Talk about an incredible fishing story.
All any fisherman really wants is a good, unique story to tell. You know, those “and the fish was this big” type of tall tales that can keep a group of anglers busy for hours. It never hurts to have a fishing anecdote at the ready, and thanks to some perseverance, a North Carolina man by the name of Hunter Hicks has a story for the ages.
Hicks was fishing by himself on the Outer Banks in North Carolina when he hooked a massive, bluefin tuna. And it wasn’t a situation where he could reel the 212-pound fish up and into the boat. Why? Because he was actually fishing from a jet ski. Due to the lighter weight of his vessel, the sizable tuna pulled him 10 miles from the shore, and as he told WTKR News 3 that’s when he started to get concerned:
“At that point, I was almost 10 miles offshore, and (could barely see land). I don’t have a chart plotter or GPS when my phone dies, but I know how to make it in, I’m a waterman, but still, in my mind I was starting to get a little scared. But I knew if I would’ve let go of that fish, nobody would’ve believed me.”
Love that… risking his life for bragging rights. That’s what fishing is all about.
By the time he had gaffed the tuna (used a sharp pole to pull it out of the water), and put a mouth rope on it, he had been fighting the fish for a little over two hours. While he still had cellular service, he called his friends to ask for advice, and they told him to cut the line and head on back. But Hicks was committed to bringing the tuna home with him that day, so he towed it all the way back to shore.
He later showed off his catch on Facebook, and said the 200-plus pound tuna was the largest he’s ever caught:
“Yesterday was a day I will never forget. Caught a 212lbs bluefin out of Oregon Inlet off my jet ski. It was a challenge. By myself. No other boats out there. Had to tow the bluefin all the way through the inlet then the boys picked it up on the beach, we put in a surfboard bag and took it back home to get cleaned.”
And it was a trophy fish that was well-earned. The next day, Hunter Hicks says he felt like he had been in a heavyweight fight, and told WAVY TV 10 that he could barely move the the arm he used to reel in the tuna:
“It literally felt like I had just fought Mike Tyson and I lost. Woke up the next morning and my arm was stuck like this (bent) the whole day, I couldn’t move it.”
Still worth it though.
You can hear more about Hick’s monster catch and see videos of the 212-pound tuna in the local news story below:
