Valdez Salmon Tournaments Off And Running; Kids Pink Contest A Success

CD Nuno of Philomath, Oklahoma, is the early leader in the Valdez Silver Salmon Derby            (10.18 pounds). PHOTOS BY VALDEZ FISH DERBIES)

The following is courtesy of Valdez Fish Derbies:

VALDEZ, Alaska – Saturday kicked off the start of the Valdez Silver Salmon derby and the harbor was not only busy with anglers coming to port with halibut and silver salmon, but young anglers competing in the Valdez Kids Pink Salmon Derby. Several anglers at the fillet tables had carts with pink salmon, silver salmon and an occasional king salmon. Others came to Port with carts full of halibut, lingcod and rockfish. Kian St. Amand caught a pink salmon and entered it in the Kids Pink Salmon Derby before 1pm Saturday and then captured the 2^nd place daily prize in the Valdez Silver Salmon Derby with a nice 9.38 pound silver salmon.

St. Amand is currently in 2^nd place overall in the Silver Salmon Derby behind CD Nuno of Philomath, Oklahoma who caught a 10.18 pound silver salmon on Saturday. Nuno took home the 1^st place daily prize. Hailey McNabb of Delta Junction is currently in 3^rd place overall with her 8.98 pound catch. 

The Valdez Silver Salmon Derby runs through September 5^th and has daily 1^st and 2^nd place prizes, as well as a $10,000 Grand prize for the largest fish caught during the season. The cost of a daily derby ticket is $10 and a season ticket is $50.  

The Valdez Halibut Derby is going strong and boats are still returning to Port Valdez with nice catches of halibut, lingcod and other bottom fish. Now that silver season has started many charters are picking up silver salmon also on their way back to town. Maren Russman of Lino Lakes, Minnesota is currently leading the Valdez Halibut Derby with a 214.8 pound halibut she caught June 21^st. Terrence McCabe of Valdez is currently in 2^nd place in the Halibut Derby with a 202.0 pound halibut caught July 5^th and Caleb Hughes is holding onto 3^rd place in the overall standings with a 160.4 pound halibut he caught July 16^th.

Valdez Fish Derbies is now gearing up for Silver Salmon Big Prize Friday and the 2021 Valdez Women’s Silver Salmon Derby. Big Prize Friday is July 30^thand the angler catching the largest silver salmon that day will win $500 in addition to the regular prizes. The Women’s Silver Salmon Derby is Saturday, August 14^th. The Women’s Silver Salmon Derby Page on the Valdez Fish Derbies website has all the information.

(Top) Hailey McNabb  of Delta Junction, 8.98 pounds. Kian St. Amand  of Valdez, 9.38, round out the top three.

Maren Russian of Lino Lakes, Minnesota, now in first place in the Valdez Halibut Derby (214.8 pounds).

Halibut Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st        Maren Russman          Lino Lakes, MN         214.8 lbs.         July 21            Nunatak

2^nd       Terrence McCabe       Valdez, AK                 202.0 lbs.         July 5              Only Fins

3^rd           Caleb Hughes               Palmer, AK                 160.4 lbs.        July 16                       Reflection

Halibut Derby – Weekly Winners

1^st        Maren Russman          Lino Lakes, MN         214.8 lbs.         July 21            Nunatak

2^nd       Kyle Dearborn            Wasilla, AK                131.4 lbs.         July 21            Reflection

Silver Salmon Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st        CD Nuno                               Philomath, OK              10.18 lbs.         July 24            Littlester
2^nd       Kian St. Amand                      Valdez, AK                 9.38 lbs.           July 24            Go Get Her
3^rd        Hailey McNabb                      Delta Junction, AK     8.98 lbs.           July 24            Kai Moana

ALMOST 500 KIDS FISHING IN VALDEZ PINK SALMON DERBY ON SATURDAY 

VALDEZ – The Valdez Fish Derbies organization ordered 500 hats for the Valdez Kids Pink Salmon Derby. By the end of the day Saturday, 481 of those hats were given away and kids lined the shores at Allison Point casting their lines. Fish were caught from shore at Allison Point and the Valdez Harbor as well from boats in the Port.  

Lissa Lake of Wasilla said this was her granddaughter Cori Apperson’s first trip to Valdez and her first pink salmon. “We have brought our kids here since 2008 to fish the derby and now we are bringing our granddaughter Cori,” Lake said. “She loves all the sea life and fishing”.

Heather Campbell of Eielson Air Force Base said her son Isaiah participated in his first Kids Pink Salmon Derby this year and they had lots of luck at their favorite fishing spot not far from Solomon Gulch. “Now he’s hooked and wants to fish for the rest of the weekend,” Campbell said. For anglers wanting to do more fishing, not only were the pink salmon plentiful but the silver salmon derby started on Saturday and there were reports of anglers catching silvers in the narrows. 

The Valdez Kids Pink Salmon Derby is open to kids age 5 to 16 and there are four age divisions for prizes. The Valdez Fish Derbies organization gave away hats early Saturday morning and to qualify for prizes they had to submit a picture of themselves with their pink salmon catch and a derby hat.  Submission flooded the inbox of event organizers and at 12:01am Sunday the winners were announced on the Fish Derbies website. 

Four lucky anglers won $100 cash and eight others won fishing poles. The four kids that won fishing poles were Madyson Lovett of Port Lavaca, Texas, Aaliyah Luke of Fairbanks, Ace Nylund of Valdez and Aawen Peters of Fairbanks.

KVAK Radio hosted a Kids Broadcasting Camp this summer and four kids from that camp hit the airwaves Saturday evening to host a Kids Derby Show. The one-hour live radio show was “For Kids – By Kids” which meant that only kids age 5 to 16 could call in to win prizes. One lucky listener won 10 pounds of jelly beans. The Kids Broadcasting Camp was sponsored by Alyeska Pipeline and Prospector and Capt’n Joe’s donated prizes for the program. 

For more information on the Valdez Derbies, visit: www.valdezfishderbies.com