Here is the email that Capt Mike Rowell sent out.
Hello Again Fellow Fisherman
I have a story about the one that did not get away!
This past weekend we fished in the Mobile Big Game Clubs Memorial Day Tournament.
Most of you that fish with me know my step son Truitte. He has worked for me in the summer as second mate while he has been attending The University of Alabama. He graduated this year and went to work for one of our good friends/customers. So this year, for the first time, Truitte participated as an angler rather than a mate.
We pulled out of the marina around 11:00 pm Friday night and headed south. At day light we were about 110 miles south of Orange Beach. The water was blue so we put out some lures and started fishing south to an area I wanted to fish.
Around 9:00 am, I saw a boat off in the distance that wasn’t moving much and I figured he must be hooked up. A few minutes later the Captain on the Sophi Louise called me on the radio. “Mike. Is that you over there?” I said ya, what’s up? He told me he had been fighting a Tuna for an hour and a half and it was not showing any signs of giving up anytime soon. I wished him luck and kept fishing.
A few minutes later I saw something that looked like Tuna striking the surface. I headed up to the tower and I shouted to my mates that I thought I might have seen some Tuna. As I approached these fish all I could see were these big, 3 feet wide black backs rolling on top of the water. I hollered to my mates I was wrong. It wasn’t Tuna it was a school of Pilot Whales. Then I realized I was wrong again. “It’s Bluefin Tuna!!! Get Ready!!!”
I called the Sophia Louise and told him why I thought they were having such a hard time with that Tuna. I said I bet you have a Bluefin.
About that time all hell broke loose. There was a huge explosion under one of our baits and I watched line peel off of one of our 80 wides faster than I have ever seen before. “Get all of the other lines in and get those teasers in and out of the way. Were gonna get dumped!”
Truitte got the rod to the chair and we started chasing the fish down. About 3 minutes into the fight the line went slack. This was only the third time in my life that I had seen Bluefin Tuna and the first time that I had hooked one and now we had lost him. We were pulling baits with smaller leaders for Yellowfin Tuna and the leader broke at the swivel. I was disappointed to say the least.
I looked up and spotted the Bluefin’s again. “Put your big stuff out Nick, I see them again!” We got three baits in the water and a depth charge went off under the right rigger and we were on again!
We hooked the fish next to an oil rig and thank goodness he was running away from it. He was “Getting the Hell out of Dodge.”
He took about half the spool and then turned and headed right for the rig. We all knew any second he was going to cut us off on the anchor chains. At one time, I had the boat between the rig and the fish. My bow was only about 50 yards from the rig and the Tuna was straight down behind the boat about 1200 feet deep.
After what seemed like forever, the fish started moving slowly away from the rig and Truitte was able to gain some of the line back. We had been fighting the fish for about an hour now and we had it within 100 yards of the boat. About that time he took off again. I chased it around until it decided to sound. It kept going down and down. Truitte pushed the drag up to try and slow the fish down and the fish sped up. We tried backing off the drag to see if it might start coming back up. That didn’t work either.
We were loosing line fast and this fish was not slowing down. It looked like we were going to get dumped. We got another rod ready to hook onto the rod we had the fish on. I told everyone if we hook another rod to the rod the fish is on we will be disqualified from the tournament but we would have a chance to at least catch the fish.
So what do you want to do, try to stop the fish with more pressure and risk breaking it off or disqualify ourselves and try to catch this fish of a lifetime?
We have about 800 yards of 100 pound test on the reel and the water is around 7,000 feet deep and the fish is headed straight down.
Truitte decided to try and stop the fish one more time. He pushed the drag up more and with less than 100 yards left on the reel he stopped the fish. Now we are at a stand still. The fish isn’t taking any line but we are not gaining any either. It is becoming apparent that the fish has died about 700 yards below us.
After a few minutes Truitte gets about a foot of line back. I told Truitte “Every long journey begins with the first step”. I knew if we had any chance at all of getting this fish up, it was going to take a long time, Truitte was going to have to pace himself and we could not rush it.
Truitte and I started working together using the boat to help ease the fish up and then I would back down so he could get some line back.
Now we are into the second hour of the battle and the reels gears start slipping. It is a two speed reel but now it won’t stay in high or low gear without holding the handle in or out while he is reeling.
About an hour later some of the screws that hold the handle on start backing out. By International Game Fish Association (IGFA) rules no one can touch the rod and reel other than the angler. So about every 10 or 15 minutes we would hand Truitte a screw driver and he would have to tighten the screws on the reel himself.
When we get the fish within 150 yards of the boat all of a sudden it starts coming up. Why is it coming up so fast? Is it still alive? Or did a shark bite it?
The gears in the reel are so worn out that Truitte can’t keep up so I have to pull ahead with the boat to keep the slack out. 7 and ½ hours now into the fight, 100 yards behind the boat this huge Tuna pops to the surface. Everyone on the boat cannot believe there eyes. Its is a huge Bluefin Tuna. There is no way to estimate how big yet, it’s just big!
We have overcome all of the obstacles of getting this monster to the boat. Now we have got to get it in the boat. Our boat does not have a transom door. We have a block and tackle and a plan for bringing a big Blue Marlin into the boat but not a Giant Tuna like this.
We make some adjustments and after 30 minutes of ropes breaking, knot's slipping, people falling and hernia checking we heave this awesome fish of a life time over the gunwale. It is enormous! Everyone is so excited and exhausted. Truitte collapses to the floor. High fives and hugs are followed by screams of joy and celebration. We have just joined a small group of fortunate fisherman that have been blessed with an experience of a lifetime. None of us will ever forget this day.
The fish is 105 inches with a 74 inch girth. We ice it down in the billfish bag and cover it with sleeping bags and blankets. There is not enough time to make it to the scales tonight so we stay out and keep fishing. Two of my good friends and fellow charter Captains, Bobby Walker and Ricky Mc Duffy give us all of their spare ice to help keep this sushi from spoiling. We fish the rest of the evening and the next morning and then start heading home.
At 6:30 pm we tie up to the weigh dock and they hoist our catch out of the boat with their crane. The crowd at the weigh dock cheered as the fish is lifted to the scales. The weigh master announces the official weight to the crowd, “700.8 Pounds!!!”
What a magnificent fish. We are all so proud of this catch and now we can’t wait to share and enjoy this rare treat. We have done everything we can to ensure the quality of this fish. But they are hot blooded and so thick; it is hard to cool them to the core. When Nick started cleaning the fish we were happy to find out that it was in perfect shape. We ate sushi until we almost popped. We eat a lot of sushi. It’s rare to find fresh Toro (The belly of the Bluefin) on the menu of local sushi restaurants. Most of the good stuff goes to Japan and major US cities. I am telling you, this was the best Toro I have ever eaten. This in itself is a rare treat.
As you might imagine, we won first place in the Tuna division and were also very happy about that. We have a lot to be thankful for and everything worked out in our favor this time. Unfortunately for the crew of the Sophia Louise, things did not work out as well. After 13 hours of fighting their fish they had their fish to the leader and bringing it to the gaff when a Mako shark came from out of nowhere and took a hunk out of the fish and almost bit the tail off. They got their fish but IGFA rules disqualifies any fish that is mutilated. I can only imagine how they must have felt after a battle like that. Our hats are off to them and it is still a great accomplishment.
One last note. My wife Tammy is also included in our tournaments as crew and angler. She loves to fish these tournaments as much as anyone. She grew up fishing and scrimping with her father, Elroy Webb.
Last Thursday Tammy called me and said her father had gone to the doctor and needed to have his gallbladder removed Friday. He is 80 years young and there is no way Tammy or Truitte are going to go fishing for two days immediately after this surgery. Knowing this Mr. Webb tells his doctor he wants to postpone his surgery until after the tournament. The doctor advised against it but went along with Mr. Webb’s wishes.
At the weigh in, he told me he had a feeling something good was going to happen this weekend and he could not be prouder of his grandson. He said in all of his years he had never seen anything like that fish.
Now you know the rest of the story.
Thanks
Captain Mike Rowell
For a Good Time Call
251-981-2081
Charter Boat Annie Girl
Promoting Fun and Deep Sea Fishing Adventures
Combined with Education and Understanding of
Conservation and Fisheries Management
700 # Bluefin Tuna Caught in Gulf
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