Learning a New Role While Building a Winning Team

At just 28 years old, Capt. Hunter Smith finds himself in unfamiliar territory this season—not because he’s new to tournament fishing, but because he’s now the one calling the shots.

After spending four years alongside 2025 Gulf Captain of the Year Capt. Chase Lake, Smith stepped into the captain’s role aboard the 62′ Viking Boujee Marlin this season and has quickly put himself in the middle of the Galati Gulf Coast Division race. Through the early part of the season, Smith finds himself tied atop the standings with some of the Gulf’s most established names.

While Smith may be in his rookie season as a tournament captain, he is quick to point to the people around him when discussing the team’s early success.

“I got a good crew,” said Smith. “Jeremy Washington, James Arnold and Paxton Baggett. They’ve been great. They’ve been working hard trying to learn the new system. We kind of fish differently, kind of how we fished on Team Supreme, so that’s new to them, but we’re getting there. I say we get better every trip.”

Hard Work Behind the Results

That improvement has come through plenty of hard work. While tournament results often focus on what happens when the fish show up, Smith says much of the battle this year has happened long before a marlin enters the spread.

Getting bait has been one of the biggest challenges of the season.

“It’s been really tough,” said Smith. “Normally you get out there in the Green Canyon and the predators are a lot less. But it’s been tough everywhere. There’s been sharks, barracudas and everything else jumping on bait rigs.”

The difficult bait conditions have forced the crew to constantly adjust while burning through tackle and rigs at a pace few people outside the sport appreciate.

“The crew has had to grind through it. They’ve had to work their ass off for it,” Smith said. “We’ve gone through a lot of tackle.”

Despite the challenges, the Boujee Marlin team continues to find fish and stay in contention against some of the Gulf’s heavy hitters.

Lessons Learned from Captain Chase Lake

Most of the team’s success has come from live-bait fishing around Gulf oil rigs while relying heavily on sonar technology to locate marlin.

When asked about the keys to the season so far, Smith credits many of the lessons he learned during his years working alongside Captain Chase Lake.

“I pretty much mark all of them,” Smith said of the fish they catch. “I try hard, and I’m using everything I learned from Chase. I give him the credit.”

The respect between mentor and student is evident. When asked about taking over the captain’s role, Smith was quick to acknowledge the opportunities he’s been given.

“I’m trying to do my best and make my old team proud,” he said. “I wouldn’t be here without them, that’s for sure.”

The transition from mate to captain isn’t always easy, but Smith’s early results suggest he’s making the most of the opportunity while continuing to build his own reputation on the Gulf tournament circuit.

The Road Ahead

The Gulf tournament trail demands a high level of preparation. For the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic in Biloxi, Smith carried an additional 1,000 gallons of fuel aboard Boujee Marlin to make the long run.

The 62′ Viking normally carries 2,140 gallons of fuel, but the demands of Gulf tournament fishing often require more.

“I came back with 80 gallons,” Smith said with a laugh.

With the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic, Bay Point Billfish Open, World Cup, Grand Championship and Ladies Tournament still ahead, Smith and his crew know the season is far from over. But through the first half of the year, they’ve already proven they belong among the division’s top contenders.

The standings may show points, but behind those points are countless hours spent making bait, replacing tackle, hauling fuel, and putting in the work required to compete at the highest level.

At just 28 years old, Capt. Hunter Smith is beginning to build a name for himself in the Gulf. If the first half of the season is any indication, this may be only the beginning.

Follow the Crew

Capt. Hunter Smith — @huntersmith7
Paxton Baggett — @paxton.baggett
Jimmy Washington — @jw_brokenoak_
James Arnold — @jarnold44

Boat Account: @boujeemarlin

2026 Galati Gulf Coast Standings: as of June 2026

Capt. Jason Buck / A Work of Art / 1,800 pts.

• Orange Beach Billfish Classic, 1st Place, 500 pts.
• MBGFC Gulf Coast Masters, 1st Place, 500 pts.
• Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic, 1st Place, 500 pts.
• Bay Point Billfish Open, 2nd Place, 300 pts.

Capt. Landon Bell / Metal Masher / 1300 pts.

• Orange Beach Billfish Classic, 2nd Place, 300 pts.
• Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic, 1st Place, 500 pts.
• Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic, Heaviest Marlin 780.4 lbs., 500 pts.

Capt. Hunter Smith / Boujee Marlin / 1,000 pts.

• Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic, 1st Place, 500 pts.
• Pensacola International Billfish Tournament, 1st Place, 500 pts.

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