A local angler has taken the lead in the Destin Fishing Rodeo with a remarkable catch on October 3.
- Gregg Lewis of Destin has taken the top spot in the extended voyage yellowfin tuna category of the 76th Destin Fishing Rodeo after hauling in a 193-pound fish.
Lewis was aboard his boat, Angels’ Share II, with Captain Ben Levi and mates Cole Wyatt and Rodney Johnson when he made the impressive catch. This isn’t Lewis’s first notable catch. Last May, he reeled in a massive 672-pound Bluefin Tuna about 150-160 miles off the coast of Destin-Fort Walton Beach, a feat that took him three grueling hours.
“We were live baiting at the oil rigs off Mississippi when the tuna hit,” Lewis said. “She ate a skipjack tuna that we caught earlier that morning.”
The team employed a live baiting technique, attaching a hook to the top of a bait fish and allowing it to swim freely behind the boat moving at approximately two knots.
- Lewis described the 30-minute battle to bring in the yellowfin: “Big tuna tend to go straight down and it’s basically a game of tug-of-war and hopefully the fish tires out before you do.”
The size of the catch surprised even the experienced fishing crew. “We were all surprised that the yellowfin was as large as it was,” Lewis said. “Once we had it on deck, we measured it to be 69 inches.”
Later that same day, Lewis reeled in another substantial yellowfin, weighing 160 pounds. This second fish provided a greater challenge, taking nearly an hour to land. Mate Johnson commented on the extended struggle, saying, “Some fish just have more heart.”
The team’s successful outing didn’t end with the tuna catches. They also released two blue marlin and one white marlin, positioning themselves for potential success in the billfish catch and release division.
- “We won the billfish catch and release division two years ago with a total of ten marlin released. If the weather holds, we’d like to try to do that again this year,” Lewis said.
The current record stands at 240 pounds for a yellowfin tuna caught off Key West.
The Destin Fishing Rodeo, now in its 76th year, runs throughout the month of October. Originally established in 1948 to attract visitors to Destin, the event has grown to become a significant economic driver for the area.
As the competition continues, anglers will vie for various prizes, typically including fishing gear, trips, and cash awards. The final winners will be determined at the end of the month-long event.
