Keith Lusher 02.25.26
A veteran Louisiana information believes a large bull redfish caught and launched final week out of Venice might have rewritten the state report ebook.
On Feb. 19, longtime Venice constitution captain Mike Frenette was fishing with two out-of-state anglers when a fog-delayed morning became probably the most memorable redfish journeys of their lives.
By early afternoon, the group had but to land a fish.
“It was irritating, and I instructed my anglers we had been going to make a run and take a look at a brand new spot,” Frenette stated. “It was both going to be a house run or nothing.”
The gamble paid off.
After they reached a shallow channel dropping into the Gulf of America, they discovered heavy present pushing colleges of huge mullet. Pelicans had been diving, and the water floor rippled with feeding fish.
On the primary forged into the frenzy, Jason Halfen of Boston connected with a robust purple drum on a ¾-ounce Strike King Red Eyed Shad crankbait. His fishing companion, Mike Enloe of Kansas, initially struck out throwing a big tender plastic jig. After switching to the identical crankbait, Enloe shortly connected as effectively.
Halfen battled his fish for roughly 20 minutes on heavy spinning deal with spooled with 20-pound braid. When information Mike Frenette lastly slid the web below the redfish, he instantly realized it was not like most bulls he had dealt with in 4 many years of guiding.
“I received ahold of the fish and tried to carry it, however couldn’t,” Frenette stated. “I can choose up a fifty pounder with no drawback, however I couldn’t carry this fish into the boat with out assist.”
The redfish measured 48.25 inches lengthy with a 34-inch girth. Frenette estimates it weighed at the very least 65 kilos. Utilizing widespread length-and-girth formulation, the fish might have pushed near 69 kilos.
For comparability, Louisiana’s present state report redfish weighed 61 kilos when it was caught in 1992 by angler David Webber.
As a result of Louisiana laws require all outsized bull reds to be launched, the fish couldn’t be legally weighed for report consideration. Frenette and his shoppers shortly documented measurements and returned the fish unhurt.
The information stated releasing a possible report was by no means in query.
“That fish can go on to spawn and assist the redfish inhabitants,” he stated.
The motion continued for greater than three hours, with a number of fish topping 40 inches. At instances, Frenette stated, as many as 50 redfish may very well be seen working bait on the floor.Capt.
Purple drum, often known as redfish, are among the many hottest recreation fish on this planet. In line with the International Game Fish Association, the all-tackle world report stands at 94 kilos, 2 ounces, caught by David Deuel in 1984 off Hatteras, North Carolina.
Lots of the largest redfish on report have come from the Carolinas, although Louisiana waters, together with Venice and Houma, have additionally produced a number of line-class information.
Whereas Frenette’s fish wouldn’t have challenged the world report, it could have surpassed the Louisiana benchmark.
As an alternative of hanging on a scale, nevertheless, the enormous bull purple swam away.
“It was continuous hook, struggle, forged,” Frenette stated. “Once we had been leaving, Jason instructed me, ‘I’m glad to say we are able to’t make yet one more forged.’”
For a visit that almost ended fishless, the late-day transfer delivered a reminiscence that might have been historic.
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