Silver Salmon Derby Slowly Ramping Up In Valdez

The following is courtesy of Valdez Fish Derbies:

SILVER SALMON ARE COMING IN, WOMEN’S SILVER DERBY AUGUST 10

VALDEZ, Alaska – Last week, the small town of Valdez was teaming with kids catching pink salmon from the shores of Allison Point and from boats in the Port. With the Valdez Silver Salmon Derby underway, the focus this past week was trolling for silvers in Prince William Sound. The first fish to hit the leader board in the Valdez Silver Salmon Derby was a 9-pound silver caught by Dougles Meehan of Coweta, Oklahoma. In the past few years, the $10,000 grand prize derby winning fish has not been that big. In 2023, LaVonne Baysinger of Fairbanks won with a 14.54-pound silver. In 2022, it was a 14.80-pound silver that won Marco Harvan of Tok the first place prize money and in 2021 Penny Skuza of Riverdale, North Dakota took home the top prize with a 14.50-pound silver.

The last time a derby winning fish topped 20-pounds was back in 2009, when Chuck Gard of Valdez reeled in a 22.14-pound monster. The 22.14-pound silver is the largest silver caught on record in the Valdez Silver Salmon Derby and with the winners from the last four years reeling in fish in the 14-pound range, it may not take too big a fish to win the $10,000 grand prize. There are daily first and second place prizes in the Valdez Silver Salmon Derby and last year there were many anglers that won cash and prizes for fish weighing in the 8-to-10-pound range.

There are a few reports of silvers being caught in the Port, but most are starting to get picked up outside of Valdez toward Glacier Island. The silver fishing should be excellent for the Valdez Women’s Silver Salmon Derby August 10. Valdez Fish Derbies will give cash and prizes to the Women catching the three biggest fish. Registration is going on at the Valdez Prospector August 7 through 10. Derby anglers purchase a ticket for the regular derby, in addition to the $30 fee for Women’s Derby, so they will be eligible for prizes in the regular derby as well as the Women’s Derby. The Women’s Derby Grand Prize is $1,000 cash plus Prospector Prizes valued at $1,000. This year’s Valdez Women’s Silver Salmon Derby theme is “Carnival,” and a Treasure Hunt will be part of the fun during the opening on Friday, August 9. CLICK HERE for Valdez Women’s Silver Salmon Derby information. 

In the Valdez Halibut Derby, the leading fish is a 190.4-pound halibut caught by Dennis Moore of Bremerton, WA. Sammy Hubbard of Wasilla, AK is currently in second with a 170.2-pound halibut and Jeff Smith of Tucson, AZ is hanging onto third place overall with a 160.8-pound flatfish he caught June 29. 

Halibut Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st           Dennis Moore                  Bremerton, WA                190.4 lbs.           July 13                  Dan Orion
2^nd          Sammy Hubbard            Wasilla, AK                        170.2 lbs.           July 21                 Lena Claire
3^rd           Jeff Smith                           Tucson, AZ                         160.8 lbs.           June 29                 Connie B III

Silver Salmon Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st           Pam Rameau                   Houston, TX                      12.94 lbs.           July 27                  Faithful
2^nd          Scott Johnson                  Plymouth, MN                  10.96 lbs.           July 24                  No Name
3^rd           Claire Perry                       Westport, CA                    10.86 lbs.           July 24                  Vixen