 And then I got into this kind of like activity and I'm like, oh yeah, now I want a bigger one. Halibut anglers and Valdez are all trying to catch the derby winning halibut and take home $10,000 cash. Currently leading the derby is Jeff Smith of Tucson, Arizona, who caught a 160.8 pound halibut. The Valdez Silver Salmon Derby will start Saturday, July 20th with a grand prize of $10,000 cash for the largest fish caught. The Women's Silver Salmon Derby is slated for Saturday, August 10th.