But that didn’t faze the fortunate 47-year-old first-timer, who caught a 335.7-pound halibut on July 2 that will likely win her the $15,000 top prize in the 2011 Valdez Halibut Derby.
John Schaap landed this monster 88 inch, 380 pound halibut near Glacier Bay in Alaska while fishing with Captain Andy Martin www.alaskasportfish.net
Occurs in cold waters of the North Pacific from the Bering Sea south to about Santa Rosa Island, California, on the American side and to northern Japan (including the Okhotsk Sea) on the Asian side. The Pacific halibut is highly migratory. Tagging operations have shown that some adult specimens travel 2,000 miles or more, though others appear to remain near the spawning grounds. In northern areas large halibut can be found in relatively shallow waters, but in the warmer southern portions of their range they may go as deep as 600 fathoms or more.
| DISTRIBUTION: | Pacific Ocean |
| MAX SIZE: | 550 lb / 250 kg |
| MAX LENGTH: | 86 inch / 220 cm |
| MAX AGE: | 35-45 years |
| ENVIRONMENT: | Saltwater |