After almost a half-day battle, second-year Elite pro David Gaston brought in the pending Alabama state record bluefin tuna on May 30.
“That was a big ’un. A real big ’un,” said the 27-year-old from Sylacauga, Ala. “It was a pretty big deal catching it. It weighed 831.6 pounds. The original record was 829. I’m supposed to get a call back, but right now it’s the pending state record.”
With his father, uncle and crew of their 66-foot sport fisher Fat Chick, Gaston was 130 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico on a shakedown trip before big summer blue marlin tournaments. In 6,000 feet of water, the crew was throwing poppers around schooling yellowfin, then sent a 2-pound chunk of bait 200 feet down in hopes of landing a monster yellowfin.
“We’ve been out there a lot fishing, and we always wanted to catch a bluefin. That’s the first one we’ve ever caught,” Gaston said. “They’re only out there about three months a year, come into the Gulf and spawn.”
As the bluefin starting peeling some of the 1,400 yards of line, Gaston grabbed the rod and got in the fighting chair for a back-and-forth tussle that took almost 11 hours.
“After the initial hookup, it ran and almost dumped the reel,” he said. “There was only about 200 yards left. We were closing on him, and he decided he wasn’t done yet — dove down another 500 yards. This one died the last two hours of the fight. I could feel his last few head shakes.
“I brought him up after he dumped the spool. That was really tough deadlifting that fish the entire time.”
The outing was in preparation for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic, June 6-8 out of the Golden Nugget Biloxi. It’s the start of a heavy run of events for Gaston, who actually does more saltwater fishing than freshwater.
When contacted, he was prepping a building to be demolished for his family’s industrial construction company. “We stay wrapped up busy — ain’t no time for naps,” he said. Work, along with a second child, fishing all the Gulf marlin events as well as the Elite Series has kept Gaston on the move.
“Tomorrow evening, I’ll be heading to Biloxi, Miss., for the marlin tournament,” he said. “Then come home and fish Wheeler. Then fishing Destin Emerald Coast (Blue Marlin Classic), come home and go back to Smith Lake and fish. Then there’s a Worldwide” Blue Marlin World Cup Championship on the Fourth of July.
Another big ’un could have Gaston a bit arm weary for the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lake Wheeler. Gaston stands 67th with 229 points in the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings and knows he needs a good run in the final four events to get back to the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors.
After making cuts in the five events last year, Gaston was second in the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year race to Will Davis Jr. The second half of the year was more trying, starting with a 96th at the Sabine River.
“It was one of those deals last year,” he said. “After Sabine, it went downhill.”
Mechanical issues at Lake St. Clair saw him finish 51st, an ounce out of the cut. An 84th at Lake Champlain put him 43rd in points, and he lost 14 spots to fall to 50th at the St. Lawrence River after knocking off his lower unit on Day 3. That made him first man out of the Grand Lake Classic before Will Davis repeated as B.A.S.S. Nation champion to double qualify and make Gaston last man in.
This year, Gaston needs to earn about 270 points in the final four events if he hopes to qualify for a second Classic.
“This year has been a little different,” Gaston said. “I just haven’t got in a groove, and I’ve been trying to make everything else work. We had another baby this year, fishing these marlin tournaments, it’s not been my sole focus this year.”
But he knows he’s within range, and his best hopes will be in Alabama, starting next week on Wheeler.
“I’m going to give it all I’ve got,” he said. “I’m more excited about it being close to the house than I am anything. I fished it a couple time years and year ago, but I didn’t pre-practice. It’s fishing pretty good, but I expect it to be crowded. I’m just going to take a shot at it.
“Smith Lake, it could be anybody’s tournament. It’s going to be tough. No telling who’s going to win that.”
Then the circuit closes the season in back-to-back August events on Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River.
“I like going up north. The fishing is good,” Gaston said. “I’d love to make the Classic. I’m pursuing it and want to do it; it’s just I got stuff on the home front I need to do. I’m focusing on the fish, there’s just a lot going on over here.”
