Huge and hefty halibut takes lead in Seward tourney

LAURA CLUBERTON

July 03, 2008 at 1:41PM AKST

The Seward Small Boat Harbor was abuzz the evening of June 24 as Tim Berg of Soldotna presented his 319.6-pound humdinger at the official weigh-in station.

Caught aboard the Grande Alaska, this behemoth has set a new high for the tournament, raising hopes for the appearance of more trophies in the days to come. The giant was reportedly teased onto the vessel using 40-pound test and salmon gear.

Christopher Lafe of Wasilla now holds second with his 178-pound treasure, caught with Glacier Fishing Charters, and Jared Funk, of Auburn, N.Y., falls to third with his 173.7-pounder caught aboard Crackerjack Sportfishing Charters’ Crackerjack Voyager.

The 2008 Seward Halibut Tournament runs through June. The angler with the heaviest catch nets $10,000, with a $5,000 and $2,500 second- and third-place prizes. In addition, the angler bringing in the heaviest fish daily catch wins a seat on a June 2009 Seward-based halibut charter.  

Daily tournament tickets are $10, or $25 for three days. For updates, see the Seward Chamber of Commerce website, www.seward.com.

When she isn’t recording halibut weights, Laura Cluberton can be found working at the Seward Chamber of Commerce.