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 1st 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 weekly 1st and 2nd 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 10th. 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 7th through 10th. 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 10th.