Caverly's 89-inch fish appears to be the second largest halibut landed in Alaska this summer. Homer angler Thomas Youngblood leads his hometown derby with a 354.6-pound fish caught in June.
"Like bringing up a barn door," Caverly told derby officials after the 35-minute fight in the Gulf of Alaska.
Caverly was fishing with Dave Wiley aboard his boat, the Dan Orion of Orion Charters. Last year, Wiley client Jan VanderVaart fishing aboard the same boat won the derby with a 251.5-pounder. In 2006, a Wiley client finished second in the derby with a 263-pounder.
Caverly's fish pushed Fairbanks angler Marvin Ray Williams into second place. Williams caught a 275.6-pounder on June 7.
Winner of the derby, which ends Sept. 6, earns $15,000; second place is worth $5,000.
Important warning about e-mails purporting to be from the adn.com staff.