VALDEZ — Kyle Perry of North Pole reeled in a 76-pound halibut aboard the Sentinel last Thursday. Moments later, Thomas Rakowski II of Valdez hooked into a 115.6-pound halibut the minute his bait on his jigging rod hit the ocean floor.
Both anglers managed to get their catch into the boat but it was Rakowski who took first place for the week in the Valdez Halibut Derby.Rakowski said he knew it was a good catch as soon as it hit and knew it might be a derby contender when the halibut was pulled over the side of the boat and Rakowksi saw the captain’s reaction. Rakowski said they had a slow morning for halibut but caught quite a few black cod before deciding to pick up and move to another spot.
Rakowski won the first place weekly prize in the Valdez Halibut Derby but fell short of making the overall standings. Robert Hubert II of Wasilla is currently leading the Halibut Derby with a 140-pound fish he caught on May 25 aboard the Hofshore. Robert Moloney of Fairbanks is in second place with a 130.4-pound halibut he caught aboard the Sentinel, and Dolly Haddow of Valdez is hanging onto third place with a 117-pound halibut she caught aboard the Sea Master. Corey Petersen of Valdez won the second place weekly prize with a 97.4-pound halibut.
The 10-day Halibut Hullabaloo tournament kicked off Friday and Petersen stands to win $1,000 cash in addition to the regular Valdez Halibut Derby prizes if his 97.4-pound fish hangs on to be the largest caught between June 6-15. With charters going out every day and the temperature and weather expected to improve midweek, the odds of a 97.4-pound halibut hanging on is a long shot, but anything is possible in the Valdez Fish Derbies. There is no additional fee to participate in the Halibut Hullabaloo Tournament or the Silver Derby Slam Tournaments as a regular derby ticket is all that is needed to qualify for the additional cash prizes.
While halibut derby anglers will be competing hard for the Halibut Hullabaloo prize and an opportunity to get on the overall leader board, salmon anglers are writing dates on their calendar. The Valdez Kids Pink Salmon is slated for July 19. The Valdez Kids Pink Salmon Derby is free and open to kids aged 5 to 16.
The Valdez Silver Salmon Derby will start July 19 and run through Aug. 31. In addition to daily prizes in the Silver Salmon Derby, salmon anglers can win big money during the new “Salmon Slam” Contest August 22-31. The angler catching the largest silver salmon during this time will win $1,000 in addition to derby prizes. The Women’s Silver Salmon Derby is Aug. 10 with an opening event on Aug. 9. For more information on the derbies, events or standings, visit www.valdezfishderbies.com.
Halibut Derby – Overall Leaders
First place — Robert Hubert II of Wasilla; 140-pound halibut; caught May 25 aboard the Hofshore
Second place — Robert Moloney of Fairbanks; 130.4-pound halibut; caught May 24 aboard the Sentinel
Third place — Dolly Haddow of Valdez; 117-pound halibut; caught May 25 aboard the Sea Master
First place — Thomas Rakowski II of Valdez; 115.6-pound halibut; caught June 5 aboard the Sentinel
Second place — Corey Petersen of Valdez; 97.4-pound halibut; caught June 6 aboard the Sentinel
