Zach Tankersley had never been fishing on a long range boat when his dad Paul took him on a four-day trip aboard the Excel with skipper Justin Fleck. Never mind the newness of it all; Zach, 16 and a student at Poteau High school won the jackpot, and his dad got one of eight halibut caught near Cedros Island.

Tankersley plays baseball and wrestles for his school. He used a spinning outfit to whip up on a 35.4-pound yellowtail and take first place. There were 20 anglers on the boat.

"It's my first trip, and my best fish ever," he said. He used a blue and white Salas 6X Jr. jig, 30-pound Izorline, a Shimano Baitrunner reel and a Calstar seven-foot spinning rod to do the job.

Steve Temple of Superior, MT won second place for a 34.2-pound yellow, and Gordon Booth of Escondido took third place for a 32.2-pound yellowtail. Zach's dad Paul stood in the lineup photo with his halibut.