Episodes

VALDEZ, Alaska – You never know when a big halibut will bite the hook of a derby angler. Last year, Tim Stadtmiller of Fairbanks reeled in a 266.6 pound halibut June 18^th and held on to win 2^nd place overall in the Valdez Halibut Derby.

A quick review of halibut winners through the past few years illustrates that predicting when the derby winner will be caught is a tough proposition. Last year, Frieda Wiley caught the biggest derby fish on record August 6^th. Wiley’s fish weighed in at 376.0 pounds. In 2016 David Jamison of Fairbanks caught his 253.0 pound derby winning fish on May 29^th. In 2015, Fred Hyder of Willow, Alaska caught his derby winning 253.8 pound halibut on July 25^th. In 2014 Scott Hebig of Wasilla, Alaska caught a 203.6 pound halibut June 20^th to win the derby. James Culley of Fairbanks caught his derby winning 325.0 pound halibut July 21^st, 2013 and a big derby fish, a 343.6 pounder, was caught August 5^th, 2006 by Kevin Lincoln of North Pole, Alaska. A complete listing of Valdez Halibut Derby winners can be found on “Previous Winners” page at www.valdezfishderbies.com.

If history repeats itself, the Valdez Halibut Derby weigh-in station should busy the next two weekends for the Valdez Halibut Hullabaloo. This is a 10-day tournament that runs during the regular derby. The person catching the largest fish between June 8^th and 17^th will take home $1,000 cash in addition to the regular derby prizes. There is no additional ticket or registration for this tournament. Anyone fishing with a regular daily or season ticket during the Halibut Hullabaloo is eligible for the bonus prize of $1,000.

Lingcod fishing is closed until July 1^st but Alaska Department of Fish and Game reports anglers are picking up nice catches of rockfish. Pacific cod have also been caught while halibut fishing. These fish will bite on the same bait and lures that you use for halibut and rockfish.

With the pink salmon season just around the corner, organizers are gearing up for the Kids Pink Salmon Derby. The pinks generally start running late June and by the first week in July fish will start to settle in around Allison Point. The Kids Pink Salmon Derby is Saturday, July 21^st. The Kids Derby is free and the first 200 kids to weigh in a fish get a free t-shirt. The top three fish in four different age divisions will win a prize. There’s a free family BBQ at the end of the Derby. More information on the Kids Derby, Women’s Silver Salmon Derby and other derby activities and events can be found at www.valdezfishderbies.com.

Halibut Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st        Clayson Wiley             North Pole, AK                        148.4 lbs.         May 26                        Dan Orion

2^nd        Jordan Thomas                        Palmer, AK                  132.0 lbs.         June 9              Jaime Lynn

3^rd        Jim Beach                    Palmer, AK                  119.6 lbs.         May 30                        Jaime Lynn

132.0 – Jordan Thomas – Palmer, AK – Jaime Lynn – 6-9

Halibut Derby – Weekly Winners – Week #3

1^st        Jordan Thomas                        Palmer, AK                  132.0 lbs.         June 9              Jaime Lynn

2^nd        Mike Minyard              Soldotna, AK               105.4 lbs.         June 4              Dan Orion

For more information on the Valdez Derbies, visit: www.valdezfishderbies.com

VALDEZ, Alaska – You never know when a big halibut will bite the hook of a derby angler. Last year, Tim Stadtmiller of Fairbanks reeled in a 266.6 pound halibut June 18^th and held on to win 2^nd place overall in the Valdez Halibut Derby.

A quick review of halibut winners through the past few years illustrates that predicting when the derby winner will be caught is a tough proposition. Last year, Frieda Wiley caught the biggest derby fish on record August 6^th. Wiley’s fish weighed in at 376.0 pounds. In 2016 David Jamison of Fairbanks caught his 253.0 pound derby winning fish on May 29^th. In 2015, Fred Hyder of Willow, Alaska caught his derby winning 253.8 pound halibut on July 25^th. In 2014 Scott Hebig of Wasilla, Alaska caught a 203.6 pound halibut June 20^th to win the derby. James Culley of Fairbanks caught his derby winning 325.0 pound halibut July 21^st, 2013 and a big derby fish, a 343.6 pounder, was caught August 5^th, 2006 by Kevin Lincoln of North Pole, Alaska. A complete listing of Valdez Halibut Derby winners can be found on “Previous Winners” page at www.valdezfishderbies.com.

If history repeats itself, the Valdez Halibut Derby weigh-in station should busy the next two weekends for the Valdez Halibut Hullabaloo. This is a 10-day tournament that runs during the regular derby. The person catching the largest fish between June 8^th and 17^th will take home $1,000 cash in addition to the regular derby prizes. There is no additional ticket or registration for this tournament. Anyone fishing with a regular daily or season ticket during the Halibut Hullabaloo is eligible for the bonus prize of $1,000.

Lingcod fishing is closed until July 1^st but Alaska Department of Fish and Game reports anglers are picking up nice catches of rockfish. Pacific cod have also been caught while halibut fishing. These fish will bite on the same bait and lures that you use for halibut and rockfish.

With the pink salmon season just around the corner, organizers are gearing up for the Kids Pink Salmon Derby. The pinks generally start running late June and by the first week in July fish will start to settle in around Allison Point. The Kids Pink Salmon Derby is Saturday, July 21^st. The Kids Derby is free and the first 200 kids to weigh in a fish get a free t-shirt. The top three fish in four different age divisions will win a prize. There’s a free family BBQ at the end of the Derby. More information on the Kids Derby, Women’s Silver Salmon Derby and other derby activities and events can be found at www.valdezfishderbies.com.

Halibut Derby – Overall Leaders

1^st        Clayson Wiley             North Pole, AK                        148.4 lbs.         May 26                        Dan Orion

2^nd        Jordan Thomas                        Palmer, AK                  132.0 lbs.         June 9              Jaime Lynn

3^rd        Jim Beach                    Palmer, AK                  119.6 lbs.         May 30                        Jaime Lynn

132.0 – Jordan Thomas – Palmer, AK – Jaime Lynn – 6-9

Halibut Derby – Weekly Winners – Week #3

1^st        Jordan Thomas                        Palmer, AK                  132.0 lbs.         June 9              Jaime Lynn

2^nd        Mike Minyard              Soldotna, AK               105.4 lbs.         June 4              Dan Orion

For more information on the Valdez Derbies, visit: www.valdezfishderbies.com

Marcus Garcia, fourth from left, at the climbing wall with students taking the Conditioning for Climbing half-day intensive

Aerial Silks class

Emily Anderson sings as Teal Rodgers performs aerial silks on North Harbor Drive

Marcus Garcia, fourth from left, at the climbing wall with students taking the Conditioning for Climbing half-day intensive

Aerial Silks class

Emily Anderson sings as Teal Rodgers performs aerial silks on North Harbor Drive

Here are your responses.

CLICK HERE for more pictures

So no more “Pringle”? Will this accommodate the same size community gatherings? Will it be warmer? Can music be done in it? Does the new center include rest rooms?

Remember, we are unlikely to get lots of cruise ships here, but we have come to appreciate this community gathering area (we can certainly use the Park Strip picnic shelter instead, but this is more “downtown”, integrating visitors and townsfolk more naturally. ) Is the pringle too hard to take down and put up? Otherwise, why change it?

I guess, I wonder why we need this? What was wrong with the Pringle? So how much money are we spending for just covered seating? Unless I am missing something, it just looks like the bathrooms we already have with covered seating. I think we should re-evaluate.

I think that this is a very expensive covered seating area. What is interpretive about this? It is a covered are next to a bathroom. Why is this costing so much money?

Valdez needs to continue to get brought to life, to give the community and tourists more to love and enjoy. The interpretive center follows the momentum created a few years ago to beautify downtown and the waterfront. The extraordinary natural beauty of the town can be brought down by dilapidated buildings, empty unkempt lots, and failing businesses. I’m happy to see the City use this grant to the fullest extent.

Where’s the ferry terminal? The interpretive center doesn’t look like it has any visual interest except for a sign that only cruise ship passengers can see. It seems like a center to promote Valdez and its natural beauty would have more windows.

Here are your responses.

CLICK HERE for more pictures

So no more “Pringle”? Will this accommodate the same size community gatherings? Will it be warmer? Can music be done in it? Does the new center include rest rooms?

Remember, we are unlikely to get lots of cruise ships here, but we have come to appreciate this community gathering area (we can certainly use the Park Strip picnic shelter instead, but this is more “downtown”, integrating visitors and townsfolk more naturally. ) Is the pringle too hard to take down and put up? Otherwise, why change it?

I guess, I wonder why we need this? What was wrong with the Pringle? So how much money are we spending for just covered seating? Unless I am missing something, it just looks like the bathrooms we already have with covered seating. I think we should re-evaluate.

I think that this is a very expensive covered seating area. What is interpretive about this? It is a covered are next to a bathroom. Why is this costing so much money?

Valdez needs to continue to get brought to life, to give the community and tourists more to love and enjoy. The interpretive center follows the momentum created a few years ago to beautify downtown and the waterfront. The extraordinary natural beauty of the town can be brought down by dilapidated buildings, empty unkempt lots, and failing businesses. I’m happy to see the City use this grant to the fullest extent.

Where’s the ferry terminal? The interpretive center doesn’t look like it has any visual interest except for a sign that only cruise ship passengers can see. It seems like a center to promote Valdez and its natural beauty would have more windows.