‘I’m still kind of thinking about it’: Off-duty deckhand reels in 172-pound marlin

Patience and persistence have proven to be essential virtues in a variety of fields, and certainly, each has its place in the realm of sportfishing.

Carter Voorhis, an off-duty deckhand, had those qualities put to the test during a recent trip off the coast of Newport Beach.

The Patriot, a sportfishing vessel based out of Newport Landing, was on a three-quarter-day trip on Tuesday, rods trolling behind the boat, when there was a tug at one of the lines.

Voorhis, 20, sprang into action in what wound up being a 40-minute fight to reel in the catch of the day — a 172-pound marlin.

“I’m still kind of thinking about it a lot today,” Voorhis said when reached for comment on Wednesday evening. “It was probably my most exotic favorite in a long time. … It’s a fight, go ahead and get tired after so long, but you kind of just have to take a breath and recover when you can, keep going on it. At some point, you know that fish is going to give up and get tired just as much as you are, so it’s kind of an endurance battle with those bigger fish.”

A deckhand since he turned 18, Voorhis said he began spending more time on the water only a couple years prior as an outdoor activity during the coronavirus pandemic. He grew up in Irvine and attended Tustin High.

The catch, he said, was made possible with a “whole crew and boat” effort, from Captain Mike Jensen chasing down the fish to others staying clear of the line. Voorhis added that a clump of kelp or seagrass had to be negotiated about 10 minutes into the exchange.

“It was my first marlin that I’ve ever caught,” Voorhis said. “I will definitely say I think fighting a bluefin was significantly easier than that. It takes some longer runs, definitely more exciting watching it come up, surface, jump around, kind of put on a bit of a show for everyone on the boat. I think everyone enjoyed seeing that. I know I definitely did.”

The Patriot was not far into its trip toward Catalina Island, where Jensen said marlin tournaments take place annually in Avalon. He described marlin sightings as “not uncommon” but also said that they are not caught every day.

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Jensen, 32, who said he is in his 10th season as a captain, added that the 172-pound marlin was on the “bigger end” of what is regularly seen among striped marlin in the area. He said the species is normally found in the range of 100 to 130 pounds.

“Once we hooked the fish in the stern, he came up to the front of the boat, so I’m looking straight ahead at him,” Jensen said. “It’s an easier way to do it for the way that our boat is set up. A lot of them, one of the guys will fish and stay in the stern and back down and chase them in reverse. The private boats do it that way, but for us, it’s much easier to have them in the front of the boat and drive forward, especially because we’re a complete, true walk-around boat.”

Jensen added that he began his life on the water working as a pinhead. The role, generally reserved for a kid, allows them to fish throughout the day in exchange for helping to set up the boat and cleaning it at the end of the day.

Sometimes, fish may be caught, then released. Everyone aboard the Patriot shared in the spoils of Tuesday’s big catch. The crew and patrons divided the marlin among themselves to be enjoyed later, as it sustained injury during the fight.

“The marlin, unfortunately, during the fight went ahead and got [its] tail wrapped, so we didn’t go and let it just float off into oblivion trying to release it,” Voorhis said. “We cut it up and dispersed it among everyone on the boat. I have not personally tried it yet, but I do have a few pieces waiting for me at home.”