I received this photo from Cameron at 11:30 this morning. This is Ethan Warmkessel (if I'm reading his handwriting correctly. If not please correct me and my apologies) of Reno, on the left. I don't know the halibut's name, but I know that it weighed 34 pounds, and Ethan said he caught it on a hootchy/dodger trolled setup off of Dillon Beach in 26 feet of water. He had a second fish as well, but it didn't photograph well with this one, so it stayed in the boat. Nice. Damn. Fish. Damn because I didn't catch it. Good work, sir.

 

    Vance Staplin went fishing with Ron Johnson today and was able to catch this 32 pound halibut on live bait on the bar. I'm not sure who caught the other two, but I kinda hope it was Ron, if only for balance. I believe that this was both of their first trips of the year. Nice job, gentlemen. This fish puts our big fish board tied between 20 pound class halibut and 30 pound class halibut. In a normal year we might have as many as two halibut over 30 pounds. This year? Big fish? The odds have never been better, it seems. I still can't catch one, though.

     Angie Sala caught these two halibut (11 and 12 pounds) between Marker 5 and the split channel marker while drifting frozen herring. There were a lot of boats that came back with no fish today, so Angie ain't wrong to be so happy. Good job, Angie, and nice netting, Mr. Sala.