Staff writer
Former Peabody resident Calvin Carr probably has lifetime bragging rights for the biggest fish story. On Sunday, Carr was named the winner of the annual Valdez Halibut Derby in Valdez, Alaska, with his catch of a 264-pound Pacific halibut.
The fishing tournament begins in May and ends Aug. 31 each year. There are weekly weigh-ins and the biggest catch can change as soon as the charter fishing boats hit the water on the following day.
Carr caught his halibut on Aug. 24, a week before the tournament ended. His big fish maintained its lead until the contest was over. Carr won a $15,000 cash prize for his catch.
“He was more excited about catching the fish, than winning the money,” said Carr’s wife, Amanda. “The money is a nice bonus, but for someone who has always loved to fish, it was the catch of a lifetime.
“He doesn’t really remember most of the fight to get it in because of the adrenaline rush,” she said.
Carr and his wife, both 1998 graduates of Peabody-Burns High School, live in North Pole, Alaska.