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| Anchorage Angler Leads Valdez Halibut Derby |
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VALDEZ – Memorial weekend, the start of the derby and plenty of sunshine got anglers out on the water early this year in Valdez. “I think the sunshine has brought more people out,” commented Valdez Fish Derbies board member Laura Saxe. “The charters are really hurrying to get their boats up and running”. Some big fish were brought in last week, but it’s Jessica Yeamans of Anchorage at the top of the leader board after she caught a 97.4 pound halibut the opening weekend of the derby aboard the Orion. Bigger fish might have been caught, but it’s the one caught with a derby ticket that has a chance of winning the $15,000 first place prize. The 2nd place overall prize is $5,000 this year and 3rd place is $2,000. Currently in 2nd place in the standings is Shanley Young of Fairbanks who caught an 82.2 pound halibut aboard Reel Dreams. While Young and Yeaman’s fish will likely not hold on until the end of the derby, there is a chance they could hold on until next Saturday and take home the weekly 1st and 2nd place prize. The Halibut Derby week ends Saturday night, but the first Saturday of the derby is included in the week that ends Saturday, May 30th. Alaska Department of Fish and Game is reporting excellent halibut fishing at the outer entrances of Prince William Sound and there are reports of pacific cod and yellow-eye rockfish being caught. A few early season wild kings have been caught according to Dave Cobb of the Valdez Fisheries and he said the hatchery kings should return to the Port a bit later in the season. The Valdez Halibut Derby will run May 23rd through September 6th, and this year, the Halibut derby will feature an 11-day “Halibut Hullabaloo” tournament. The person catching the largest fish during that period will win two round-trip tickets anywhere Alaska Airlines flies. The Halibut Hullabaloo started last year as a 3-day tournament, but was expanded to include two weekends this year. The tournament just requires a regular derby ticket and standard weigh-in. Derby tickets are available at: Weigh-in station; Fish Central; Prospector; Eagle’s Rest RV Park; Reynolds Alaska Crowley Fuel Docks, South Central Hardware; Best Western; Captain Joe’s and with Preferred Charters. Tickets are $10 per day or $50 for the season. Derby tickets are good for free admission to the “Spawn ‘til Dawn” Derby Awards Party Sunday, September 6th. Halibut Derby Overall LeadersJessica Yeamans Shanley Young |
