2018 Derby Dates
Silver Derby: July 21 through September 2nd
Big Prize Fridays: July 27 & August 31st
The Valdez Silver Derby features a $15,000 cash Grand Prize for the largest Silver, $5,000 cash for 2nd place and $2,000 for 3rd place. In addition to daily 1st and 2nd place prizes, all anglers who purchase a derby ticket have a chance to win $10,000 cash in a drawing at the end of the season.
It all starts with a derby ticket and you can find out where to get one by visiting our Tickets page.
Prizes
Click Here for List of Daily Prizes
2017 Overall Winners
1st Place
Cole Baxter
Fayetteville, GA
15.62 lbs. on July 26
Shark Tooth Charters
2nd Place
Homer Huffman
Valdez, AK
15.10 lbs. on August 25
Off Shore
3rd Place
Randy Arndt
Wasilla, AK
14.98 lbs. on August 26
Miss Esther
Daily Winners – September 3rd
Andrew Prop
Anchorage, AK
14.10 lbs. on September 3
Off Shore
Victor Weaver
Valdez, AK
12.34 lbs. on September 3
Fishing Frenzy
Daily Winners – September 2nd
Aaron Riutta
Valdez, AK
14.52 lbs. on September 2
MSO1
Brock Jordan
Fairbanks, AK
13.98 lbs. on September 2
Fish Central Rental
Daily Winners – September 1st
Michael Swisher
Finjsburg, MD
14.38 lbs. on September 1
Offshore
Randy Page
Mound, MN
13.92 lbs. on September 1
Offshore
Daily Winners – August 31st
Verdun Noel
White Horse, YT
12.72 lbs. on August 31
Mariah
David Armstrong
Valdez, AK
12.08 lbs. on August 31
Mariah
Daily Winners – August 30th
Donald Sturm
Waukee, IA
12.94 lbs. on August 30
Lena Claire
Allen Cox
Valdez, AK
12.68 lbs. on August 30
Orion
Daily Winners – August 29th
Jonnie Holbrook
Fairbanks, AK
13.18 lbs. on August 29
Sharon Ann
Kimberly Mukavetz
Fairbanks, AK
13.10 lbs. on August 29
Orion
Daily Winners – August 28th
Willy Lewis
Milwaukee, WI
13.12 lbs. on August 28
Snook Boat
Dave Gautier
Bismark, ND
13.10 lbs. on August 28
Private Boat
Daily Winners – August 27th
Elle Sterling
Valdez, AK
14.02 lbs. on August 27
Elle
Eddie Hartleb
Valdez, AK
13.46 lbs. on August 27
Allison Point
Daily Winners – August 26th
Randy Arndt
Wasilla, AK
14.98 lbs. on August 26
Miss Esther
Traci Wypiszynski
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
13.34 lbs. on August 26
Sea Duck
Daily Winners – August 25th
Homer Huffman
Valdez, AK
15.10 lbs. on August 25
Off Shore
Frieda Wiley
Valdez, AK
13.10 lbs. on August 25
Dan Orion
Daily Winners – August 24th
Clifford Moblem
Fairbanks, AK
14.52 lbs. on August 24
Mary Bell
Cord Basnaw
Elk, WA
13.66 lbs. on August 24
Gotta Go
Daily Winners – August 23rd
Larry Hamsley
Fairbanks, AK
12.24 lbs. on August 23
Kaila Girl
Lori Ritchie
Mahtomedi, MN
11.84 lbs. on August 23
Vixen
Daily Winners – August 22nd
Robert Shirley
Keller, TX
14.78 lbs. on August 22
Pink Lady
Jeff McLaren
Keller, TX
13.32 lbs. on August 22
Pink Lady
Daily Winners – August 21st
Greg Boughen
Parkland County, AN
13.86 lbs. on August 21
Private Boat
Lisa Currie
Fairbanks, AK
13.32 lbs. on August 21
Private Boat
Daily Winners – August 20th
Fred Lanes
Spokane, WA
14.54 lbs. on August 20
Faithful
Sherri Anderson
Valdez, AK
12.86 lbs. on August 20
Private Boat
Daily Winners – August 19th
Victor Apodaca IV
Fairbanks, AK
14.38 lbs. on August 19
Seaclusion
Nate Moulton
Valdez, AK
13.56 lbs. on August 19
Private Boat
Daily Winners – August 18th
Matthew Walker
Marsh Lake, VT
14.20 lbs. on August 18
Off Shore
Meredith Buchman
Wasilla, AK
14.04 lbs. on August 18
Red Hawk
Daily Winners – August 17th
Tara Tinker
Valdez, AK
14.40 lbs. on August 17
Daisy-Lu
Paul Bennett
Scappoose, OR
13.30 lbs. on August 17
Fa-Nag-Ler
Daily Winners – August 16th
Mike Zanazzo
North Pole, AK
14.60 lbs. on August 16
Private Boat
David Barney
Houston, AK
14.16 lbs. on August 16
Private Boat
Daily Winners – August 15th
Mike Zanazzo
North Pole, AK
13.86 lbs. on August 15
Private Boat
Alan Odom
North Pole, AK
12.54 lbs. on August 15
Soulstice
Daily Winners – August 14th
Russell Duffy
Lewiston, MT
13.26 lbs. on August 14
Wild Iris
Charlot Pierce
Anchorage, AK
13.24 lbs. on August 14
Adventure Series
Daily Winners – August 13th
Mya Jonker-Chambers
North Pole, AK
13.62 lbs. on August 13
Northern Comfort
Robert Morman
Chugiak, AK
12.24 lbs. on August 13
Alaskai
Daily Winners – August 12th
Chinda Heston
Valdez, AK
14.88 lbs. on August 12
Sandi
Kristina Bragg
Fairbanks, AK
14.28 lbs. on August 12
Private Boat
Daily Winners – August 11th
Kenji Badger
North Pole, AK
13.96 lbs. on August 11
Eielson II
Mike Piazza
West Linn, OR
13.28 lbs. on August 11
Sea Quester
Daily Winners – August 10th
Robin Penningroth
Chandler, AZ
12.72 lbs. on August 10
Private Boat
Barry Estabrook
Linneus, ME
12.48 lbs. on August 10
Faithful
Daily Winners – August 9th
Tia Anderson
Valdez, AK
13.36 lbs. on August 9
Shane D
Cynthia Clements
Valdez, AK
12.90 lbs. on August 9
Dad Boot
Daily Winners – August 8th
Glen Naquin
Big Spring, TX
13.72 lbs. on August 8
Private Boat
Phil Carey
Wasilla, AK
12.76 lbs. on August 8
Alaskai
Daily Winners – August 7th
Pravat Phumin
Valdez, AK
13.28 lbs. on August 7
Seagul 2
Daily Winners – August 6th
H. Charles Sparks
Fairbanks, AK
14.50 lbs. on August 6
Patriot
Eric Wolford
Wasilla, AK
13.32 lbs. on August 6
Private Boat
Daily Winners – August 5th
Ann Abel
Bonduel, WI
13.06 lbs. on August 5
Dawn Treader
Daily Winners – August 4th
Jarret Lewis
Gulf Breeze, FL
14.34 lbs. on August 4
Killswitch/KGB
Grace Sikorski
North Pole, AK
11.26 lbs. on August 4
Final One
Daily Winners – August 3rd
Charlene McCay
North Las Vegas, NV
11.56 lbs. on August 3
Private Boat
W.M. Roeschen
Hammonton, NJ
11.26 lbs. on August 3
Private Boat
Daily Winners – August 2nd
Paul Shannon
Houston, TX
13.32lbs. on August 2
Lena Claire
Darrel Gusa
Kellog, MN
12.32 lbs. on August 2
Faithful
Daily Winners – August 1st
Janelle Sanders
Ford City, PA
13.12lbs. on August 1
Lena Claire
Geri Czarmecki
Valdez, AK
12.72 lbs. on August 1
Enough Said
Daily Winners – July 31st
Richard Podobnik
Fairbanks, AK
11.60 lbs. on July 31
Alaskai
Michelle Goodman
Wilsons, VA
11.04 lbs. on July 31
Resolution
Daily Winners – July 30th
Dolly Haddow
North Pole, AK
11.08 lbs. on July 30
Sea Master
Erin Stark
Valdez, AK
10.76 lbs. on July 30
Das Boot
Daily Winners – July 29th
Lori Day
Valdez, AK
11.34 lbs. on July 29
High Mark
Anne Branshaw
Valdez, AK
11.16 lbs. on July 29
High Mark
Daily Winners – July 28th
Crista Andersen
Valdez, AK
12.18 lbs. on July 28
Christa June
Jack McCay
North Las Vegas, NV
11.64 lbs. on July 28
Private Boat
Daily Winners – July 27th
Alex-Plowman
Fairbanks, AK
12.16 lbs. on July 27
Center Shot
Kamille Mulcaire
Cornville, AZ
12.06 lbs. on July 27
Kamille
Daily Winners – July 26th
Cole Baxter
Fayetteville, GA
15.62 lbs. on July 26
Shark Tooth Charters
Cole Baxter
Fayetteville, GA
11.08 lbs. on July 26
Shark Tooth Charters
Daily Winners – July 25th
James Peterson
Taylorville, UT
10.66 lbs. on July 25
Kamille
Al White
Wasilla, AK
10.22 lbs. on July 25
Dawg Haus
Daily Winners – July 24th
Hanna Blankenship
Eagle River, AK
11.06 lbs. on July 24
Hanna Marie III
John Blankenship
Eagle River, AK
10.08 lbs. on July 24
Hanna Marie III
Daily Winners – July 23rd
Theron Tyler
K. Falls, OR
10.48 lbs. on July 23
Crista June
Wayne Valco
Healy, AK
10.00 lbs. on July 23
Loli V
Daily Winners – July 22nd
Weston Branshaw
Valdez, AK
12.42 lbs. on July 22
High Mark
Kim Keller
Valdez, AK
12.04 lbs. on July 22
Alaskai
General Information
Fishing for silvers in Valdez is a great sport. With the Solomon Gulch Hatchery releasing millions of coho fry each year, the silvers swim right past Valdez and are fairly easy to catch either from shore or by trolling by boat. Silvers put up a good fight and are popular with the locals as they taste great and freeze well. These fish can weigh from 6 to 20 pounds and are between 24 and 30 inches long.
When fishing for silvers use a medium weight 7-8.5′ rod with a high quality bait or spin-casting reel. Utilize at least 200 yards of 10 to 25-pound test, and keep a variety of swivels and weights available. Boat anglers in saltwater can troll with a flasher, herring dodger, pink lady or hootchie in addition to herring. Coho will also strike at roe, flies, spoons, spinners and plugs. At Allison Point, Pixies and Vibrax lures work well.
Silver salmon or Coho have dark metallic blue or greenish backs with silver sides and a light belly. There are small black spots on their baks and upper lobe of the tail when you find them in the ocean. Spawning river coho have reddish-maroon on their sides. To tell them apart from a pink, the gumline in their lower jaw has lighter pigment.