Port Aransas, Texas – We obviously get a lot of reports on billfish from around the world. While most reports stand-out due to fish numbers or size, as Americans we think this one is pretty special. Team Wildcatter was given the opportunity to take some of our U.S. Marines out for a day of offshore fishing through a group called Combat Marine Outdoors. D.A. Hughes was kind enough to send us his take from this most memorable trip!

A fishing Trip for our American Heroes

I was introduced several years ago to an organization called Combat Marine Outdoors during a hunting trip with my girlfriend’s family. I left that trip knowing that I wanted to give back and would have to put together a trip for these Marines that have given so much to our country. After several more trips hunting with the Combat Marine Outdoors organization they expressed their interest in fishing. So along with the support of our family we set up a offshore fishing trip this past weekend on our 76 Spencer the “Wildcatter”.

We had Dr. Mike Moore of Corpus Christi, a Vietnam Veteran assist the Marines on this once in a life time fishing adventure. We had four Marines join us from Brook Army Medical Center (BAMC), they were Cpl Chris Bryde, Cpl Joe Canery, Cpl Anthony Owens, and SSgt Jonathan Rose.

We set off from Port Aransas at 5 am in search of finding whatever we could get the Marines tight on. We put the baits in the water at 7:30 am and began trolling. At 10 am we hooked up a sailfish and put SSgt Jonathan Rose on it, after a great fight and several incredible jumps we landed our first billfish of the day. Two hour later we got Cpl. Owens a nice bull dorado, soon after that we hooked up onto a nice blue marlin but after a short fight pulled the hook. Then at 2 pm we hooked another blue marlin that gave us a great show after hooking up. We got Cpl. Bryde on the marlin and after a 30 minute fight landed the fish. After a successful day of trolling we ran inshore to catch the Marines a limit of red snapper. This was both SSgt Rose and Cpl Bryde’s first billfish! It was a memorial day fishing off the Texas coast, but even more so because of who we had the privilege to fish beside.

There are so many great things I can say about our countries Marines and what they have gone through, so that we have the opportunity to live in a free county and do what we love to do, fish! It was an honor to have these brave and courageous men fishing along side of us this weekend on The Wildcatter. I am a huge advocate for our troops, being able to fish along side these American heroes truly was a honor and privilege. I hope more fisherman and more outdoorsman find it in their heart to give back to brave soldiers that have put their life’s on the line for our freedom. As much as this trip I believe helped them I cant express in words how much it help me.

If anyone would like top contact the organization about fishing or hunting trip there website is Combatmarineoutdoors.org 

Semper Fi,
D.A.