Five hours...214 pounds on 60 pound test line...one leg...alot of heart!
Big check aside, there was a larger story behind the win at the Western Outdoor News Tuna Jackpot Tournament in Cabo San Lucas
SOMEDAY IS ALREADY HERE
Originally Published in Western Outdoor News the Week of Nov. 17, 2011
If you’re in the travel / fishing business like we are, you get alot of ” We’ll get out your way someday!” or “One of these days, we have to try doing something like that!”
You smile. You nod. That’s great. Sure thing.
This past week, my wife, Jill and I spent a great time working with the wacky crazy fun crew of Western Outdoor News at the 13th Annual Los Cabos Tuna Jackpot. Imagine throwing a five -day party for about 600 of your best friends.
It’s alot of work, but far outweighed by the smiles and fun. With over 100 teams from around world participating, how can you go wrong with a tournament that has the motto, “FISH HARD! PARTY HARDER!”
Ringmaster and WON Editor Pat McDonell pulls out all the stops as tournament director to make sure everyone has a good time. The best thing is that you see so many of the same faces every year. Many participants tell us this is sometimes the ONLY fishing they do all year and look forward to ONLY fishing in this event…because it’s such a kick.
This year, Jill worked the papers and stats helping to keep the tournament central booth manned and everyone straight. I thought I had the “easy” job of working the weigh scale with Pat.
Not so. There were alot of fish to weigh! It was pretty crazy. Drama right to the end. As it turned out, it was historic! More fish were weighed than ever. There were so many fish over 100 pounds, let alone the bigger slugs. (23 fish over 100 pounds and 3 over 200 pounds). I was pretty much covered with fish goo by the end of the day.
And there was the winner…214 pounds of tuna muscle. And it was worth almost 37 grand in prize money. Yay!
It’s quite a story.
Oroville Henseler fought this thug fish for almost FIVE hours. He was a FIRST TIME angler. When we saw his rod and reel, it almost looked like a rental rod. No fancy upgrades. No two-speed gears. No aircraft precision. It was a simple out-of-the-box Penn 6/0 reel. His rod…I dunno…a no-name-brand from what I can tell. Better suited for 20-pound dorado than 200- pound gorilla tuna. Granted, he had 150-pound Seagaur leader, but his mainline… only 60 -pound mono!
He refused to pass off the rod for all five hours. He wouldn’t hear of it. Imagine dangling a 200-pound refrigerator over the side of a building on a string and hanging onto it…for five grueling hours in the Baja sun on a rolling boat. That’s manning-up on a fish!
But that’s not the story…the real story. The winning story.
See, Oroville Henseler came all the way out from Springtown, Pennsylvania. Yes, THAT hotbed of ocean-fishing. Oroville had never fished in a big-time tournament. Heck, he hadn’t even been ocean fishing before.
Six months ago, he never imagined himself standing on the winner stage with a big fat check in one hand and his wife, Cindy, holding his other hand and holding back tears of her own.
You see, about 6 months ago, Oroville Henseler from Springtown was more concerned with staying alive and maybe walking again. He had lost his leg in an industrial accident when his shoelace got entangled in a machine. Surgery was unable to save his leg.
Fitted with a prosthetic leg, he had one of those life-changing experiences you hear about.
As the story is told, just two weeks before the tournament, he decided to go. A big -time tournament was on his new “bucket list” and he said no more “what if…” moments in his life. He plopped down the credit card and stepped up.
As he stood up there in the lights accepting the roaring congratulations and applause from more than 600 people, politicians and dignitaries at the awards banquet at the Cabo marina, he was choked up. I could see his eyes tearing up. His metal bionic leg sticking out from a pair of jeans shorts. A Kodak moment of moments.
Winning. It’s not about the money. It’s about saying “No more somedays.” There might not be time for “someday.” Someday is already here.
That’s our story!
Jonathan
______________________________________________________
Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife, Jill, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter-international.com. They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com or drop by the restaurant to say hi!
Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International
TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor
TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor
Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO
Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Drive, Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745
Mexico Office: 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863
.
Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:
http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/
Tailhunter YouTube Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate
“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”
That's My Story 
Leave a Reply