By Ed Mashburn
(Originally published Mar/Apr 2020)
Anglers who enjoy intense multi-day fishing adventures love overnight big game fishing trips far out into the Gulf of Mexico from the port of Dauphin Island, Alabama.
One of the best-run and most experienced of the charter boats that regularly take anglers on these expeditions is the Escape, a 65-foot dual Volvo diesel-powered boat. This fine boat offers hot showers, cool air conditioning, flat screen television, and full cooking appointments. These overnight tuna trips run by the Thierry family don’t present anglers with rough conditions at all, except when the big fish treat the anglers badly. On the 80-mile run from Dauphin Island to the offshore oil drilling rigs, anglers will get to sample the fishing on various reefs and wrecks to catch snapper, triggerfish, several kinds of grouper, and some big, mean amberjack. However, these reef stops just get the angling crew limbered up for the real deal of these blue-water trips.
As the boat approaches the oil rigs – and these rigs are very impressive to see up close – trolling lines go over the stern. A range of lures and rigged baits begin to skip and jump as the boat circles the drill rigs. Quite soon, lines come tight and blackfin tuna and the occasional much larger yellowfin tuna are brought to the boat, where they are gaffed and lifted aboard.
Although this late
