Derby News - Week 11, 7/29-8/04

Maryland Woman Catches 16.06 Pound Silver to Catapult Into 2nd.

Candace Prossner of Royal Oaks, Maryland reeled in a 16.02 pound silver salmon Saturday, August 4th to get into 2nd place on the Silver Salmon Derby leader board. When Prossner arrived in Valdez, she had never been fishing before. She went out for the first time on Friday and caught a few, but the beginners luck hit hard and fast Saturday when she reeled in her 16.02 pounder that won her the daily first place prize and a spot on the overall leader board.

Currently Diana Doodchenko of Canada is leading the silver derby with a 17.88 pound silver she caught July 25th. The Silver Salmon derby is 50 years old and the winners from 1976 on are posted on the www.valdezfishderbies.com website. According to the records, there are four silvers in the 16 pound range that have ended up winning the top prize between 1976 and 2011. There are nine fish in the 17 pound range on the list, eight in the 18 pound range, eight in the 19 pound range, only three in the 20 pound range, one in the twenty-one pound range and two weighing in at exactly 22.14 each.

Silver salmon are being caught out at Goose Island and anglers in Valdez are hoping they are in thick for the Women's Silver Salmon Derby this Saturday. Last year 93-year-old Lenore Groundwater of Green Valley, Arizona won the Women's Derby and was crowned Queen of the Silver Salmon Sisterhood when she reeled in a 16.58 pound silver. Registration is currently underway for the Women's Derby which includes an opening ceremony Friday night and a closing on Saturday. The theme this year is retro and KVAK is emceeing and putting on the games again this year. "We're going to blast these ladies to the past with music and games from the 60's, 70's and 80's" commented KVAK's owner Laurie Prax. The Women's Derby is a one-day tournament Saturday, August 11th and prizes will be awarded to the women catching the top 50 fish. Registration is today through the morning of Saturday, August 11st at Prospector Outfitters. Registration information can be found at:http://www.valdezfishderbies.com/pages/WomensDerby/DatesRegistration.php

The standings remain the same in the Valdez Halibut Derby, with Marvin Knapp of Gravois Mills, Missouri in the lead with a 227.6 pound halibut caught July 26th.