Remarkably, Al. state record for Blue Marlin was set twice back in 2013

The assembled masses at the Blue Marlin Grand Championships won’t soon forget the 2013 tourney at the Wharf. It was the year the Alabama state record for blue marlin fell not once, but twice during a popular billfish competition. And their were 10,000 people lining The Wharf’s Main Street to watch the drama unfold.
Chris Ferrara set the new record, having spent nearly 7 hours battling a marlin that tipped the scale at 845.8 pounds. The catch shattered a state record—by nearly 66 pounds—that had held for 24 years.
“It was unbelievable,” Ferrara said. “I’m a pretty big guy, and it took all I’ve got to pull this fish in. It was truly a monster and she fought the whole time.”
Remarkably, the record was first toppled by Jeremy Powers during the same tournament. The giant blue that Powers landed weighed 789.8 pounds, but less than 2 hours later, Ferrara’s fish was weighed. Powers’ team, Rising Sons, earned $123,385 for the runner-up fish.
Ferrara said that his catch was almost cut off halfway during the struggle by passing ships pulling seismographic cable.
“We were telling them to get out of the way, we’re in a fishing tournament,” Ferrara said. “They were telling us we need to move. It was a big Mexican standoff because they didn’t stop.
“We had to dump the spool so the fish could swim under the ships. We were thinking that the line could be cut at any minute. The ship passed by us by only 50 yards off the back of the boat.”
The triumph for Ferrara and his team aboard the 60-foot yacht, Reel Fire, was worth $304,125. The team consisted of Capt. Michael Roberto, first mate Eric Chandler, Kate Ferrara, Connor Ferrara, Ivan Duke, and Ken Dunham.

Pictured: Team Reel Fire celebrates the catch of an 845.8-pound blue marlin at the 2013 Blue Marlin Grand Championships. The catch shattered a state record—by nearly 66 pounds—that had held for 24 years. Meat from marlin that were killed during the competition was to be donated to a food bank in Mobile.