TWO WAYS TO ENTER:

1. Halibut Drift Days 
   These are special extended halibut drift trips that will specifically drift for halibut.
   7:00am – 4:00pm – Limited load to 25 passengers.
   $64 per person, $5 entry included in price.
   Buy tickets online at Zerve here!
   
   
2. Enter on any open party ½ or ¾  day trip!
   Cost is $5 and will be taken at time of check-in. Entry must be paid for before boat departs. An entry is only valid for the day it is purchased. To enter on a different day, an addition entry ticket must be purchased.
   Buy tickets online at Zerve here!
   

YOUR $5 ENTRY GOES INTO HALIBUT DERBY JACKPOT!

THREE WAYS TO WIN:

1. At the end of the derby, the angler who catches the largest halibut (by weight) will receive 50% of the Halibut Derby Jackpot!
 
2. The remaining 50% of the Halibut Derby Jackpot will go to the winner of the Dana Wharf Halibut Derby Fish Off. The Fish Off will be a free trip for the top 25 anglers who catch the top 25 halibut (by weight) during the Halibut Derby.

3. Each month of the Derby, a $100 gift card to Dana Wharf, an Okuma rod/reel, a Hogan's Tackle Gift Certificate/Grab Bag and a Jig Stop Gift Certificate will be awarded to the angler who catches the largest halibut (by weight) that month.
 

Buy tickets online at Zerve here!

Please read the full rules and eligibility requirements. 
Please note rules are subject to change.

*Please note that children must be accompanied by an adult on either the Halibut Drift Days or when buying a Halibut ticket on a 1/2 day or 3/4 day.

Rules of the Halibut Derby

• TO BE ENTERED IN THE DERBY, YOU MUST BE ON A HALIBUT DRIFT DAY TRIP OR PAY A $5 ENTRY FEE ON A REGULAR ½ OR ¾ DAY OPEN PARTY TRIP!!! On regular ½ Day or ¾ Day Open Party trips, you must purchase your entry before the boat departs the dock. The $5 entry fee is included in the price on Halibut Drift Day trips. Sorry, no discounts for the Halibut Drift Days.
• Each paid ticket on a Halibut Drift Day is considered the angler's entry into the derby for that day only. Each $5 entry on a regular ½ day or ¾ day is considered the angler's entry into the derby for that day only.
• All anglers competing in the Derby and Fish Off must comply with all California Department of Fish and Game laws.
• Halibut must be caught on rod and reel in order to be eligible for the derby.
• Anglers must hook and land halibut with minimal crew assistance in order to be eligible for the Fish Off or for the Derby Prize Money. The crew may only assist with gaffing or netting the halibut. No hook and hands will be counted. Captain of the boat has final say as to the eligibility of the halibut. All disputes MUST be handled the same day as the halibut is caught.
• We will be targeting halibut all day on the Halibut Drift Day trips. This can include drifting or anchoring. On regular ½ day or ¾ open party trips, we may or may not be fishing in areas known for Halibut.
• The largest halibut of the derby (by weight) will receive 50% of the pot money at the end of the derby on April 30th, 2013. Should there be a tie; the money will be divided equally.
• The top 25 angler leader board will be visible on the Dana Wharf website. An angler may only have 1 space on the top 25 leader board. The angler's heaviest halibut will be used in the case that the angler has multiple halibut.
• An additional daily jackpot on the boat will be available just as it is normally and entry is optional.
• All eligible halibut will be weighed and filleted aboard the boat.
• Anyone caught cheating in the tournament will forfeit all cash prizes and their position in the top 25 leader board immediately.
• There is a passenger minimum of 10 for any trip to depart.
• If a scheduled Halibut Drift Day trip is missed due to weather or other circumstances, it will not be made up.
• The $100 gift card cannot be won 2 months in a row.

Rules of the Halibut Derby Fish Off

• The Dana Wharf Halibut Derby Fish Off will take place on May 5th, 2013 from 7am - 4pm and will be a free trip for the top 25 anglers who catch the top 25 halibut (by weight) between November 1st, 2012 and April 30th, 2013. The trip will be rescheduled if there is poor weather.
  • The largest halibut (by weight) caught on the Fish Off will receive the other half of the pot money accumulated between November 1st, 2012 - April 30th, 2013. There will be no daily jackpot available on this trip.
  • If no legal halibut are caught on the Fish Off, then the 50% pot money will be split amongst ALL of the Top 25 anglers (even if they cannot attend the Fish Off, they will receive their portion of the jackpot).
  • In the case of a tie on the Fish Off, the largest halibut will be determined by weight AND length.
  • Anglers must hook and land halibut with minimal crew assistance in order to be eligible for the Fish Off or for the Derby Prize Money. The crew may only assist with gaffing or netting the halibut. No hook and hands will be counted. Captain of the boat has final say as to the eligibility of the halibut. All disputes MUST be handled the day of the Fish Off.
  • Halibut must be caught on rod and reel in order to be eligible.
  • All anglers competing in the Derby and Fish Off must comply with all California and Federal Fish and Game laws.
  • All eligible halibut will be weighed and filleted aboard the boat.
  • There will be no alternates on the Fish Off. If one of the top 25 anglers cannot make the Fish Off, their position will not be filled.
  

Questions? Please ask! Call
DANA WHARF SPORTFISHING
949-496-5794

Some Halibut Fishing Tips

This seems to be a pretty popular set up among our anglers. There are quite a few variations of this set up. I prefer the reverse dropper loop set-up with a 3 or 4 oz. torpedo sinker. This means short sinker leader with a longer 24• leader to the hook. The • stinger hook• set up is probably the best. Snell in a regular 1/0 hook about 10• from the end of the leader (this distance really depends on the size of the bait that is being used). Then tie a treble hook on the tag end of the leader to act as the stinger hook. You then hook the 1/0 hook through the nose of the bait and the treble hook down by the anal fin of the bait with 2 of the 3 hooks exposed. A vast majority of the halibut I’ve seen caught have jus the stinger hook in its mouth. Pretty effective.

Drifting is typically the best “method” as you can cover some water. But you can however have some success if you have this type of set up and try fishing different areas of the boat and not just fishing in the same spot on the boat.

This picture shows all kinds of crazy stuff like swivels and beads. There are now 3 line connections that can fail. It’s not really necessary. Some people swear by it, I think if you can tie a decent knot on your dropper loop than a swivel is not necessary. If you feel more comfortable with tying the same knot on all the connections to the swivel then go for it. It’s all preference.

-Brian (Capt. Of the Sum Fun)

The winner of the 2011/2012 Halibut Derby is Peggy Stein with her 43 pound 10 ounce fish! Peggy won $2,957.50! The other half of the jackpot went to Rob Glass of Coto de Caza for his 16 pound 10 ounce halibut he caught in the fish off on May 6th, 2012! Congrats to both winners!

Mike Knudtson won the 2010/11 Winter Halibut Derby with his 43 pound 8 ouce halibut! He won $2,015!

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