking.com/. For more information, contact the Homer Chamber of Commerce at 907-235-7740 or info@homeralaska.org.