More than three years after being tagged, the halibut met its match. It was hooked by Ken Jackson of Yreka, Calif., while fishing with Five Star Charters, about 15 miles off the coast, near Bandon, Ore., on May 20.
The halibut’s number, 536, was sponsored by the Driftwood Inn and RV Park in Homer. Had it been caught by a local angler with a 2003 derby ticket it would have been worth $500.
At some point, after being tagged in Homer, the halibut traveled at least 1,655 miles, the distance from Homer to Gold Beach.
When it was tagged, the halibut weighed five pounds and was 26 inches long. Now, seven inches longer and 10 pounds heavier, it might make a better meal.
When Mark Lottis, owner of Five Star Charters, saw the tag he said he thought it must have been for some sort of research project.
In Oregon, the halibut season runs from the middle of May to the middle of June. Lottis said that the fishing usually drops off around the end of June, and the charter boat captains joke that all the halibut head up to Alaska.
The average halibut in Oregon is 25-40 pounds. Lottis said that more than 70 pounds is considered a big fish.
Lottis has been fishing in Homer “a time or two,” and said that the fish in Oregon are nothing compared to Homer, but that fishing is done in pretty much the same manner.
Maybe next time he’s in Homer he’ll have a shot at number 536 again, if the halibut really does like to travel.
“He wasn’t very big, he was only 30 inches long,” said Lottis. “We thought it would be fun to let him go.”
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