Teen’s 335-pound Halibut Holds Up To Win Derby

The youngster beat out the old fishing veterans. Recently, Idaho teenager Jackson Hobbs, 16, took the lead in the Homer Halibut Jackpot Derby with a 335-pounder.

Hobbs, who was visiting Alaska from his Idaho home, had his big fish hold up to win the derby and its $10,000 prize, plus a bonus for total tickets sold that should as much as double that base award.

From the Anchorage Daily News:

Hobbs had reason to be nervous. He said his grandfather, Tim, had already called a couple times before Tuesday to jokingly tell him someone had caught a bigger fish.

 “He’s kind of a joker,” said Hobbs, who lives in Franklin, Idaho.

 The derby officially ended Monday night at 9 p.m. For catching the largest halibut, Hobbs will win $10,000 plus 50 cents for each derby ticket sold, according to Jim Lavrakas with the Homer Chamber of Commerce. The exact figure won’t be announced until Monday, when final ticket sales are calculated. However, Lavrakas said Hobbs’ haul will likely be similar to the $21,281 taken home last year by Bellevue, Washington, angler Gene Jones.

Hobbs’ big fish had to withstand a big challenge when another whopper was brought in just three days before the derby’s end. Luckily for the teen, Randall Chadwick’s barn door weighed 301 pounds – a monster flatfish to be sure, but still 34 pounds short of Hobbs’ derby winner.

“That was a scare, but I knew 335 would be tough to beat,” Lavrakas said Tuesday from Homer.

Good for you, Jackson!