Fisherman brings home 290-pound marlin

CATCH OF THE DAY-Jeff Woods stands tall with his 290-pound marlin. Nice job, Jeff.

Jeff Woods of Agoura Hills said the biggest catch of his life came 17 years ago when he married his wife, Jody.

On the couple’s recent anniversary trip to Hawaii, Woods caught his second biggest prize: a 10-foot long, 290-pound marlin, a sport fisherman’s dream.

The 44-year-old Woods had been fishing with a captain and mate for only 15 minutes when he hooked into the marlin. The battle to reel in the giant fish took 50 minutes.

"We had six lines out, two on the outriggers, and this was the short line right behind the boat on the small pole," Jeff recalled. "It was the first thing to hit the lines."

The action took place in the waters off Maui. Woods was using an artificial lure.

"We left at 11:30, we put the lines in at 12, at 12:15 the fish hit. One o’clock, 1:15, we had him in the boat and we were back in the dock at 2:30. Three hours. It couldn’t have gone any better."

Woods, a former Florida resident and longtime sport fisherman, said he’s been trying to catch a marlin for more than 10 years. He’s caught his share of sailfish and other big ocean game, but nothing like this.

"They have the reel strapped to you so at any given time you can let your arms rest and wring them out … But I couldn’t lift a glass of water to drink the next day."

After photos and congrat-ulations, he took the marlin to a local taxidermist.

"I’m having it mounted and sent back," he said. "My wife won’t let me have it in the house, so I’ll put it in the office."

"This was something he’s wanted for a long time," Jody said happily. "It was a special anniversary gift."

Woods is a business owner at Conejo Courier in Newbury Park.

—John Loesing