12-YEAR-OLD WINS VALDEZ WOMEN’S SILVER SALMON DERBY
VALDEZ, Alaska – “Being crowned something or anything is just a bit shocking to me”, 12-year-old Maleah Chapin said after being crowned Queen of the Silver Salmon Sisterhood on Saturday in Valdez. Chapin caught a 13.46 pound silver salmon to take the top prize in the Valdez Women’s Silver Salmon Derby and was very emotional as she took the stage to receive her tiara and don the ceremonial pink bathrobe. As soon as 2nd place was announced at the Civic Center Saturday night Chapin and her family knew she was the winner. “Seeing how my mother’s face was, was really incredible. I love her so much,” Chapin said. “Whenever you see somebody and they get crowned for anything, you never think it’s a really big deal. When you actually get crowned, it’s like …wow!”
Chapin won $1,000 cash and $1,000 in prizes from Prospector Outfitters in addition to the tiara and bathrobe. When asked what she would do with the money she said she would use it for school. Chapin’s big fish also won the 1st place daily prize in the regular silver salmon derby and she is currently in 2nd place overall and could win more cash if her fish holds on through the end of the derby September 1st. Rowena Palomar of Valdez took 2nd place in the Women’s Derby, garnered herself the 2nd place daily prize and is currently holding 3rd place in the Silver Salmon Derby. The 3rd place winner in the Women’s Derby was 11-year-old Lily Lindquist of Peoria, Arizona who reeled in a 12.62 pound silver salmon. Lindquist commented. “I thought it was really small, but when it came out of the water it was huge.”
Silver salmon seem to be schooled up out at Goose Point and beyond and scattered just about everywhere in the Sound. “The seiners are really scattering the fish, but they always re-group and follow the shoreline in,” said Charter Captain Sanoe Deaver. “I have even fished at Entrance Island and they are jumping there and I have seen them there. They are working their way in.” Although fishing inside the Port and just outside the narrows was spotty and a bit sparse on Saturday, there was a top 10 fish caught from the shore at Allison Point in the Women’s Derby. Anglers should have great luck fishing from shore at Allison Point and in Port Valdez, the final weeks of the derby. The Valdez Silver Salmon Derby and Valdez Halibut Derby end Sunday, September 1st at noon.
In the Valdez Halibut Derby, Christine Ives of Fairbanks is still leading with the 285.6 pound halibut she caught June 6th. Christopher Barnes of Moorhead, Minnesota is currently in 2nd place overall with a 225.6 pound halibut and Joshua Curry of Valdez is holding onto 3rd place right now with a 213. 4 pound halibut.
Halibut Derby – Overall Leaders
1st Christine Ives Fairbanks, AK 285.6 lbs. June 6 Nunatak
2nd Christopher Barnes Moorhead, MN 225.6 lbs. June 24 Sea Quester
3rd Joshua Curry Valdez, AK 213.4 lbs. July 21 Mistress
Halibut Derby – Weekly Winners
1st Thomasz Symanowski Wasilla, AK 181.6 lbs. Aug 9 Jamie Lynn
2nd Jake Simcik Still Water, MN 147.8 lbs. Aug 5 Halibut Grove
Silver Derby – Overall Leaders
1st James Scheirel Paynesville, MN 13.88 lbs. Aug 8 Sue Q
2nd Maleah Chapin Pasco, WA 13.46 lbs. Aug 10
3rd Rowena Palomar Valdez, AK 13.34 lbs. Aug 10
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Valdez Women’s Silver Salmon Derby 2019 – TOP 50
1st | Maleah Chapin | Pasco, WA | 13.46 lbs. |
2nd | Rowena Palomar | Valdez, AK | 13.34 lbs. |
3rd | Lily Lindquist | Peoria, AZ | 12.62 lbs. |
4th | Sherri Anderson | Valdez, AK | 12.48 lbs. |
5th | Beverly Reynolds | Tijeras, NM | 12.32 lbs. |
6th | Emily Chase | Valdez, AK | 11.70 lbs. |
7th | Verla Austin | Wasilla, AK | 11.70 lbs. |
8th | Bernadette Irish | Valdez, AK | 11.62 lbs. |
9th | Bonnie Saxum | Valdez, AK | 11.54 lbs. |
10th | Mary Stover | Fairbanks, AK | 11.44 lbs. |
11th | Bailey Bryant-Alexander | Gillette, WY | 11.38 lbs. |
12th | Sarah Sparks | North Pole, AK | 11.36 lbs. |
13th | Shelley Greenwood | Anchorage, AK | 11.24 lbs. |
14th | Kamille Sickels | Grangeville, ID | 11.18 lbs. |
15th | Rachel Sutton | Valdez, AK | 11.14 lbs. |
16th | Virginia Miller | Shoreview, MN | 11.08 lbs. |
17th | Shannon Heaps | Eagle River, AK | 11.00 lbs. |
18th | Sharon Lais | Slayton, MN | 10.88 lbs. |
19th | Moya Pilo | Quito, Ecuador | 10.82 lbs. |
20th | Jaruwan Kaewprasert | Anchorage, AK | 10.76 lbs. |
21st | Margaret Chesley | Spokane, WA | 10.70 lbs. |
22nd | Sheila Lint | Delta Junction, AK | 10.68 lbs. |
23rd | Tammy Hill | Valdez, AK | 10.66 lbs. |
24th | Lori Campbell | Fairbanks, AK | 10.64 lbs. |
25th | Brenda Roberts | Sioux Falls, SD | 10.62 lbs. |
26th | Chris Palmenberg | Arlington, WA | 10.62 lbs. |
27th | Cynthia Clements | Valdez, AK | 10.60 lbs. |
28th | Hayley Nielsen | Surprise, AZ | 10.60 lbs. |
29th | Jolene Hoeb | Columbus, OH | 10.54 lbs. |
30th | Kaidenn Meyers | Cottonwood, AZ | 10.50 lbs. |
31st | Tori Waterfield | New Port News, VA | 10.42 lbs. |
32nd | Signe Towne | Valdez, AK | 10.34 lbs. |
33rd | Kelsey Galfo | Valdez, AK | 10.32 lbs. |
34th | Brittany Lais | Big Lake, AK | 10.32 lbs. |
35th | Caitlin Neahr | Valdez, AK | 10.30 lbs. |
36th | Elaine Jamerson | Ellensburg, WA | 10.30 lbs. |
37th | Lynda Hernandez | Anchorage, AK | 10.28 lbs. |
38th | Denise O’Brien | Valdez, AK | 10.28 lbs. |
39th | Terri Olsen | Fairbanks, AK | 10.26 lbs. |
40th | Anne Branshaw | Valdez, AK | 10.24 lbs. |
41st | Shawana Glade | North Pole, AK | 10.20 lbs. |
42nd | Sarah Arts | Eagle River, AK | 10.18 lbs. |
43rd | Angela Morris | Valdez, AK | 10.16 lbs. |
44th | Brandice Olsen | Anchorage, AK | 10.16 lbs. |
45th | Jamie Johnston-Eddy | Eagle River, AK | 10.10 lbs. |
46th | Angie Christensen | Valdez, AK | 10.10 lbs. |
47th | Krista Hutchison | Valdez, AK | 10.10 lbs. |
48th | Sharon Daniels | Valdez, AK | 9.98 lbs. |
49th | Sydney Cronk | Valdez, AK | 9.98 lbs. |
50th | Tracie Scheller | Valdez, AK | 9.96 lbs. |