VALDEZ, Alaska – With less than two weeks left in the Valdez Halibut and Silver Salmon Derbies, only time will tell if the leaders will hold on to win the $15,000 first place prize.

Frieda Wiley caught a 374.0 pound halibut August 6^th and stands a good chance of holding onto the lead. Her fish is the largest halibut on record in the Valdez Halibut Derby. If you look at the record books, Tim Stadtmiller’s 266.6 pound halibut would be a 1^st place winner in previous years. Stadtmiller caught a 266.6 pound halibut June 19^th aboard the Dan Orion. The angler in 3^rd place overall last week was Grant Stultz of Reston, Virginia. His fish was bested by Brett Fickler of Omaha, Nebraska on August 18^th. Fickler reeled in a 197.4 pound halibut aboard the Lena Claire and only time will tell if it holds on until the end of the halibut derby Sunday, September 3^rd at noon.

While it looks like the halibut derby is a lock for Wiley with her 374.0 pound halibut, the Valdez Silver Salmon Derby is far from over. The Valdez Silver Salmon Derby began in 1971 and since then only eight fish weighing less than 16.96 have been winners. The smallest winner on record is Jim Burzinski’s 15.11 pound silver caught the first year of the derbies in 1971. In the last 20 years, winners have been in the 17 to 22 pound range. The current overall leader is Cole Baxter of Fayetteville, Georgia with a 15.62 pound silver salmon caught on July 26^th aboard Shark Tooth Charters. Chinda Heston, the 2017 Women’s Derby winner, is holding onto 2^nd place with the 14.88 pounder she caught August 12^th and Mike Zanazzo got into the overall standings in 3^rd place with a 14.60 pound silver salmon he caught August 16^th. Larger silver salmon have been caught in Valdez according to Valdez Fish Derbies Weigh-In Coordinator Dana Morales, but they didn’t have a derby ticket.

Silver salmon fishing has been productive at Galena Bay, Sawmill Bay, Shoup Bay and the Narrows. Anglers are already catching fish from Allison Point and the City Dock. “The run doesn’t seem to be bunched up this year” said Joe Prax of Prospector Outfitters. “That means the last two weeks of the derby should be good fishing from shore as well as from a boat”. The Valdez Halibut and Silver Salmon Derbies end Sunday, September 3^rd at noon. The raffle for $10,000 cash will be held that day after the close of the derby. Everyone who purchased a Valdez derby ticket will be entered in that drawing. Silver and Halibut Derby winners will be awarded and the drawing will be held at the Derby Awards party Sunday, September 3^rd at 6pm at the Elks Lodge.

Halibut Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st        Frieda Wiley                Valdez, AK                  374.0 lbs.         Aug 6               Dan Orion

2^nd      Tim Stadtmiller           Fairbanks, AK            266.6 lbs.        June 19           Dan Orion

3^rd       Brett Fickler                Omaha, NE                  197.4 lbs.       Aug 18             Lena Claire

Halibut Derby – Weekly Winners

1^st           Brett Fickler                 Omaha, NE                  197.4 lbs.         Aug 18             Lena Claire

2^nd        Mitch Wallace             Corpus Christi, TX      164.4 lbs.         Aug 18            Sea Quester

Silver Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st        Cole Baxter                 Fayetteville, GA         15.62 lbs.         July 26             Shark Tooth Charter

2^nd        Chinda Heston         Valdez, AK                  14.88 lbs.        Aug 12              Sandi

3^rd        Mike Zanazzo            North Pole, AK           14.60 lbs.        Aug 16             Private Boat

For more information on the Valdez Derbies, visit: www.valdezfishderbies.com

 VALDEZ, Alaska – When Chinda Heston of Valdez hooked into a 14.88 pound silver salmon she told everyone on the boat they were heading right back to Port to weigh-in for the Valdez Women’s Silver Salmon Derby. Close to 600 women registered for the 2017 Women’s Silver Salmon derby and they cheered on Heston at the Valdez Civic Center as she was crowned “Queen of the Silver Salmon Sisterhood”. Heston said everyone on her boat caught several fish, but when she hooked into her big fish she told them, “Get back to the harbor now”. Heston, who is from Thailand and lives in Valdez now, said she caught her fish near the waterfalls by the narrows and they were fishing at a depth of about 50 feet. Heston said this is the biggest fish she has ever caught and it gave her a good fight for a solid 10 minutes before she brought it on board. There were 595 women registered for the Women’s Silver Salmon Derby and the weigh-in was hopping with close to 500 women weighing in their top fish for a chance to win a prize. The Women’s Derby awards prizes for the top 50 fish.

The fact that fish were plentiful by the Valdez narrows is good news for the Valdez silver salmon derby. The run of silver salmon into Port Valdez was disappointing last year, but it is looking good for the 2017 season. “There are a lot of fish out there and they are beautiful fish”, commented Rick Ballow as he waited with his wife and her friends to weigh-in fish Saturday. “I understand they caught really big silver out at Naked Island. I think we’re going to have a 20 pound winner this year”, he said.

With silver salmon already showing up at the narrows, the fishing should be good from shore at Allison Point and in Port Valdez the final weeks of the derby. Most of those trolling on Saturday had success trolling at a depth of 40 to 70 feet. Hot spots this weekend were Potato Point, Jacks Bay, Galena Bay and the Narrows.

Frieda Wiley is still leading the Valdez Halibut Derby with the 347 pound halibut she caught August 6^th. Her fish set a new record for the largest fish ever caught in the Valdez Halibut Derby. Her catch last week moved Tim Stadtmiller of Fairbanks down to 2^nd place overall in the derby with the 266.6 pound halibut he caught June 19^th. Grant Stultz from Reston, VA caught a 182.2 pound halibut August 8^th to get into the overall standings at 3^rd place.

Both the Valdez Halibut Derby and Valdez Silver Salmon Derbies boast a $15,000 first place prize for the largest fish and run through Sunday, September 3^rd at noon. More information about the Valdez Derbies can be found at www.valdezfishderbies.com.

Halibut Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st        Frieda Wiley                Valdez, AK                  374.0 lbs.         Aug 6               Dan Orion

2^nd        Tim Stadtmiller         Fairbanks, AK             266.6 lbs.         June 19          Dan Orion

3^rd        Grant Stultz                Reston, VA                  182.2 lbs.         Aug 8               Dan Orion

Halibut Derby – Weekly Winners

1^st           Frieda Wiley               Valdez, AK                 347.0 lbs.         Aug 6              Dan Orion

2^nd        Grant Stultz                Reston, VA                 182.2 lbs.         Aug 8              Dan Orion

Silver Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st        Cole Baxter                 Fayetteville, GA         15.62 lbs.         July 26             Shark Tooth Charter

2^nd        Chinda Heston                        Valdez, AK                 14.88 lbs.         Aug 12                        Sandi

3^rd        H. Charles Sparks       Fairbanks, AK             14.50 lbs.         Aug 6              Patriot

Valdez Women’s Silver Salmon Derby

2017 – TOP 50

VALDEZ, Alaska – Frieda Wiley wasn’t even supposed to go fishing Sunday but when her husband had a cancellation on his charter boat she got the opportunity to go. The 374 pound halibut she reeled up stands a good chance of winning $15,000 in the Halibut Derby and set the record for the largest halibut on record in the Valdez Halibut Derby.

Wiley said she has been waiting 20 years to catch this fish and it took her 45 minutes of hard reeling to bring it in. “My back started spazzing out a little bit and my arm was starting to shake” said Wiley. “Once I hooked it, I felt the head shake and I knew it was something large”. Wiley’s halibut measured 91 inches long and towered over her as she smiled and accepted congratulations from the growing crowd at the Valdez Harbor.

Although Wiley was excited about catching the big halibut, she said she was originally planning to go out silver salmon fishing. “I got my halibut derby season ticket the first day of the derby and I got my silver salmon derby ticket when that derby started. I can’t wait to go fishing in the Women’s Silver Salmon derby”.

Some very nice silver salmon have come into Port Valdez and Wiley said they saw them jumping in the Gulf. Valdez Fish Derbies weigh-in coordinator Dana Morales said most of the daily winners have been in the 10 to 12 pound range. “The fishing should be good for the Women’s Silver Salmon Derby on the 12^th” said Morales.

The Women’s Silver Salmon Derby is this Saturday with an opening ceremony Friday night. Last year Nana Matsui of Valdez, Alaska won the Derby and was crowned Queen of the Silver Salmon Sisterhood with a 15.90 pound silver salmon. The biggest silver salmon caught in the Women’s Derby was an 18.84 pound silver caught by Betty Valdes of Eagle River in 2010.

The largest silver salmon caught in the Women’s Derby was an 18.84 pound silver caught by Betty Valdes of Eagle River in 2010. Registration is currently underway for the Women’s Derby upstairs in the new Prospector building on Egan Drive. The theme this year is “Adventure on the High Seas” and there will be a group costume contest Friday. Live music is planned for Saturday and derby organizers are expecting another exciting year. CLICK HERE to visit the Women’s Derby registration page at www.valdezfishderbies.com.

Halibut Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st        Frieda Wiley                              Valdez, AK                  374.0 lbs.         Aug 6               Dan Orion

2^nd        Tim Stadtmiller                      Fairbanks, AK             266.6 lbs.         June 19           Dan Orion

3^rd        Daniel Schmitz                        Wasilla, AK                 176.6 lbs.         June 12             Jamie Lynn

Halibut Derby – Weekly Winners

1^st           Stephen Brewi             Valdez, AK                  122.6 lbs.         July 30             Jake

2^nd        David Vlieger              Wahkon, MN               101.0 lbs.         Aug 3               Bold Eagle

Silver Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st        Cole Baxter                  Fayetteville, GA           15.62 lbs.         July 26             Shark Tooth Charters

2^nd        H. Charles Sparks        Fairbanks, AK             14.50 lbs.         Aug 6               Patriot

3^rd        Jerrett Lewis                Gulf Breeze, FL                       14.34 lbs.         Aug 4               Killswitch/KGB

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