Chip Temple’s first major fishing tournament is one he will never forget. Temple hooked, battled and helped reel in a 714.7-pound, 121.5-inch blue marlin to help the crew of the “Jasper Time” shatter the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic record. The marlin beat out the previous record of 692.6 pounds set in 2006 and far outpaced the 566.8 pound average for the tourney winner. Wallace said the 60-foot Hatteras “Jasper Time” was almost 130 miles into the Gulf of Mexico when they finally hooked the marlin at about 1:30 p.m. on June 19th. With Temple all but locked into his position, he endured an eight-hour battle with the marlin before the crew finally hauled it in at about 9:30 p.m. The record-setting catch cruised to first place and will earn the crew at least $325,000 in prize money. The 67-boat event carried a total purse of $1.3 million.
The team consisted of (pictured left to right): angler Chip Temple, mate Ed Gobel, captain Tommy Braden, mate Matt Pearson and boat owner Mark Wallace.
