Humongous Halibut Sets Valdez Derby Record

Humongous Halibut Sets Valdez Derby Record
By Lee Revis Editor, Valdez Star
BOAT HARBOR- A huge crowd gathered on the floats at the small boat harbor last Thursday night after word spread quickly around town that the No Excuses, a local charter boat, was pulling into port with a 92 inch halibut on board. "We had no idea it was that big," a jubilant Dave Bruno said after the weigh in, which pegged the flat fish at 325.4 pounds.
Bruno, a Glennallen man who says he's been coming down to fish in Valdez for 20 years, says the rest of the fishing party and Captain Dave Bruss were just about ready to call it a day after a successful day of fishing aboard the "No Excuses", but at the last minute those who hadn't maxed out decided to use up the last four pieces of bait.
While a friend on board was trying to reel in a large fighter, which later weighed in at 192.2, Bruno also felt the tug of a big fish. "I must have dropped it (the baited hook) right on its head," he speculated of the record breaker.
He said he just let the fish play, while the crew of the boat wrestled to bring in the first fish, which put on an impressive fight, according to witnesses. So Bruno says he just hung on and kept a tight line until the first fish was safely aboard. "I never expected this," said Bruno, who says he's been going out with Captain Bruss for many years. While he says the landed the big one in about half an hour without too much of a fight, it did present challenges. "My arms were so full of knots," he said while smiling all the while.
This halibut may be a record breaker, but there is still plenty of time left to try to bring in a bigger fish according to the folks at the Valdez Halibut Derby. The $15,000 prize to for the largest fish caught by a derby ticket holder doesn't end until September 4 and there is still plenty of good fishing to be had until then.