2017 Derby Dates
Silver Derby: July 22 through September 3rd
Big Prize Fridays: July 28 & Sept 2
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 Leaders
Cole Baxter
Fayetteville, GA
15.62 lbs. on July 26
Shark Tooth Charters
Chinda Heston
Valdez, AK
14.88 lbs. on August 12
Sandi
Mike Zanazzo
North Pole, AK
14.60 lbs. on August 16
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
North Pole, 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.