Many anglers braved the cold and rain in Valdez to best the 17.28 pound silver caught by eight-year-old Aksel Hutchinson of Valdez, but his fish is still holding onto 1st place and stands a good chance of winning the $10,000 first place prize in the Valdez Silver Salmon Derby. The angler taking 2nd place in the Silver Salmon Derby will win $3,000 and the 3rd place derby angler will win $1,500. The smallest silver to ever win the Valdez Silver Salmon Derby was Jim Burzinski’s 15.11 pound silver caught back in 1971. The largest silver salmon ever caught in the derbies weighed in