MIKE CONSTANT HADN’T caught a fish like this since moving to Joyce 20 years ago.
The battle began late Saturday morning, when Constant felt a pull on his recently purchased custom Rainshadow rod in 210 feet off of Freshwater Bay.
“I had him on-line for 40 to 45 minutes,” Constant said Monday.
“It was a dandy. It was fun.”
When Constant came out the victor, he had a halibut as tall as he is, maybe taller.
Constant, who had purchased a ticket for Swain’s General Store’s monthly halibut derby, took his prize to Swain’s, where it weighed in at 168 pounds.
So far, the nearest halibut on the derby ladder is more than 100 pounds lighter than Constant’s catch.
Barring the unexpected, Constant will take home the $100 first prize.
“It seems like we get one big one like that every year,” Bob Aunspach of Swain’s (360-452-2357) in Port Angeles said.
“I would be hard-pressed to say something will beat that.”
Constant serves as a fishing guide on the Columbia River, so he is no stranger to catching fish.
But a massive halibut thrills even the most experienced anglers.
“It was exciting,” Constant said. “I’m still shaking.”
Halibut briefing
There has been no rhyme or reason to the 2012 halibut season.
The first weekend, Sequim was the place to be, and not many flatfish were caught near Port Angeles.
“The first three days it was more around Sequim,” Brian Menkal of Brian’s Sporting Goods and More (360-683-1950) in Sequim said.
Last week, the waters near Port Angeles saw more action.
Aunspach said one hot spot has been the Rock Pile.
“It’s hard to say where, exactly,” Aunspach said, adding that he hasn’t met success in the hours he’s spent trying to catch halibut in the last few weeks.
“But they’re easy to catch if you can find them.”
Some anglers mark spots they’ve had hits on GPS units, hoping halibut will be there when they get back.
Sometimes they are, but unfortunately, locating halibut is an inexact science.
“It’s being in the right place at the right time,” Menkal said, adding that halibut hang out in depths from 60 to 400 feet.
Ward Norden, a fishing tackle wholesaler and former fishery biologist, said too many anglers are overlooking the shallow waters.
“Stay closer,” he said. “You can find a lot beds at less than 100 feet.”
Menkal, who reported wind gusts in Sequim on Thursday, said the shallow waters are the best bets during windy conditions.
Whether you drop your bait shallow or deep, when the wind comes you’ll need to add weight.
“I can’t stress enough the need to stay on the bottom,” Menkal said.
Bob Gooding of Olympic Sporting Goods in Forks said the wind affected the halibut opening near La Push.
“Not many went out on the first day,” Gooding said. “It was pretty rocky-and-rolly out there.”
Big slabs
The quantity harvested hasn’t been great so far, but many large halibut are being caught.
Along with Mike Constant’s 168-pounder, other anglers have brought halibut to Swain’s that weigh more than 100 pounds, including one that was 133 pounds. (These anglers didn’t purchase halibut derby tickets beforehand, so they weren’t eligible for Swain’s monthly contest.)
Captain Dave Drewry of Peninsula Sportsman (360-379-0906) says Port Townsend has had similar results.
“Halibut has been spotty,” Drewry said. “But we’re getting some big ones.”
Halibut derbies
Along with the monthly derby at Swain’s, the Port Angeles Salmon Club’s 12th annual Derby will take place Memorial Day weekend.
“It’s a derby for the fishermen, by the fishermen,” Robert Beausoleil, past president of the Port Angeles Salmon Club said.
The derby awards $20,000 in prize money to the 30 largest halibut caught in U.S. waters between Low Point and Dungeness Spit on Saturday, May 26, and Sunday, May 27.
The angler with the largest fish gets $5,000, and second-place takes home $2,500.
Third, fourth and fifth place take home $1,500, $1,200 and $1,100.
The 30th biggest fish is awarded $135.
Last year, Chuck Brown of Renton won the top prize out of 664 entrants with a 138-pound halibut.
Brown finished 20th in 2010.
The final prize of 2011 went to Andy Wichman of Port Orchard and his 45-pound halibut.
Tickets for the derby are $40, and can be purchased now at Swain’s General Store.
They will also be available Friday, May 25, at the derby headquarters at the Port Angeles Yacht Club.
For more information and to buy tickets online, go to www.swainsinc.com.
More lakes
Adding to Thursday’s column (online at http://tinyurl.com/7pjjn5k) about lake fishing, good news has been flowing most consistently from Lake Leland, located just off U.S. Highway 101 about five miles north of Quilcene.
Reports from Lake Sutherland, meanwhile, have run the gamut.
Some have said there’s been good fishing at Sutherland, others have called it a disappointment.
Menkal said varied reports are the nature of Sutherland, 10 miles west of Port Angeles off U.S. Highway 101.
“You always will hear mixed things about [Sutherland],” Menkal said.
Rivers class
Menkal will be holding part two of his rivers fishing class on Tuesday.
The session will consist of a review on part one and a discussion on fly fishing.
It is open to anglers of all skill levels.
“You can never know too much,” Menkal said.
The class runs from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Brian’s Sporting Goods and More at 542 West Washington St. in Sequim.
Bring a chair, a pen and a notepad.
Menkal will repeat part one on Tuesday, May 29, and part two on Tuesday, June 5.
For more details, call Menkal at 360-683-1950.
Sequim kids
Don’t forget the 10th annual Kids Fishing Day in Sequim on Saturday.
Anglers under the age of 14 can fish for free, no license required.
The Puget Sound Anglers North Olympic Peninsula Chapter is sponsoring the event, as well as providing worms and power bait.
The event lasts from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Water Reuse Reclamation Site Pond, just north of Carrie Blake Park, in Sequim.
Endangered Species
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and numerous organizations are honoring Endangered Species Day today.
The day is devoted to promoting the nationwide conservation efforts that protect the threatened and endangered and at-risk species in America.
According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe, the day both celebrates successes and strengthens the organization’s partnership with the public.
“By taking action to help our threatened and endangered plants and animals, we can ensure a healthy future for our country and protect treasured landscapes for future generations,” Ashe said in a press release.
For more information on Endangered Species Day and the efforts underway to preserve them, visit http://tinyurl.com/6p8do82.
Wildfire Awareness
This week also is Wildfire Awareness week.
As part of the celebration, the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is holding a campfire pit clean-out event at the Bear Creek Campground.
The aim of the event is to reduce the risk of wildfire due to escaped recreational fires.
The clean-out consists of clearing debris from and assessing campfire pits for maintenance and safety.
For the kids, a DNR fire engine will be on hand to educate about wildland firefighting.
For further information, contact Eric Steffen at 360-374-2800 or eric.steffen@dnr.wa.gov, or visit www.dnr.wa.gov/Volunteer.
Boat safety
Did you know that Washington is ranked ninth in the nation for boating fatalities, according to the latest statistics from the U.S. Coast Guard?
Many of these deaths are easily prevented, as 88 percent of drowning victims in recreational boating accidents were not wearing a life jacket.
National Safe Boating Council kicks off National Safe Boating Week, which runs from Saturday to May 25, with a national campaign that promotes safe boating and life jacket safety.
The campaign in simple: “Wear It!”
In a press release, the Council said the high number of preventable fatalities make it imperative for recreational boaters to wear life jackets at all times while on the water.
For more information on National Safe Boating Week, visit www.safeboatingcampaign.com.
VideOlympics recap
The top prize in the Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club’s VideOlympics went to “Shred the Ridge,” by filmmakers Evan Applegate, Ryan Tucker, Ted and Jack McColl.
“Shred the Ridge” also won the Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club online Facebook People’s Choice Award, making it the undisputed champion of the second annual VideOlympics.
Other films at the festival were “Back There” by Tim Stanford, “GoPro for a Year” by the Littles, “Hurricane Ridge 3/24/12” by Spencer Fasel and Chase Larsen, and “Get Stoked” by The Z Boys.
Send photos, stories
Have a photograph, a fishing or hunting report, an anecdote about an outdoors experience or a tip on gear or technique?
Send it to sports@peninsuladailynews.com or P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362.
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Outdoors columnist Lee Horton appears here Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or at lee.horton@peninsuladailynews.com.