Updated at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, March 18.
Thousands of sport fishing anglers have returned for the 29th Annual Homer Winter King Salmon Tournament this weekend to get out on the waters of Kachemak Bay and a chance at over $200,000 in tournament prizes.
The tournament was on hold due to winter weather Friday, and is now postponed until next Saturday, March 25.
Organizers made the announcement Saturday morning citing the marine weather forecast showing gale force winds and unsafe conditions for anglers on the water.
Homer Chamber of Commerce hosts the annual tournament. Refunds for tournament registration are available by contacting event organizers.
The event will be held at the Deep Water Dock, and all anglers must be registered, have a 2023 fishing license and a valid king salmon stamp. Organizers will be on site at 6:30 a.m. for same-day registration.
The tournament has seen record participation in recent years. Attendees also have the opportunity to participate in team side tournaments and random merchandise prize drawings every hour of the tournament. Last year, 15-year-old Weston Marley was the tournament champion, catching a king weighing just over 27 pounds. His total payout, including side tourneys, was over $87,000. Last year the total tournament cash awards was over $240,000.
With Cook Inlet king salmon runs seeing continuous declines and the state closing sport fishing this year, the stakes are higher than ever.
