Local businessman and boat owner of Jasper Time, Mark Wallace and angler Chip Temple, were part of the team that reeled in the tournament record breaking Blue Marlin on Saturday, June 20, and won prize money of over $325,000.

The five-man team, with Georgia natives, Mark and Chip, consisted of the captain Tommy Braden and two mates: Matt Pearson and Ed Goebel. Mark is also the owner of Jasper Engines & Transmissions located in the SouthPark/International office complex and Chip is Jasper’s Inside Sales Manager – Peachtree City Call Center.

An admitted outsider when it comes to fishing's biggest stages, Temple hooked, battled and reeled in the 714.7-pound, 121.5-inch blue marlin to help the crew of the Jasper Time shatter the emerald coast blue marlin Classic record by 23 lbs. .

Wallace said the 60-foot Hatteras Jasper Time, which harbors at the Marabella Yacht Club in Destin, was almost 130 miles into the Gulf of Mexico when they finally hooked the marlin at about 1:30 p.m. on Friday using a naked ballyhoo with a circle hook on 200 lb fluorocarbon leader. The crew had started trolling at daybreak, and when the big fish bit, it was Stockbridge, Ga. native Temple's turn in the fighting chair. .

With Temple, 33, all but locked into his position, he endured an eight-hour battle with the marlin before the crew finally hauled it in at about 9:30 p.m. on Friday night. “We knew it would be a long battle,” Wallace said,”because we had such a light leader and small hook we could not put the heat on the fish as we normally would.” Once landed, they rode overnight back to Sandestin.

The process of getting the massive fish into the boat would have been laborious even if the crew hadn't just been wrestling with it for eight hours. After the marlin was brought to the leader by Temple, all hands on deck helped get the fish up through the tuna door of the boat.

"They all got together, and a lot of adrenaline and a couple of heave ho's and pulled it up," Temple said. Chip Temple's first major fishing tournament experience is one he'll never forget.

And neither will his family. His wife, Kelly’s birthday was that day and his boys, Kaleb and Tyler were on hand at the weigh-in to see this once in a lifetime event. What a perfect Father’s day gift. Also celebrating were the Jasper Time boat owners Mark and Pam Wallace and their boys, Hunter and Gator of Griffin, Ga. 

login to post comments