The first Golden North Salmon Derby was held Aug. 31, 1947 and awarded 30 prizes ranging from a Plymouth sedan to canned fruit. The present three-day derby was introduced in 1949 when 360 entrants competed for $6,300 in prizes, including a car and 3,000 pounds of canned salmon. The scholarship fund was established with $1,000 from the sale of the 1953 derby fish, no doubt boosted by the annual convention of Alaskan dentists who carefully timed their convention to coincide with the derby.

The 1955 Derby saw 2,000 participants vying for $12,000 in prizes and produced $2,000 for scholarships. Two scholarships were awarded for the first time. By 1963, four $2,000 scholarships were awarded.

In the tenth derby the present method of winner's choice for prize selection was adopted, whereby each winner in turn could choose his or her prize from all those remaining. Over the years the derby area expanded to include Pt. Hilda Light and Young's Bay (1960),Doty Cove and Grand Island (1966) and Pt. Styleman (1985).

The derby has always attracted participants of all ages. The youngest derby winner in derby history was five-year-old Jody Pasquan, who won the 1963 derby in which 4,000 people participated. In 1992, 95 year-old Frank Zamora fished the derby.

Tagged fish were first introduced in 1971. To celebrate the silver anniversary, a special tagged fish worth $10,000 was introduced. By 1986 there was a $100,000 tagged fish and scholarship amounts were increased to $8,000.

The golden anniversary of the Golden North Salmon Derby came in 1996. There were 3,400 tickets sold. Over $120,000 in prizes provided keen competition while a $500,000 tagged fish and a $100,000 tagged fish provided incentive to turn in scholarship fish. Maggie Hall caught the $100,000 fish. Dick Garrison, Chuck Porter and Rudy Pusich completed a clean sweep, having fished in all fifty derbies.

In 1997, $10,000 scholarships were awarded and prizes were valued at over $100,000. DEC regulations required umbrellas at fish cleaning stations to protect cleaning tables from errant seagulls.

In the first derby of the new millennium, an "outsider" won the big prize for the first time. Wayne Sutherland turned in a 36.9-pound King at the packer on the first day to take the first prize to Boise, Idaho.

The 2000 derby was dedicated to Ladd Macauley and Chuck Porter. Porter fished every derby through 1999 and won the derby in 1952. Macauley contributed much to the community through his efforts in enhancing area fisheries. He has helped the derby and local youth through the scholarships partly made possible by the fish Macauley helped produce.

Now in its 62nd year, the Golden North Salmon Derby offers hundreds of prizes worth up to $100,000 and helps fund student scholarships worth up to $12,000.

Past derby winners still present a challenge to this year's participants: The biggest winning fish was 59 pounds, 8 ounces, caught in 1971 by Gary Hedges.