A fishing crew was just looking for tuna. Then a 450-pound marlin suddenly appeared
The day started out as a hunt for tuna, out on the Marathon Humps off the Florida Keys.
But the waves offshore last Saturday were a little rough. So Rob Helzer, captain of the Reel Calm charter boat out of Marathon, decided to do a fast troll for wahoo with his friends instead.
Helzer’s 34-foot Freeman center console was in about 600 feet of water just south of the reef when he said hundreds of flying fish streamed from the water around the vessel. His friends then saw a big splash behind the boat. But they didn’t know what it was.
About a minute later, they saw a bill come out of the water, and the reel of one of the rods started screaming.
By the time the crew got the other two rods’ lines out of the water, the spool of the rod the fish bit was almost empty, Helzer said.
After jumping out of the water three times, the large fish never broke the surface again.
A 450-pound blue marlin was on the line. That size is a rarity in Keys waters this time of year.
Everyone on the boat that day — Russ Pilette, Dennis Dixon, Darin Westhoff, Davis Westhoff, Karl Dyle and Fisher Dyle — took turns reeling in the marlin. The fight took 55 minutes.
They brought the billfish to the side of the boat, removed the hook and took some photos.
Before letting it go, they had to drag it alongside the boat for about 15 minutes to get water into its gills to rejuvenate it. Large fish are usually exhausted after a long battle with rod and reel.
While the average blue marlin weighs no more than 400 pounds, they can grow much larger. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the state record was a 1,048-pound fish caught in July 2001 off Panama City.
Helzer said once freed, the fish went quickly back from where it came.
“After the release, it made a fast dash down towards the bottom.”
This story was originally published February 18, 2021 at 4:40 PM.
