Valdez Silver Charter

[Mike1]

I have a group coming from out of state on the first week of August this year. They wanted to see Valdez and we have a halibut charter scheduled. I know it is tough to say when the silvers will come. Do the charter guys usually run out to where every the silvers are located before getting close to Valdez. Any suggestion on a charter and how far out they normally go? This last year I don't think there were many close the first week of August.

MIKE

 

[captaindd]

http://www.valhallacharters.com/heimdall.htm This guy does pretty good. He starts fishing mid July for silvers.

 

[TS]

Call Dan seaclusion saltwater adventures. 831 0754, he has two boats that fish silvers in late July and August,

 

[Cap'n Ron]

The silvers were weird last year, happens now and then, and they all hung outside the Valdez fiord, but "normally" they are close in by early August. However, if you are doing a halibut charter, they will be going out where there are always silvers by sometime in July, and many of the charters will do a combo halibut/silvers and the captains will know where the silvers are...they all have their favorite halibut spots and the silvers will be where they are and without a doubt you should be able to get a limit if the weather cooperates. So just ask when you contact the charters recommended by the two Captains in above posts, or anyone else you contact.

If you are fishing in some of Valdez Arm or the narrows or Valdez harbor, you can keep 6 silvers because they are considered part of the hatchery run. But in Jacks Bay, Galena Bay, or past the designated points in Valdez Arm, you can only keep 3 silvers because they may be part of the wild run. The hatcheries do NOT clip adipose fins, so the boundaries are used to focus the higher harvest on the hatchery run.

If the silvers are in closer, the halibut charter can have you do your silver fishing in the 6 silver limit area...

 

[Mike1]

Thanks for you thoughts. I have an 18' Lund and have fished a lot in the Jack's Bay area but wanted to make sure I could get on a boat and get these guys out to the silvers. The Narrows are about as far as I like to run. I don't think these guys are worried about the numbers as just catching a few silvers. We will have 5 people with is more than I will take in my boat. We were also talking Seward but I don't think that compares to Valdez as far as beauty of the area. The last couple of years the fish have just been out pretty far at the begin of August and I just was checking to see if the charters were going out around the corner to where ever the silvers might be early.

 

[Cap'n Ron]

Last year (or was it the year before?) when the silvers hung up and didn't come into Valdez Harbor or even the Narrows, the Valdez Silver Derby was extended to anywhere in Prince William Sound, and all the charters just went out further to get them. However, where they were going was 1 to 1 1/2 hours out, and while I don't know if that affected the price of a charter, it sure affected the time, and probably there were few if any half day charters available. But, Mike, you can be sure that if you charter for silvers, they are going to take you where the fish are to get those. Sometimes it's only 15-20 minutes out by Mineral Creek and your group can limit out in an hour or so...sometimes it takes most of a day. Lots less time than going for big halibut though! Most charters and private boats troll for the silvers, but if you get a chance to mooch for them, I think that is a lot more fun, and sometimes if you are in shallower water you can just cast spinners or spoons, more fun yet!!

You can watch the AK Fish and Game website fishing reports for Prince William Sound and it will tell you where the silvers are as August approaches, although they sometimes have a little time lag before the reports are in. The charter you've selected should be able to tell you too. The timing is a little different every year, and a lot different some years.