VALDEZ, Alaska – The Valdez Silver Salmon Derby started on Saturday and Douglas Meehan of Coweta, Oklahoma reeled in a 9-pound salmon aboard the Game Changer. Meehan’s silver salmon put him on the top of the leader board and netted him the 1st place daily prize. Audrey Zeren of Dillon, Montana took the 2nd place daily prize Saturday with an 8.52-pound silver she caught aboard SlayingAK.
The Valdez Silver Salmon Derby runs now through September 1st and features daily 1st and 2nd place prizes, as well as a $10,000 Grand prize for the largest silver salmon caught during the season. The cost of a daily derby ticket is $10 and a season ticket is $50. In addition to overall cash prizes and daily 1st and 2nd place prize winners, Valdez Fish Derbies will be hosting a Women’s Silver Salmon Derby August 10th with an opening night Carnival Treasure Hunt event Friday night. Valdez Fish Derbies is also hosting a tagged fish contest. There are 20 fish tagged in Prince William Sound and when an angler buys a derby ticket and catches a tagged silver salmon between August 10th and September 1st, they have the chance to win $10,000 cash and 19 other prizes. There will also be a bonus $500 cash prize for the angler catching the largest Silver on Big Prize Friday, July 26th, and September 1st.
On Saturday, the harbor was not only busy with anglers coming to port with halibut and silver salmon, but young anglers competing in the Valdez Kids Pink Salmon Derby. Several anglers at the fillet tables had carts with pink salmon, silver salmon and an occasional king salmon. Others came to Port with carts full of halibut, lingcod, and rockfish. After a rainy week in Valdez, anglers were treated to sunshine and blue skies Saturday.
The Valdez Halibut Derby is going strong and boats are still returning to Port Valdez with nice catches of halibut, lingcod, and other bottom fish. Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) reports that fishing has been good to excellent in the outside waters of Prince William Sound. Lingcod season opened July 1st and anglers are having good success in the Gulf. ADF&G also reported that fishing for Pacific (gray) cod continues to be excellent throughout Prince William Sound and that anglers have been finding schools of pelagic rockfish near the entrances to Prince William Sound.
Valdez Fish Derbies is now gearing up for the Valdez Women’s Silver Salmon Derby. The event will feature a Friday night kickoff event August 10th centered around the theme “Carnival.” Cash and prizes will be awarded for the top 3 largest fish caught Saturday, August 10th. Registration is at the Valdez Prospector August 7th through 10th.