iStockphoto / Kelly Dalling
When fishing for big game species like blue marlin it is important to keep your head on a swivel when the fish is full of vim and vigor near the boat because there’s no telling when that fish will jump and they can change direction on a dime.
The crew of the Jubilee learned that on Monday when they were hooked up with a jumping marlin that was close enough to the boat that the mate had gotten hands on the leader for a release. Things then got scary in an instant when the fish jumped right into the boat and nearly impaled one of the mates.
It is rare for fishermen to be impaled by billfish for obvious reasons. First and foremost, catching billfish is a rare occurrence for most fishermen but beyond that most of the crew is taught to keep eyes on the fish at all times and to react accordingly. Beyond that, a fish straight up jumping into the boat can only happen by accident because at this point in the battle the fish is jumping out of the water to avoid being caught and not the other way around.
Fairhope Fishing Company shared a short clip of the moment the blue marlin jumped into the boat and nearly speared one of the mates through the chest:
@fairhope_fishing_company Close call on the Jubilee today. Thankfully everyone was ok. #bluemarlin #offshorefishing #bluewater #jubilee #gulfofmexico #bluemarlinfishing #deltahouse
A longer clip of the battle and the marlin jumping into the boat was shared by Anthony Beard but it requires clicking off the site to Instagram and honestly, all you’re going to see is more of the tense lead up to the fish jumping. The TikTok above captures most of the action compared to this secondary clip:
These moments can turn gravely tragic in an instant. Back in 2015, a Hawaiian fisherman was killed when he was impaled through the chest by a swordfish. I’m going swordfish fishing out of Venice, Louisiana in a couple of weeks and you better believe I’ll have my head on a swivel from the moment we lay eyes on the fish.