A fisherman reeling in a 450-pound Goliath grouper was suddenly pulled over the boat’s side, and in the process of holding on, he lost the fishing rod to the fish in a wild episode aptly called the “unforgettable fishing miracle,” as you’ll soon see why.
Mike was fighting a fish of a lifetime Friday aboard Chew On This Charters with Capt. Ben Chancey out of Cape Coral, Fla., when the crazy incident occurred.
Mike lost the fishing rod overboard, but fellow angler Jenny managed to use the anchor to retrieve the rod and allow Mike to finish reeling up the still-hooked fish. After Mike jumped into the water to get a photo with the fish before it was released, more craziness ensued:
Chancey explained to USA Today/For The Win Outdoors that about 20 minutes after the fishing rod was lost, Jenny said she could see it on the bottom in the crystal clear, 40-feet deep water and asked nearby boaters for goggles. One boater had some and passed them to her.
“Jenny was planning to dive down 40 feet to get the rod,” Chancey said. “I decided to drop the anchor down so she could follow the line to the rod and reel. While I was explaining what was going on [live on Facebook], Jenny hooked the rod with the anchor and started pulling the rod up. The giant Goliath grouper was still hooked on the line.”
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Jenny’s boyfriend Eric, who arranged the surprise trip for Mike’s 30th birthday, helped clear the anchor and line, and Mike finished reeling up the grouper.
As Mike jumped into the water for the photo, the fish made a mad dash to the bottom with Eric holding the rod. Eric, too, flipped over the side, but he held on to the boat and the rod. He eventually released the lever drag so line could easily exit the reel, and the rod was handed to Chancey, who managed to keep both feet on the deck and bring the fish back to the surface to be released.
“We are calling it the unforgettable fishing miracle,” Chancey told For The Win.
Photos courtesy of Chew On This Charters.