Jaselyn Berthelot, a 22-year-old recent LSU graduate from Addis, had 609 reasons to celebrate this past Fourth of July.
Berthelot, aboard her father Toby’s 58-foot Viking “Rising Sons” landed a giant blue marlin while fishing in the Green Canyon block off the Louisiana coast. She then headed to Hurricane Hole Marina in Grand Isle to have it weighed and certified. The 609-pound fish won Berthelot the 2025 Blue Marlin Gulf Cup, a one-day tournament held in conjunction with the Blue Marlin World Cup in which she and her crew were also entered.
The World Cup and Gulf Cup are held each July 4 according to Gulf Cup Tournament Director and Owner Robert “Fly” Navarro. Entrants have 8 hours to fish in their respective time zones with lines in at 8:30 a.m. and out at 4:30 p.m. Hook-up times are reported to the tournament director allowing for extra time to boat a fish past 4:30 if needed. Most boats enter both, which are single winner tournaments. Berthelot and her father, along with Capt. Jimmy Crochet and crew members Adrian Valdes and David Valdez, bested 21 other boats in the Gulf Cup and claimed the winner-take-all purse of $58,200.
A hot streak
To increase their odds of success, as well as not fall behind the competition, Berthelot explained that the vessel was refitted 2 years ago and was equipped with an omnidirectional sonar system. The sonar can scan the water 360 degrees and mark large fish as well as bait schools. When a fish is marked, its depth and direction of travel are tracked so the boat can position itself to hopefully bring the fish up and entice a bite.
That was the case when Berthelot’s fish, which they were tracking, hit a blackfin tuna and the battle was on. The fight time from when the fish was hooked to when it was boated was 7 hours and 10 minutes.
To say Berthelot has been on a hot streak lately would be an understatement. She also weighed in a 618-pound blue marlin during the Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic held out of Cypress Cove Marina in Venice this past May, earning her top honors for the heaviest fish weighed in at that tournament.
“We joked that those two fish were sisters,” Berthelot said laughing.
When Louisiana Sportsman caught up with her, Berthelot was at the Orlando, Fla., airport. She was in town attending the ICAST show and was catching a plane to Los Angeles to attend the 2025 ESPY Awards on July 16. After the ESPYs, she was headed to Port Aransas, Tex., to the Billfish Pachanga tournament. Word of her accomplishments have spread quickly on social media. She was even recognized by Governor Jeff Landry for the Gulf Cup win.
Looking ahead
As for the future, Berthelot is owner of “Rising Sons Fishing,” which is a certified woman-owned business with over 13,000 Facebook followers. She and the rest of the Rising Sons team are diligently working to build her brand, network, and pursue endorsement opportunities. She’s also in the process of opening a pet boarding facility in Addis along with an in-home pet sitting service.
“That’s another one of my passions besides fishing,” she said.
Turning 23 soon, the young lady has already accomplished a great deal in the angling world, having boated fish that anglers with many more years under their belts dream of.
“I’m really just taking it all in stride and I’m so happy I get to share it with my family and crew,” she said.