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Aug 18, 8:50 PM

Misguided kingfish landed barehanded in boat
By Bill Sargent
FLORIDA TODAY

PORT CANAVERAL -- Landing a frenzied 12-pound king mackerel barehanded in the cockpit of a boat made for some anxious and frightening moments for a fishing party outside Port Canaveral Sunday.

Derek Redwine of Merritt Island said he held his breath as the 3-foot long fish with razor sharp teeth made a flying leap toward his wife, Cory, and their 4-year-old son, Alden.

"I was scared to death the fish was going to grab one of them," said Redwine. "It hit Cory in the cheek and shoulder before coming down and scraping Alden's leg."

The Redwines, along with Bryan Broderick of North Merritt Island and his 3-year-old son Bowyn, were guests aboard the boat Relentless, a 30-foot Delta owned by Scott Bussen.

They were slow trolling live baits for kingfish and tarpon around acres of baitfish about a mile offshore Cocoa Beach.

"There were tarpon and kingfish everywhere, and the ocean was loaded with baitfish, Spanish sardines, goggle-eyes, pogies and greenies," Redwine explained.

Alden Redwine had just caught his biggest kingfish, a 20-pounder, and Redwine was helping put out new lines when he noticed baitfish splashing near the boat. At the same time, Cory Redwine had bent over the gunwale to rinse her hands after helping Alden land his fish.

"It was some greenies coming out of the water, like they were being chased," Derek Redwine said. "Then I saw this kingfish flying through the air, just like a missile. It was coming straight for the boat."

Going for the baitfish, the kingfish had skyrocketed out of the water. As the silvery fish came down, it hit Cory and Alden before landing in the cockpit.

There was bedlam and frightened screams in an effort to get away from the twisting and squirming fish.

Seeing his chance, Bryan Broderick grabbed the fish and threw it in the fishbox. "We all looked at each other to see if anyone was hurt," Derek Redwine said.

Fortunately, no one was injured.

"I'm so thankful that fish didn't have its mouth open and it didn't bite into one of the kids," Derek Redwine said. "I've been offshore fishing for 20 years, and never in my life have I seen that happen."

The faces of fear soon gave way to laughs, and even a few high-fives.

"We were congratulating Cory on her 'catch,' " Derek Redwine laughed. "We told her she had provided the vittles for dinner, and never wet a line in doing it."

Cory wore an old T-shirt with the word Lucky printed across the front. She had planned to trash the shirt after the fishing trip.

"Not now," Derek Redwine laughed. "She'll be wearing that shirt for a long time to come."