Keith Lusher 08.15.25
The pre-dawn hours of August 1st began like another evening of deep-sea fishing for Taylor Guidry and the crew aboard the Prime Time. They’d set out dwell hardtail bait in 6,000 toes of water, roughly 130 miles off the Alabama coast, hoping to attach with tuna throughout the MBGFC Billfish Limited tournament.
What occurred subsequent would flip right into a two-hour battle with one of many Gulf’s most elusive deep-water monsters.
Round 4 a.m., Guidry stepped onto the strict deck and observed one thing uncommon. Fishing line was steadily peeling from one among their rods, however with out the reel clicker engaged, the Shimano reel made no sound to alert the sleeping crew. The fish had already stripped almost 2,000 toes of line earlier than anybody realized what was occurring.
“We expect the fish was simply doing its factor alongside the underside, ate the hardtail bait, and saved on swimming,” Guidry defined. The 27-year-old Destin angler rapidly woke his father Chad, cousin Justin, and Captain Steve Pixley to assist with what would change into an epic struggle.
Initially, the crew suspected they’d hooked a big tuna, shark, or swordfish based mostly on the fish’s habits. The thriller deepened as Guidry labored to retrieve the huge quantity of line the fish had taken throughout its preliminary run
The true problem started when Guidry managed to get the fish transferring upward from the depths. At round 300 toes under the floor, proper on the thermocline, the fish dug in and refused to budge.
“It was a stalemate,” Guidry recalled. “I’d get it up 50 or 75 toes extra, then the fish would muscle right down to 300 toes once more and simply keep there.”
For 45 minutes, the fish held its place beneath the thermocline whereas Guidry labored the rod. The battle stretched on for almost two hours earlier than the exhausted fish lastly started to floor.
When the thriller catch first confirmed coloration close to the boat, Captain Pixley was surprised. Having caught escolar within the 40 to 50-pound vary earlier than, he had by no means seen one approaching this huge dimension.
“I didn’t know that God created them that large,” Pixley mentioned, wanting on the monumental deep-water fish alongside his 40-foot Barker.
Getting the 161.6-pound escolar aboard the Prime Time proved to be one other problem completely. It took three crew members working collectively to maneuver the fish by means of the boat’s tuna door, and as soon as on deck, the escolar thrashed with such violence that the crew saved their distance.
“It went nuts. Its tail was working so arduous and quick that I feel it might have damaged my foot if I received shut,” Guidry mentioned. The fish continued its highly effective show for about quarter-hour earlier than lastly settling down.
Again on the match weigh-in, the escolar tipped the scales at 161.6 kilos, crushing Alabama’s present state document of 102 kilos, 10 ounces set in September 2023. The catch falls simply in need of the IGFA world document of 173.75 kilos, but when licensed, would set up a brand new Gulf of America document.
Fairly than retaining the fish for the dinner desk, Guidry selected to donate it to the scientific group. Escolar, whereas edible, incorporates excessive ranges of oil and may solely be consumed in small portions. Extra importantly, a fish of this dimension supplies beneficial analysis alternatives.
“There’s no information on a fish that large, so any person ought to be taught one thing,” Captain Pixley famous. Pure useful resource officers plan to take core samples and examine numerous components of the fish to find out its age and collect different organic information.
For Guidry, the reminiscence of the struggle and an inventive ink print by native artist Harley Van Hyning will function lasting reminders of his encounter with one of many Gulf’s rarest giants.
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