VALDEZ, Alaska – David Jamison of Fairbanks is a speech pathologist who said he was anything but speechless when he started reeling in a 253 pound halibut that catapulted him to the lead in the Valdez Halibut Derby. “We have a video on YouTube of me catching the fish and I was cursing the whole time”. Jamison said. He said the day started slow. They were catching rockfish and just about to move to another spot when the big one hit his line. His reaction when he got the fish in the boat “Thank God it’s Done”. “It took a while to pull up” Jamison said “It was fun. Chris (boat captain) was the only one cheering me on. Everyone else in the boat was telling me it was a skate.
Jamison said he didn’t realize how big the prize was in the Halibut Derby until he got back to Port. He said he purchased the derby ticket because you never know if you’re going to pull in a big one. When asked what he would do with the $15,000 grand prize if he held on through the end of the Halibut Derby September 4th, he said he would probably come back to Valdez to do more fishing. Jamison caught his fish May 29th aboard the Nanatuk. He won the weekly 1st place prize for his efforts and will be watching the standings for the next few months.
Andrew Towne of Anchorage is holding onto 2nd place in the overall standings and took the 2nd place weekly prize with a 133.4 pound halibut he caught May 31st aboard the Amanda Rose. Currently in 3rd place overall is David Sears of Fairbanks with a 121.8 pound flatfish he caught May 29th aboard the Harvester.
If history repeats itself, the Valdez Halibut Derby weigh-in station should busy the next two weekends for the Valdez Halibut Hullabaloo. This is a 10-day tournament that runs during the regular derby. The person catching the largest fish between June 10th and 19th will take home $1,000, in addition to regular derby prizes. There is no additional ticket or registration for this tournament. Anyone fishing with a regular daily or season ticket during the Halibut Hullabaloo is eligible for the bonus prize of $1,000.
With the pink salmon season just around the corner, organizers are gearing up for the Kids Pink Salmon Derby. The pinks generally start running late June and by the first week in July fish will start to settle in around Allison Point. The Kids Pink Salmon Derby is Saturday, July 23rd. The Kids Derby is free and the first 200 kids to weigh in a fish get a free t-shirt. The top three fish in four different age divisions will win a prize. There’s a free family BBQ at the end of the Derby. More information on the Kids Derby, Women’s Silver Salmon Derby and other derby activities and events can be found at www.valdezfishderbies.com.
Halibut Derby – Overall Leaders
1st David Jamison Fairbanks, AK 253.0 lbs. May 29 Nanatuk
2nd Andrew Towne Anchorage, AK 133.4 lbs. May 31 Amanda Rose
3rd David Sears Fairbanks, AK 121.8 lbs. May 29 Harvester
Halibut Derby – Weekly Winners – Week #4
1st David Jamison Fairbanks, AK 253.0 lbs. May 29 Nanatuk
2nd Andrew Towne Anchorage, AK 133.4 lbs. May 31 Amanda Rose For more information on the Valdez Derbies, visit: www.valdezfishderbies.com