East Pass Podcast

We always see the headlines of the winning fish, but some of the best stories are often buried a little bit farther down the leaderboard. In a competition where the top 3 are “in the money,” the space between 3rd and 4th place is massive and yet sometimes that massive gap can be spanned by mere ounces. In the high-stakes game of tournament fishing, gaff placement, bait size or even just knocking a little bit of slime off of a fish can sometimes cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars and leave you reeling from a rather painful punch to the gut. The Blue Marlin Grand Championship in Orange Beach has birthed many-a stories over the years and 2024 was no exception. With over 100 billfish caught and 9 Blue Marlin brought back to the scales, there’s no way that I could cover it all in one post. Of those 9 fish, 2 in particular were closer than anyone could’ve anticipated but, unfortunately for one of those teams, this isn’t horseshoes or hand grenades and “close” doesn’t cut it.
Friday was a big day for the crews on the “Briar Patch” and the “Devotion.” Both boated kill fish that seemed to be contenders. With a length of 117”, Captain Corey Hurst and the “Briar Patch” had that edge on the 114.5” Blue that was sitting on the deck of the “Devotion,” however, what Captain Jason Hallmark’s fish lacked in length it made up for in other ways. The “Devotion” fish had a 64” girth compared to the 62” girth on the “Briar Patch” and it’s tail measurement had a good inch and a half on their competitors’ fish with it measuring in at 17.5” vs 16”.
Their baits and battles had some notable differences as well. Aboard the “Briar Patch,” angler Mitchell Reilly spent 2.5 hours landing his fish that had been caught on a Blackfin Tuna. On the “Devotion,” angler Nathan Bearden spent 4 hours on his that had been caught on a Rainbow Runner. Amidst these similarities and differences, the biggest one was yet to come.
With two of the fish coming in off other boats measuring 123” and 124”, chances were pretty good that there was only one place left open in the overall standings – 3rd place. The “Devotion” made it back to the scales before the “Briar Patch” and with a weight of 577 lbs they managed to snag a spot on the leaderboard, however, it was the final night of weigh ins and there was still plenty of time to “wait and see.” In the end a 577 pounder would end up taking 3rd place and bringing home a whopping $182,635! However, this is where those significant digits we learned about in grade school come into play – the “Briar Patch” fish ended up weighing 577.6 lbs. That’s right – the difference between 3rd and 4th place was 0.6lbs.
Team “Devotion” still had a great tournament! They caught an awesome fish and with their Calcuttas they ended up with a $74,250.00 pay day. So, 0.6lbs and $108,385 was the difference in 3rd and 4th place. That’s roughly 18K per tenth of a lb, but if you’re team Hallmark then you’ve got to try not to think about that or the countless other variables that could’ve accounted for any bit of weight that might’ve been lost in transit.
This isn’t Captain Jason Hallmark’s first experience with seemingly negligible weight standing between his Blue and someone else’s on the leaderboard, but the last big time that this happened he found himself on the other side of the results. I guess the universe does seem to have a funny way of leveling everything out in the end. Blue Marlin Grand Championship

Humans have always felt the urge to leave a record of legendary happenings for future generations. Ancient civilizations made cave drawings depicting hunters engrossed in all manner of battle between man and beast. If the story of Captain Jason Hallmark and this mako shark had occurred during such times, I imagine that whatever tribe he was a part of would have been sure to make a mural of it. You would likely see the crude sketch of a human, acrobat soaring through the air above a giant sea-monster, while yielding nothing but a spear and an exorbitant amount of determination. I realize that may not be exactly how the whole situation transpired, but it’s not far from it and if you haven’t heard the story yet then you’re really missing out. Listen to Captain Jason Hallmark share this story and more on the most recent episode of the East Pass Podcast.

Captain Gary Jarvis said, in his episode, that he was part of the reason that there aren’t many Cobias left. After looking at these pictures I’m inclined to agree.

Imagine… it’s mid-April, 1987 – peak Cobia season. You’re 12 years old and you’re going Linging with Captain Gary Jarvis on the “Backdown.” In the midst of your wildly successful adventure, he puts you on a giant and with the Marina Point Month-Long Tournament in full swing, you’re feeling good! The whole boat is pumped and there are whispers that she may break 100 lbs. You pull into the weigh-in dock and the whole boat holds their breath as she’s hoisted up in the air. A few seconds pass and BAM! There it is – 102 lbs! You’re in the lead and on top of the world!
It’s always a good day when you bring in a fish like that. It truly is “the fish of a lifetime” and the memories that accompany the feat are priceless. However, I would be remis to end this story there and not acknowledge that sometimes even the greatest of accomplishments end up being recalled with a bit of a sting.
That day, April 19th 1987, proved to be a rather impressive day in the world of Cobia fishing. Not long after the “Backdown” weighed in their 102lb behemoth, Captain Jeff Shoults backed into the dock on the “Shan-Mor” and they unloaded a monster of their own. As you can see, this fish ended up weighing in at 117.25 lbs, beating Capt. Gary’s fish by just over 15 lbs and not only taking the lead, but also keeping that 102 lb slob from even getting a daily.
Bittersweet, indeed. I’m sure there was hair being pulled out, hands being thrown up in the air and expletives being tossed out at multiple volume levels. That’s definitely one of those “what are the chances?” situations where there’s nothing that you can do except try to find some level of humor in it. I can’t speak to how much “humor” Captain Jarvis found in it then, or even now, but sometimes that’s part of the “fun.” It all makes for a great story and I hope that the 12 year old boy who caught the fish didn’t deflate his chest one bit when I imagine that everyone else on the “Backdown” felt the air let out of their lungs. Gary Jarvis Jeffery Shoults

2023 proved to be an immensely successful year for Captain Chase Lake and the “Team Supreme.” The Gulf Coast Triple Crown has been described as “The most sought-after championship in sportfishing” and bringing home that title, and everything that comes along with it, is no small feat. The series begins and ends at The Wharf in Orange Beach, but also takes competitors to Biloxi and Emerald Coast along the way.
During the final leg of last year’s competition, Captain Chase Lake found himself behind, but within striking distance of the prize. Closing the deal wasn’t going to come easy, but the whole crew was committed and in it to win it. Roughly 3 days and exactly 7 released Blue Marlin later, it was done. Team Supreme had run the gauntlet and emerged victorious!
This year’s pursuit of the Triple Crown is underway, with one tournament down and three to go. Crews are prepping their vessels in Biloxi, MS as we speak and Captain Chase Lake and the “Team Supreme” are headed into it tied up for first place with four-time Triple Crown Winner Captain Jason Buck and “A Work of Art.” With nearly 100 boats headed out to compete this week, adventure and excitement are imminent. Where will the chips fall in the triple crown standings after weigh ins? We’ll find out Saturday night! Team Supreme 72 Chase Lake Blue Marlin Grand Championship Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic

There’s so much more to this industry than just fishing. There’s a comradery that’s born from somewhere deep inside that ties people together. Every experience seems to tighten the knot a little bit more, cinching it down into a state of permanence. The good, the bad, the ugly – they’re all part of it. I don’t know what Captains Chase Lake and Allen Staples were talking about in this picture, but I imagine that if we could hear it right now we’d all be entertained.

It’s easy to recall the banner moments of a career dedicated to this industry, but the truth is that every fisherman’s story is full of highs and lows and sometimes it’s a messy, muddled, mix of them both. Back in 2016 Captain Chase Lake fished the Orange Beach Billfish Classic with Captain Jason Hallmark aboard the “Rise Up.” The first couple of days had been pretty slow for billfishing and all they’d managed to do was lose one.
On the final day of the tournament, with the clock winding down, the stars aligned and they hooked this monster! In an all-or-nothing attempt to make it work they held their breath and shoved it to sunset. Angler Rusty Skalla stepped up to the challenge and got this fish to the boat in 18 minutes. Skalla’s angling expertise, combined with Captain Jason Hallmark at the helm, “Big Wayne” Riles on the wire and Chase Lake on the gaff proved to be the exact ingredients needed to do the impossible! The fish had been caught and boated and the race against time began. Maps were studied, prayers were said and choices were made, all at full-throttle. Tanks were emptied and sacrifices were offered in an attempt to lessen the load and gain any fraction of a knot that they could find. Ultimately, a sensor issue derated the motors and left them one minute and 45 seconds shy of making it.
This 771lb Blue Marlin would’ve won the tournament, been a new tournament record and, ultimately, earned Captain Jason Hallmark and team “Rise Up” the Triple Crown before it was all over with… but that’s fishing. It’s still an amazing catch that created an incredible story, countless memories and ended up opening doors that would shake up the tournament world for years to come. You win some, you lose some and sometimes you do both.

East Pass Podcast Host Rachel Staples dives into the past, present and future of fisheries in Destin, FL and beyond.

Captains Chase Lake and Scott “Fraz” Murie after some Peacock Bass fishing in Panama circa 2007. Gotta use the white grub!

Check out this exciting event that one of our awesome sponsors is hosting! Next Saturday, May 18th, Specialty Roofers presents the “Specialty Spot Tournament.” All proceeds go to benefit the Wright Fight for Cystic Fibrosis, plus there are $6,000 in cash prizes! Weigh-ins will be at Nick’s Seafood in Freeport, FL but there’s also a no-boundary, “most spots” category, so even if you’re not local to the area you can still enter and submit pictures. For more information on the event and to enter go check out Specialty Roofers website at www.SpecialtyRoofers.com . Big thanks to Specialty Roofers, Inc. for the support and for hosting this fun event for such a great cause!

It’s no secret that Captain Chase Lake is a world-class Marlin fisherman, however, his love and tenacity for the industry don’t end there. In 2013, while fishing out of Venice, LA, he managed to put angler Abel Ceja on this 74.43lb Gag Grouper. This Gag Grouper turned out to be the largest one ever landed out of Louisiana, which earned it the state record that it still holds today!
20 years prior to that, in 1993, the world-record Gag Grouper was caught by another Destin fisherman – Captain Kelly Windes. Weighing in at 80lbs 6oz, it’s a record that has stood for over 30 years! Captain Chase’s fish might not have been quite big enough to take that world-record title from Captain Kelly Windes, however, at just around 6lbs shy I would imagine that he could almost taste it…

“That boy ain’t on fire. It’s kinda like a different kinda fire. He got him on!” 🔥 Listen to Capt Chase Lake tell this story and more on the most recent episode of the East Pass Podcast.

In April of 1982 Marlin Magazine released their very first issue and do you know who was on the cover? Destin, Florida’s own Captain Peter Wright! It was a picture from a trip he’d taken with friends to go fish the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. In September of the previous year, Peter Wright, Billy Teems, Ed Leigh McMillan and Allen Phillips had embarked on a journey that would take them across the globe and result in all of them getting to catch and release Black Marlin and experience the amazing fishery that is the Great Barrier Reef. Fish were caught, fun was had, memories were made, pictures were taken and, as fate would have it, all of those things came together a few months later in print. Fast forward to April of 1982 and there you have it! Vol. 1 No. 1 of Marlin Magazine has just dropped, Peter Wright is on the cover wiring a giant Black Marlin, with that cover story being written by Allen Phillips and Ed Leigh McMillan being listed as the Directory of Photography! Who would’ve thought that a group of 4 fisherman setting out on a bachelor’s trip on the other side of the world would end up helping to kick off one of the most successful fishing publications in history? Pretty cool sequence of events, if you ask me!
Marlin Magazine Boshamps Oyster House

Check out this awesome sponsor! Boschamps Seafood and Oyster House, thank you so much for the support, for making some of the most delicious food ever and for having an amazing venue and outside beach area for everyone to enjoy! If you’ve never been there, you’re missing out. 👌🏼 Boshamps Oyster House

The first episodes of the East Pass Podcast were dropped last May, which means we’re coming up on one year and with this new year comes a couple of awesome new sponsors! First up on the list - Harbor Docks! Big thanks for the support and for joining in on the fun! Go check ‘em out!
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Good times! ✅✅✅
Harbordocks Harbordocks Sushi Bar

What do you do when you release 83 sails in a single day, but you don’t have that many flags? You improvise! In the most recent episode of the East Pass Podcast, Captain Peter Wright talks about a day back in 1980 when he was fishing aboard the “Elbo Seven” out of Palm Beach when they did just that! Listen to him tell that story & many more on episode 18. Available now on Apple Podcast and Spotify. (Pictures here from left to right - Peter Wright, John Kipp & Capt Al Johnson). The Ships Chandler

If you’ve ever gone to Dewey Destin’s on the bay, then you might’ve noticed that the entrance is, in a way, a sort-of time capsule. Instead of the smooth, freshly paved roads that you find all over the rest of the city, there seems to be the broken remnants of several different paving operations from over the years. Scattered along the drive are quiet buildings that were once home to the biggest operation in town. You probably noticed several seabirds that have always likened this location to a safe space where they could find something to eat. There’s a sense of calm and beauty in that short stretch of road that manages to still manifest its own history.
Quite a few decades, and events, have passed in between these two pictures that were taken at the end of that old road that’s riddled with potholes and memories. The scenery is a little bit different now, but the spirit is still there and so is the seafood.
Dewey Destin Seafood Restaurant

Every bit of the past can be viewed as building blocks for the present, however, there are some pieces of history that serve as the very foundation for life as we know it. Without the passing of these events, people and blood sweat and tears that accompany them, modern existence would likely be unrecognizable. Often, these ways of life fall by the wayside or end up a sort-of sacrificial offering for the sake of progress. Shoulders that previously held up entire societies find themselves burdened by the weight of the unknown, but it’s these same men and women who are built of grit, determination, and something ineffable that can gather up the pieces and forge another path through.
In episode 16 of the East Pass Podcast, I sat down with one of the last great seine fishermen out of Destin, FL - Captain Dewey Destin. We discussed a facet of the fishing industry that formed civilizations, employed entire communities and then, nearly 30 years ago, came to an abrupt halt. It’s a story that began back in the 1800’s with one family’s sense of ambition and adventure and that culminates generations later with some of the best seafood that the Florida panhandle has to offer.

In episode 16, Captain Dewey Destin discussed catching dolphins for the Gulfarium, and other marine parks, back in the 60’s and 70’s. These days all of their dolphins have been bred in captivity but getting there required a starting point. Pictured here are some action shots of how it all began.

This picture was taken nearly 40 years ago and what is captured here is much more than just a nice haul of fish. In the back, on the left-hand boat, you can see Dewey E. Destin Sr (aka “Buckshot”) and in front of him is his cousin Johnny Destin. In the back, on the right-hand boat, is “Little” Jimmy Shirah and in front of him is Captain Dewey E. Destin Jr, who you can hear on the most recent episode. If you haven’t listened yet, check it out now on Apple Podcast or Spotify! Dewey Destin Seafood Restaurant Dewey Destin's Harborside Dewey Destin's Navarre

Back before Destin, FL had a Fisherman’s Co-op, that piece of property was owned by the Spence Brothers and was home to Captain “Buck” Destin’s seine fleet. In the most recent episode Captain Dewey talked about the boats’ previous home and the net reels (seen here) that were used to keep the nets rolled up and dry.
Dewey Destin Seafood Restaurant Dewey Destin's Harborside Dewey Destin's Navarre

This Wednesday, March 6th, a new episode of the East Pass Podcast drops. Listen as I sit down with Captain Dewey Destin to talk about a facet of the fishing industry that made Destin what it is today and, at one time, was the biggest show in town – seine fishing. Dewey Destin Seafood Restaurant

I shared this picture once before, when I spoke with Captain Kelly Windes who was the man in charge on that momentous day. Captain Kelly described the moment, nearly 40 years ago, that this world-record Warsaw breached the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. Weighing in at 436lbs and measuring 72” long, as well as having a 72” girth, he described it as looking “like a cow on top of the water.” Another leading role in this story was the man behind the reel. Praised as “a terrific angler,” Captain Kelly described a young Steve Haeusler and went on to detail the chain of events that would land them in the record books.
I’ve been blessed to sit down with each of them and listen to them recount the events tied to this fish. Captain Steve Haeusler described it as looking, “like a big iceberg when it came up out of the water” and the angling he likened to “pulling in a Volkswagon.” In true deckhand fashion, he remembers the bait he used, the reel, the line test and that there “might’ve been three wraps of line left on the spool” when they finally stopped him.
Out of the pictures of this behemoth, this one really stands out in Captain Steve’s mind. He notes that in this picture you can see just how massive this fish was and while there’s no arguing that point, I think that maybe there’s another layer to what makes this picture so special. For those of us who weren’t there to watch this story unfold, it offers the chance to imagine yourself right in-the-thick-of-it.
Watching Captain Kelly and Steve straining to hoist him up into the boat, ever thankful for the pulley system, this was the moment just before the final tug that flopped his tail over inside of the gunnel. If you take a moment to really appreciate the perspective and follow it in your mind’s eye, you can probably picture the instant the whole fish passes inside the plane of the boat. I bet every eye crinkled from the smile exploding on their faces and you can almost hear the “atta-boys” resounding amidst a barrage of colorful adjectives. Numbers were probably being shouted out like some sort of haphazard auction – 300! 400! And I bet every chest probably puffed up just a little bit.
This fish would go on to supply a fish fry, shatter world records, be featured in Sports Illustrated and weave one hell of a story. It’s the catch of a lifetime and, I imagine, a hash on the timeline in the life of everyone on the boat that day. And as far as this picture goes, I don’t know who brought a camera with them on that trip or why, but I’m sure glad that they did.

From the blue water, to the bar, to the back woods, Capt Tommy Norred gets ‘em!