20-06-2025
Massive halibut caught in Alaska could have been a derby contender
Fishing derbies are like the lottery in that you can't win unless you enter.
Lorna Illingworth, for example, caught a 158-pound halibut last weekend while fishing during the 'Halibut Hullabaloo' out of Valdez, Alaska.
The fish measured 6-plus feet and dwarfed all catches made during the June 6-15 competition, which was part of the ongoing Valdez Halibut Derby, which boasts a $10,000 top prize.
But Illingworth did not purchase a $10 entry ticket, so she missed out on the $1,000 prize for the Hullabaloo, and her catch does not qualify for the Valdez Halibut Derby.
ALSO: Tense moments in Yellowstone as dog leaps from vehicle to chase wolf
Alaska News Source quoted Laurie Prax, owner and manager of KVAK Radio, as saying: 'She just didn't think she was going to catch a big halibut. And then lo and behold, she and her husband caught 158-pounder.'
The largest 'ticketed' fish caught during the Halibut Hullabaloo weighed 98.4 pounds. As of Friday, the top catch of the Valdez Halibut Derby is a 140-pound halibut landed by Robert Hubert II on May 25.
The derby began May 24 and runs through Aug. 31, and it'll be interesting to see if anyone tops Illingworth's catch.
It's worth noting that the average weight of Pacific halibut caught in the Prince William Sound region weighs 30-40 pounds. But in the past, several 'barn door' halibut exceeding 300 pounds have been caught.
The Valdez Halibut Derby record, set in 2017, stands at 374 pounds.
For comparison, the all-tackle world record for Pacific halibut stands at 459 pounds. That behemoth was caught out of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, in 1996.
