Capt. Chris Mowad, angler Scooter Anderson and the crew of the “Best Trait” out of Orange Beach hauled in a blue marlin that, if certified, will shatter the current state record and set a new Gulf of Mexico record, as well. The fish weighed in at an unbelievable 1,145.6 pounds — nearly 300 pounds more than the current Alabama state record of 851.9, set by Ginger Myers in 2020.
According to the MONGO Offshore Challenge, a fishing tournament which wrapped up about three weeks ago, the men were “fun fishing” aboard the 55-foot Viking when Anderson hooked the monster billfish. It took the Houston, Texas, resident about two hours to reel in the marlin, which died during the fight. Marlin are usually released except in the few remaining kill tournaments.
The fish drew a major crowd at the Mobile Big Game Fishing Club, located in Orange Beach, where it was weighed in. It was so long that getting it fully elevated to register an accurate weight proved a real problem with the existing block and tackle system but the anglers innovated to make the weight official with a certified digital scale.
No info was given on the bait, but the back of the Viking had multiple tuna tubes so the likely attractor was a bullet bonito or blackfin tuna.
