Capt. Seth Hartleroad brings possible world record fish to Caribe

Capt. Seth Hartleroad brings possible world record fish to Caribe
By Fran Thompson
Capt. Seth Hartleroad already has one state record penciled into his Outcast Charter trip log.
That would be the Alabama record (3lb.-10oz.) Angelfish he put Lillie Cooper, a 9-year-old from Iowa, above during a 2018 Outcast fishing trip leaving from Caribe Marina, which is among the world’s best marina locations, sitting just a few hundred yards from Perdido Pass and its bounty.
Captain Seth thought he may have a second on Nov. 29 when he saw what he tought was a Red Porgy caught by 8-year-old Turner Rutledge slapping about on the Outcast deck.
If nothing else, he knew this was a fish worth holding in a slurry box as soon as the adolescent from Nashville boated a fish that was certified at the weight of 8lb.-.05oz.
“We absolutely knew when we caught it that it was big. We have a digital scale on the boat that showed it was going to be over eight pounds,’’ he said.
Capt. Seth found the fish at one of his regular spots about 15 miles offshore. The fish hit a squid on a chicken rig.
“The little boy was so excited. I told him when we left the spot that it would be close. But we’d have to wait ‘til we got back. The rest of the trip he was telling people not to break his state record.’’
It turns out that even though Turner’s fish would have broken the record for that species, it was not a Red Porgy. At first, local marine biologists thought it was a Jolthead Porgy. It was not.
“They send it to multiple biologists just so they can confirm the findings,’’ Seth said. “It was a whitebone porgy or what locals call a chocolate snapper and it broke the old state record by 2 lbs. We’ve also submitted that fish to the IGFA for a world record Whitebone Porgy. That record is currently pending upon certification.’’
Tanner Burtner, who has fished with Capt. Seth for two years, was filling in as deckhand on the record breaking day.
Capt. Seth, who now lives in Foley with his wife and two kids, has been fishing hard since his mom would set him free on Johnson Beach as a child.
He enjoyed surf fishing for pompano as much as catching specs and redfish across the road in the Intracoastal. He started deckhanding at 13 with Louie King out of Palafox Pier in Pensacola and then fished out of Pitt’s Slip.
He became a captain in 2008 with a 6-pack license and upgraded to a 100-ton master in 2012. He has also run parasail boats to pay the bills, but fishing has always been his passion.
“I was glad to come back to fishing. I have no regrets. It is definitely a blessing to do what I do,’’ he said. “I’m surrounded by good people.’’
Cissy Flanigan organized the extended family charter, which included Turner’s grandparents, Debbie and Terry Turner. Cissy and her husband (David) have an Orange Beach condo and have been visiting Pleasure Island for 20 years.
“It made an 8-year-old boy’s year,’’ Cissy said. “He was so pumped. When we are on vacation, he always requests to go fishing, but he plays all kinds of sports at home. He’s the greatest little kid.
“It was a great experience. We caught a ton of fish. We had to throw back the trigger and red snapper. But it was a beautiful day and we could not have asked for anything more in a fishing trip,’’ she added.
Capt. Seth is also not asking for anything more. He is happy for every day he can spend at the helm of the Outcast hunting fish for customers.
“It is pretty cool to have two state records in two years,’’ he said.
Pictured: (l to r) Capt. Hartleroad; 8-year-old Turner Rutledge with what very well may be a world record Whitebone Porgy; Deckhand Tanner Burtner helps Turner.