Derby News - Week 2, 5/30-6/05

Halibut Hullaballoo kicks off this Thursday

Gregg Wojcik of Delta, AK reeled in a 158.3 pound halibut aboard Dan Orion June 3rd to place him as the current leader of the Valdez Halibut Derby. He also won the first place prize for Week #2. John Tester of North Pole, AK is right behind with the 153.8 pound flatfish he caught aboard Dan Orion May 25th. Holding onto 3rdplace in the overall standings and taking second place prize for the week is local Valdez resident Carrie Carpenter with a 138.4 pound halibut she brought in aboard the Aleasha. This time last year the leading halibut weighed in at a mere 129 pounds.
Many sizable halibut were reeled in this past Sunday during the Valdez Military Appreciation Weekend. Bonnie Woods of the Valdez Fish Derbies Weigh-In Station mentioned that six halibut were weighed in for the military fishing day; weighing around the 100 pound mark. Local private boats and charters donated their time to honor these military personnel by taking them halibut fishing in Prince William Sound.
The 11-day Halibut Hullabaloo tournament is scheduled to kick off Thursday, June 9 and will run through Sunday, June 19th. The angler who catches the largest halibut during that period will win $1,000 cash in addition to the weekly 1st place prize package worth $300 minimum. There are no special rules or tickets to buy, anglers simply need to purchase a season halibut derby ticket for $50 or a daily halibut derby ticket for $10 and weigh-in their fish during the Halibut Hullabaloo.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is reporting larger halibut being caught near ocean entrances and small to medium-sized fish being reeled in on the west side of the Sound. Both rockfish angling and pacific cod angling has been productive in Prince William Sound this week and kings are expected to show up around Flemming Spit any day now.

Valdez Fish Derby tickets are available at: Capt'n Joe's Convenience Store; Eagle's Rest RV Park; Mike's Palace; South Central Hardware; Valdez Fish Derby Weigh-In Station; Fish Central and with Valdez Fish Derbies Preferred Charters. A complete list of vendors, prize information and dates can be found at www.valdezfishderbies.com