Photo By Brian Lamar | Col. (Dr.) Deb Hebert, stands next to her prize-winning catch June 6, during the 17th...... read more read more
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KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- A 68-foot Hatteras, named the Iona Louise swayed gently as it sat 150-miles south of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. A light breeze, low chop and clear skies were just what the doctor ordered on June 6 as the sun broke the horizon for a day of enjoying a relatively new hobby of sport fishing.
Col. (Dr.) Deb Hebert, a 403rd Flight surgeon who has only been sport fishing for two years and her fiancé Joe Hudson were on the hunt in an area teeming with bait fish during the 2014 Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic, when at 7 a.m., Hebert noticed the line gently begin to let out for five minutes. On one end of the line was a determined 126 pound woman. On the other end, an 843.7 pound monster called a blue marlin who began a struggle that would define the 17th annual tournament widely regarded as the premier billfish tournament in the Gulf of Mexico.
"She took the bait so gently, we had no idea that we had such a large catch on our hands," Hebert explained. "It wasn't until 50 minutes into the struggle when the marlin jumped from the water and did a tail dance, that we realized exactly what we were dealing with."
Once the fish was on the line and the three-hour fight began, Hebert relied on her endurance earned through multiple triathlons and 13 marathons she had previously completed. More specifically, she recalled how to catch the fish through training by wrestling a 6-foot-3-inch, 210 pound human into the boat.
Hebert was new to the sport and had never battled a monster anywhere close to the record-setting prize she reeled in June 6. Hudson, realizing she needed training before the tournament, decided to get creative and came up with the idea to have the first mate on our boat stand on land while the boat backed up to the shoreline. A line was tied to the first mate and it was Hebert's job to reel him into the boat while he was digging his heels into the sand.
"It took a couple of tries before I could get him [first mate] into the boat. "It was great training. It gave me the ability learn how to use my whole body to catch something large".
Although the training was on a more familiar species, Hebert didn't back down against Mother Nature.
The three-hour fight didn't deter Hebert. According to Hebert, she wasn't sure if she was going to get it into the boat, but about two hours into the fight resolve set in. "I was determined to say the least. After two hours into the fight, I decided that I was not going to quit.
After a three-hour fight, and the fish securely in the boat and headed north, the tournament director, Bobby Carter was notified that the Iona Louise was on its way back to shore to be weighed.
After the official weigh in, it was determined that the marlin was the third largest caught in the tournament and the largest ever caught by a female in the history of the tournament and has solidified Hebert's love for the sport. Hebert was also inducted in the 10-to-1 club since the fish was ten times heavier than her 80-pound test line.
"Not bad for my first Blue Marlin". "I absolutely love fishing. I owe it all to my fiancé Joe and my team. They turned me on to fishing and now I'm hooked," she explained.
Even though the thrill and fame of catching a record-setting fish is something that most would be satisfied with, the $195,000 prize is an added bonus.
In line with another tradition of the tournament, Hebert also volunteered to have her fish donated to retirement homes and homeless shelters. According to the tournament organizer, Hebert's marlin could potentially feed hundreds of people with around 400 pounds of meat harvested from it.
"I am glad that the tournament has the program to feed others with my catch. That is what we are on Earth for, to help others," she said with a wide grin. "Well, that and to fish".
| Date Taken: | 07.31.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 01.09.2017 16:48 |
| Story ID: | 219735 |
| Location: | KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISSISSIPPI, US |
| Web Views: | 295 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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