For Those Who Throw The Steel

Sometimes the fish that matter most are the ones that arrive after heartbreak.

For Captain Rusty Smith and the crew aboard the 63′ Hatteras Fleur De Lis, the heaviest blue marlin of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic wasn’t simply another tournament-winning catch. It was redemption.

Only weeks earlier, Smith and his team had lost what he believes was the largest blue marlin he has ever seen during the Orange Beach Billfish Classic.

“We were fighting PTSD from that fish,” Smith admitted. “It broke off after an hour and a half, and it stayed with all of us.”

Persistence Between the Rigs

The road to this fish started with a little mechanical issue right out of the gate.

A turbo hose failure while leaving the river forced Smith into mechanic mode before he could even begin fishing. After making repairs and battling through a preseason filled with maintenance challenges aboard the 63′ Hatteras Fleur De Lis, Smith stayed committed to a game plan that didn’t rely on following the fleet.

“I’ve always been somebody that likes to do things a little differently,” Smith said.

Instead of chasing reports, Smith returned to an area where he had seen a large fish the week before.

Then it happened just before lunch, while fishing between two offshore rigs, the crew finally marked the fish on sonar.

“That’s the deal everybody looks for,” Smith explained. “Midday, between the rigs.”

A live bait was pitched and the marlin immediately reacted.

“When it jumped, I knew it was a good one.”

The Meanest Blue Marlin

The fish was hooked perfectly on a 14/0 Eagle Claw circle hook with 220-pound leader connected to 80-pound mono on an 80-wide Shimano.

Most blue marlin battles don’t last nine hours.

This one nearly did.

Smith believes the previous tournament loss influenced every decision the crew made. Rather than applying maximum pressure early, the team stayed patient and slowly increased pressure throughout the fight.

The marlin repeatedly surfaced, dumped line, and continued to battle.

“The double line was at the surface for half the fight,” Smith recalled. “We had the fish on the leader within the first 30 minutes, then saw the leader over and over again during the fight. I couldn’t believe it.”

The marlin simply refused to quit.

“That was the meanest blue marlin I’ll ever see in my life.”

Everyone Was Spent

By late afternoon the Gulf had built to 5- to 7-foot seas with winds approaching 25 knots.

As the fish finally began to tire, another challenge emerged. The port engine became stuck in reverse during the final stage while Smith was backing toward the fish.

“It was just one more thing,” Smith said with a laugh.

Eventually the marlin surfaced and began what I call “corking,” the final stage many captains recognize when a blue marlin starts giving everything it has left at the surface.

After 8.5 hours, the fish was finally secured.

Everyone on board was fatigued and the celebration was somewhat subdued.

“Everybody just kind of hugged and went back to doing their job,” Smith said.

Angler Matt Kosky, who had also been aboard during the heartbreak at Orange Beach, pushed through the entire fight despite moments of doubt.

“I knew he could do it,” Smith said.

Kosky ended up sleeping for nearly 16 hours after the battle.

The result was worth it.

The winning blue marlin weighed 631.2 lbs and the catch earned Rusty Smith 500 Captain of the Year points in the Galati Gulf Coast Division, but more importantly, it delivered something every tournament crew eventually needs after a heartbreaking loss:

A second chance.

Follow The Crew

Capt Rusty Smith — @rpgmarine

Griffin Slaughter — @griffen_slaughter55

Landan Tindal — @andydice81

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