New Leader In Valdez Halibut Derby

The following is courtesy of Valdez Fish Derbies:

FAIRBANKS WOMAN LEADS HALIBUT DERBY, PINKS SPOTTED IN SOUND

VALDEZ, Alaska – Melissa Hurd of Fairbanks is now in the lead to win $10,000 in the Valdez Halibut Derby with a 144.2-pound fish she caught last Friday. Last season, Natalie Cevasco of Fairbanks took home the Valdez Halibut Derby 1^st place prize of $10,000 with a halibut weighing in at just 205-pounds. From 1991 to present, only two anglers have caught fish weighing less than 200-pounds and won the top prize for largest fish in the Valdez Halibut Derby. In 2015 Brad Burch of Clackamus, Oregon won 1^st place with a 196.2-pound fish and Jeremy Smith of North Pole Alaska won the derby in 2022 with a 170-pound halibut. The size of the winning halibut has ranged from a 170-pounder caught in 2022 to the record breaking 374-pound halibut caught by Frieda Wiley in 2017.

The one constant in the Valdez Halibut Derby during the last several years is the ten-dollar price tag to buy a daily Halibut Derby ticket for the chance to win the $10,000 cash prize. Anglers wanting to fish all summer for a chance to catch a derby winning fish can purchase a Valdez Halibut Derby season ticket for $50 and fish the derby all summer long.

Even when anglers don’t out too far, fishing has been good. Tom Keeler of Casa Grande, Arizona said they were pulling up shrimp pots at the narrows when he started jigging and hooked into a 119.2-pound halibut. “I jigged until I thought my arms were going to fall off and all of a sudden, hold on!” Keeler said. “The guy we bought our boat off of up there was really surprised. He couldn’t believe it and neither could I. It’s the biggest halibut I’ve ever caught. I was really excited.”

“It looks like the pink salmon are on pace to be in Valdez July 4 weekend”, said Justin Prax. “People have spotted jumpers in Montague Straight. I heard that on June 15 so they’re on their way”. Prax said the pink salmon come up behind the north side of Montague Island and then around Knight Islands and disperse throughout the Sounds. He said the pinks should be thick in the Port for the Valdez Kids Pink Salmon Derby Saturday, July 19.

The Valdez Kids Pink Salmon Derby is free for kids aged 5 to 16. To participate, kids get a free hat at the weigh-in station on the morning of Saturday, July 19, fish in Valdez, and enter their picture on the valdezfishderbies.com website for a chance to win prizes. There will be four $100 Grand prize winners chosen randomly and eight other lucky kids will win a fishing pole. This is a free event sponsored by Valdez Fish Derbies to get kids involved in fishing. Anglers can catch pink salmon trolling the waters but there are also miles of accessible shoreline at Allison Point and anglers need only a fishing pole and a pixie, spinner or vibrax to hook a good one. CLICK HERE for more information about the Valdez Kids Pink Salmon Derby. The Women’s Silver Salmon Derby is slated for Saturday, August 9 with an opening Treasure Hunt event on Friday, August 8. The Women’s Derby theme this year is “Flower Power.”

Halibut Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st           Melissa Hurd                  Fairbanks, AK                 144.2 lbs.         June 27              Hofshore

2^nd          Robert Hubert II            Wasilla, AK                      140.0 lbs.         May 25               Hofshore

3^rd               Robert Moloney            Fairbanks, AK                 130.4 lbs.         May 24               Sentinel

Halibut Derby – Weekly Winners – June 22 through June 28

1^st           Melissa Hurd                  Fairbanks, AK                 144.2 lbs.         June 27              Hofshore
2^nd          Jay McKinney                  Catawba, SC                  126.2 lbs.         June 23              Halibut Grove