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Bucking the odds, Jesus "Skip" Torres of Elmendorf continues to cling to his lead in the Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby. Torres caught his 248-pound fish May 21 with captain Keith Kalke of Ocean Hunter Charters, and while Minnesota angler Phil Dean came within less than a pound of unseating Torres earlier this month, he was unable to do so.
A fish that small has never won Alaska's biggest fishing derby, which earned Thomas Youngblood of Homer more than $40,400 for his winning fish last year. The smallest fish to win was a 262-pounder in 1988, the third year of the derby. Last week, Arizona angler Jody Hyslip pulled in a 159-pounder to grab the lead in June's Lady Angler category, which earns the victor $1,000. Sixteen fish have been entered in the released-fish category this month. The category aims to encourage anglers to release halibut weighing more than 60 pounds, typically females with significant breeding potential. A drawing among the entries at month's end determines the $1,000 winner.