Maleah Chapin – Reaction to 1st Place Announcement

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 2^nd 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 1^st place daily prize in the regular silver salmon derby and she is currently in 2^nd place overall and could win more cash if her fish holds on through the end of the derby September 1^st. Rowena Palomar of Valdez took 2^nd place in the Women’s Derby, garnered herself the 2^nd place daily prize and is currently holding 3^rd place in the Silver Salmon Derby. The 3^rd 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.”

Top three winners of the Valdez Women’s Silver Salmon Derby 2019

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 2^nd place overall with a 225.6 pound halibut and Joshua Curry of Valdez is holding onto 3^rd place right now with a 213. 4 pound halibut.

Halibut Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st         Christine Ives               Fairbanks, AK             285.6 lbs.         June 6              Nunatak

2^nd       Christopher Barnes     Moorhead, MN           225.6 lbs.         June 24            Sea Quester

3^rd        Joshua Curry                Valdez, AK                   213.4 lbs.         July 21              Mistress

Halibut Derby – Weekly Winners

1^st           Thomasz Symanowski      Wasilla, AK                 181.6 lbs.         Aug 9               Jamie Lynn

2^nd        Jake Simcik                        Still Water, MN          147.8 lbs.         Aug 5              Halibut Grove

Silver Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st         James Scheirel              Paynesville, MN           13.88 lbs.         Aug 8               Sue Q

2^nd        Maleah Chapin             Pasco, WA                     13.46 lbs.         Aug 10

3^rd        Rowena Palomar          Valdez, AK                     13.34 lbs.         Aug 10

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Valdez Women’s Silver Salmon Derby 2019 – TOP 50

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