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SANTA MONICA BAY HALIBUT DERBY -- ons-16apr
Halibut record toppled in Santa Monica Bay derby
MARINA DEL REY -- A 52.33-pound halibut, the largest caught in the bay in decades, won this past weekend's 17th Annual Santa Monica Bay Halibut Derby held on the waters of Santa Monica Bay as over 600 saltwater anglers braved an incoming Pacific storm to compete in the event.
A total of 92 legal halibut (measuring a minimum of 24 inches) were weighed in at the official weigh-in station set up in Burton Chace Park.
Dan Erickson of Hacienda Heights, fishing aboard his sportfisher Nefarious, set a new derby record when he checked in with a monster California halibut that weighed 52.33 pounds. Erickson's halibut eclipsed the old record of 50.5 pounds and will most likely establish a new record catch for Santa Monica Bay.
Erickson hooked into the monster halibut while drifting a live squid in 40 feet of water off the Malibu Pier and the big fish was brought to gaff in less than 10 minutes.
For breaking the old record, Erickson won $50,000 and then topped off his big prize money with another $5,718 in cash awards for winning first place in the tournament, taking the $10 daily jackpot on day two, and, along with his teammate Jeff Cook of Upland, pocketed another $618 in the Team Competition for a grand total winning of $55,718.
According to marine biologist, Jim Rounds, who has been monitoring the Santa Monica Bay halibut fishery since the early `80s, Erickson's halibut was a female, between 30 and 40 years of age and is most likely the biggest California halibut caught in the bay in the last 50 years or more.
Tournament competition was keen with many anglers weighing in big halibut. Matt Porter of Lawndale, weighed in a 31.90-pounder for second, while Brock Temple of Whittier weighed in a halibut scaling 29.77 pounds for third. Captain Joe Spinuzzi of the sportboat Verdict, checked in with a 26.34-pounder for fourth. Fifth place was awarded to Jeff Hueth of Redondo Beach for his 26.30-pound halibut, sixth place went to Joe Haslam of Los Angeles with a 24.91-pound fish, seventh place was won by Peter Ralph of Redondo Beach whose catch scaled 20.32 pounds, ending in eight place was Carl Linderman of Glendora with a 19.82-pound flattie, finishing in ninth place was Budd Davis of Quartz Hill at 19.64 pounds, and Alexey Haussman of Torrance was 10th with a 19.5-pounder.
The total catch of halibut surprised most everyone with weather conditions getting worse throughout the tournament and rain and strong south westerly winds.
"These anglers did a good job adjusting and that's what makes a tournament like this very competitive. Some of these contestants have been fishing the Santa Monica Bay Halibut Derby for over a decade and they know how to make the right moves around the bay when the weather begins to turn or currents change," said Harvey Hunnicutt, derby director.
Halibut record toppled in Santa Monica Bay derby
MARINA DEL REY -- A 52.33-pound halibut, the largest caught in the bay in decades, won this past weekend's 17th Annual Santa Monica Bay Halibut Derby held on the waters of Santa Monica Bay as over 600 saltwater anglers braved an incoming Pacific storm to compete in the event.
A total of 92 legal halibut (measuring a minimum of 24 inches) were weighed in at the official weigh-in station set up in Burton Chace Park.
Dan Erickson of Hacienda Heights, fishing aboard his sportfisher Nefarious, set a new derby record when he checked in with a monster California halibut that weighed 52.33 pounds. Erickson's halibut eclipsed the old record of 50.5 pounds and will most likely establish a new record catch for Santa Monica Bay.
Erickson hooked into the monster halibut while drifting a live squid in 40 feet of water off the Malibu Pier and the big fish was brought to gaff in less than 10 minutes.
For breaking the old record, Erickson won $50,000 and then topped off his big prize money with another $5,718 in cash awards for winning first place in the tournament, taking the $10 daily jackpot on day two, and, along with his teammate Jeff Cook of Upland, pocketed another $618 in the Team Competition for a grand total winning of $55,718.
According to marine biologist, Jim Rounds, who has been monitoring the Santa Monica Bay halibut fishery since the early `80s, Erickson's halibut was a female, between 30 and 40 years of age and is most likely the biggest California halibut caught in the bay in the last 50 years or more.
Tournament competition was keen with many anglers weighing in big halibut. Matt Porter of Lawndale, weighed in a 31.90-pounder for second, while Brock Temple of Whittier weighed in a halibut scaling 29.77 pounds for third. Captain Joe Spinuzzi of the sportboat Verdict, checked in with a 26.34-pounder for fourth. Fifth place was awarded to Jeff Hueth of Redondo Beach for his 26.30-pound halibut, sixth place went to Joe Haslam of Los Angeles with a 24.91-pound fish, seventh place was won by Peter Ralph of Redondo Beach whose catch scaled 20.32 pounds, ending in eight place was Carl Linderman of Glendora with a 19.82-pound flattie, finishing in ninth place was Budd Davis of Quartz Hill at 19.64 pounds, and Alexey Haussman of Torrance was 10th with a 19.5-pounder.
The total catch of halibut surprised most everyone with weather conditions getting worse throughout the tournament and rain and strong south westerly winds.
"These anglers did a good job adjusting and that's what makes a tournament like this very competitive. Some of these contestants have been fishing the Santa Monica Bay Halibut Derby for over a decade and they know how to make the right moves around the bay when the weather begins to turn or currents change," said Harvey Hunnicutt, derby director.
