HALIBUT DERBY WINNER SURPRISED : `SMALL' 34.5-POUND FISH IS WORTH $976.

Byline: Brett Pauly Daily News Staff Writer

When Ron Schmidt reeled in a 34.5-pound flatfish Saturday, he was far from convinced it was heavy enough to win the Marina del Rey Halibut Derby.

His personal best is 48 pounds - a Santa Monica Bay record that held for a couple of years - and several 50-plus-pound ``barn doors'' have been taken from the bay already this year.

``I thought there would be a bigger fish caught,'' said the 59-year-old Lawndale angler who has entered the contest for most of its 22 years but never been in the winner's circle. ``I've been working at it a long time; I fish hard.''

When the two-day event concluded Sunday afternoon, Schmidt's flattie was more than 4 pounds weightier than the runner-up, fetching him $976 in prize money.

``The first (victory) is the hardest. After that they get easier, hopefully.''

The derby was blessed by beautiful weather and attracted 195 competitors, who registered 91 halibut at the weigh station.

Woodland Hills angler Nishan Arzouman, 15, triumphed in the ``kids' derby,'' for those 15 and younger, with an 8.25-pound catch. Bryan Howell, 11, of Lake Perris, placed second with a 5.1-pounder.

The team anchored by brothers George and Jose Castro of Valencia boated 12 halibut in two days to top the team category and receive $346.

Miguel Zamora of Hawthorne, a member of the winning team, also was runner-up in the individual standings. His 30-pounder, caught just 200 feet from where Schmidt boated his winner near Twin Roads, just offshore from Los Angeles International Airport, earned him $610.

Scott Smith of Venice - a familiar name on halibut derby leader boards - placed third with a 27.5-pounder for $305. Robert Potter, Los Angles, was fourth with a 23.1-pound fish for $207. Steve Legere, Costa Mesa, took fifth and $122 with a 20.5-pounder.

The top 10 finishers split a third of the gross entry fees. A third of the nearly $9,500 raised - more than $3,100 - will go toward charities and environmental conservation, including the Ocean Resources Enhancement and Hatchery Project, which rears white seabass for Southland fisheries. The event supports fishing excursions for inner-city kids orchestrated by the Marina del Rey Anglers fishing club, the derby's sponsors.

``Every single participant is a winner because they did something for the environment and to further the sport of fishing among our youngsters,'' said derby chairman Keith Lambert of Mar Vista.

Members of the Fishery Enchancement Program Hubbs/Sea World Research Institute were on hand over the weekend and collected donations of 20 live halibut to rear as brood stock.

Anglers enjoyed gorgeous weather both mornings, with breezes in the afternoons. ``Our biggest problem was, `Did you have enough sunscreen?' '' Lambert said.

He did expect a higher turnout, however.

``I wanted to earn more sufficient charity money,'' he said. ``We've been bigger; we've been smaller. The first prize we ever gave was a reel, so we've come a long way in 22 years.''

Most of the flatfish were caught on sardines, while some hit on mackerel. Like Schmidt's winner, most of the big fish were boated at Twin Roads.

Schmidt caught his beaut on a sardine at a depth of 65 feet from aboard a 24-foot skipjack. Since the water was ``dead calm,'' he employed a trolling motor to expedite the drift - a rarely used technique.

``It's quite an advantage when you're sitting still. Otherwise, you're not covering enough ground,'' he said. ``I've been fighting for this for a long time.''

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Photo: Ron Schmidt of Lawndale won the Marina del Rey Halib ut Derby with this 34.5 pound catch. 191 fishermen entered the contest.

Paul Simon / Special to the Daily News