Gonsoulin’s 587.3-pound marlin earns $236,050 check at MGCBC
Most kids working summer jobs these days are happy to get minimum wage, and if they’re lucky enough to be making around 10 bucks an hour, they probably feel like they’ve got money to burn.
But an 18-year-old Houma teen earned more than $78,000 an hour last weekend when she landed a 587.3-pound blue marlin that took first place after an epic three-hour fight during the 2015 Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic in Biloxi.
Katie Gonsoulin, fishing aboard her dad’s 70-foot Viking Convertible – the Done Deal – earned a cool $236,050 for the top blue marlin.
But her 114-inch fish barely edged out a 575-pounder by angler Dana Foster on the Born2Run, which took second place.
“Twelve pounds is close when you’re blue marlin fishing,” said Katie’s dad, Jon Gonsoulin. “We were watching Born2Run weigh in. Obviously we were elated when we heard 575. We’ve been tournament fishing for quite a few years. We’ve had our share of success.
“Everybody who does this type of fishing has times when they do well. Anybody can be at the right place at the right time and have their moment. To see Katie fight that fish was wonderful. It was definitely a proud moment for me.”
To read the full story on MississippiSportsman.com by Bobby Cleveland — including Katie’s comments — click here.
