LEE COUNTY, Fla. -- A fisherman visiting from Missouri made an unlikely catch this week on a charter fishing trip near Sanibel Island.
Captain Noah Stewart says he took Todd Richleau out for a day on the water and was fishing about 4 miles south of Sanibel when a 7-foot sailfish took his live bait.
Rochleau fought the fish on 30-pound-test for about 30 minutes before landing the fish. The two posed for a quick photo with the fish before releasing it back into the Gulf.
“Catching a sailfish this large and this close to shore is unusual,” stated Captain Noah. “I was as excited and happy as my client!”
Sailfish are a pelagic species that generally patrol the surface of deeper offshore waters, and rarely venture into shallow waters.
