Kennewick Man Reels in Victory With Huge Derby Fish

There's Really Something to the Phrase, "That's a Winning Catch!"

The phrase rings TRUE for Kennewick's Dillon Hutcheson. The angler took the lead, and WON Thursday's Westport Halibut Derby! The winning catch weighed in 71.80 lbs. Now that's HUGE! The Daily Directed Halibut Prize is $200. The annual Largest Halibut of the Season prize is $1,500.

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The Westport Annual Fishing Derby is a Tradition of the PNW Fishing Season.

According to the Westport Charterboat Association, the fishing derbies have been taking place for more than 50 years. In the beginning, the derbies were held only on weekends. Due to immense popularity, there's a derby for every day of the season. The derby runs from March 9th through October 19th.

Each season we award over $60,000 in prizes including the grand chinook prize in the Westport Charterboat Association derby. Don't miss out on your chance to WIN the $10,000 grand prize for the Largest Chinook (King) salmon of the season.

Participation in the Westport Derby Requires a Derby Ticket.

To participate, anglers must fish aboard a vessel affiliated with the Westport Charterboat Association and purchase a derby ticket.

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One of the derby's most memorable catches was in 2011, where an angler brought in an unbelievable 133 lb halibut. Wow! But, guess what? They missed out on the prize by NOT having a derby ticket.

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Spectators can have a grand time by visiting the Derby Weigh Station from 2 pm to 5 pm. That's where the day's catches are weighed and the winners are announced.