PORT ANGELES — Josh Constant has been in this position before.
The Port Angeles angler brought home a 107.9-pound halibut Saturday and leads the Port Angeles Salmon Club’s 15th annual Halibut Derby entering today’s final round.
The biggest fish will earn the derby’s $5,000 first prize when the contest closes today at 2 p.m. at the Port Angeles Yacht Club.
In 2013, Constant connected with a 93-pound halibut on the first day of the derby, only to be bumped by a 96-pound flattie caught in the final hours of the second day.
Constant hooked and landed this year’s leader using Black Label herring rigged up on a spreader bar.
The fish came in to derby headquarters at 1:15 p.m. Saturday.
A rod designer for Sequim-based Batson Enterprises, Constant said he was using a custom-made version of Batson’s ToughStick line, a 7-foot rod of a medium-heavy weight.
“We were anchor fishing in about 100 feet of water in Freshwater Bay,” Constant said.
Constant said he was fishing with his “halibut buddy,” his uncle, Rocky Constant.
“We picked up two nice ones in that same area Friday, a 54[-pounder] and a 34[-pounder], so we went right back out there again today,” Constant said.
Conditions were better for anglers Saturday, according to Constant.
“We couldn’t ask for anything better after the last two days of getting pounded on,” Constant said. “It was a blessing to see some nice water.”
Before hooking up with the leader, Constant said they had lost what felt like a good-sized fish about 20 minutes earlier.
With fish he caught, though, Constant knew he was in for a fight from the get-go.
“It didn’t really set on the hook as much as it clamped down hard on it,” Constant said.
“It was a good fight. I was holding on to my rod and it immediately carried me to the back of boat and took off peeling off line.
“We broke loose from anchor and started chasing it down.”
Constant said it took about 20 minutes to get the halibut alongside the boat and a little bit more time once it was harpooned to bring it aboard safely.
“We brought it up to the surface a few times but it kept taking line back down,” Constant said.
“After my uncle harpooned it, it took the buoy underwater for awhile but the fight was mostly over.
“We got it back up one last time and finished him off with the .410 [bore shotgun].”
Heidi Bernier of Bellevue is in second place with a 74.3-pound halibut brought in at 12:45 p.m.
Bernier’s flattie edges out a 72.8-pounder landed off Green Point by Port Angeles’ Mark Amorso at 11:15 a.m.
The derby trip was Amorso’s first-ever attempt at catching a halibut. He said he normally sticks to river fishing for salmon and steelhead.
Amorso was fishing with his buddies George Irvine and Ed Alexander.
They were using herring rigged up on a spreader bar.
“It hurt really bad to bring it in,” Amorso said.
“I have carpal tunnel in my hands, so it was pretty brutal.”
They landed the fish after first harpooning the halibut and then finishing it off with .380 slug.
“I’m still feeling the adrenaline pumping through me,” Amorso said Saturday afternoon.
“It makes me want to do it again. Now I’m addicted to it.”
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-452-2345, ext. 5250 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
