By DON DUBUC

When Tim Murphy took his 21′ Sea Pro to the Midnight Lump below Venice on a Saturday morning a couple of weeks ago, all he wanted was amberjack.

What he ended up with was more than he could handle and one heck of a fish story. The Houma fisherman found himself head-to-head with a giant Mako shark, one of the most aggressive sport fish ever to swim the Gulf. After a brief fight and not wanting the impossible task of fighting and landing the monster alone, Murphy handed his rod and reel to Captain Timmy Couvillion and his passengers aboard a 26 foot Glacier Bay owned by Reel Peace Charters. Couvillion and fellow captain Tommy Smith had spotted and identified the Mako as it made some breathtaking leaps away from Murphy’s boat. Mike Kelly was first to fight the fish and after an hour and 20 minutes passed the rod to son, Pat.

Two hours later, the fish was about 15 yards from the boat and they estimated it to be 250-300 pounds. Mike resumed the fight and just before dark, when all other boats including Murphy’s headed home, they brought it close enough to shoot it with a pistol and get a flying gaff into its massage body.

At 9 p.m. that night the tired crew finally hoisted it on the scale at the Venice marina that showed they had a 545 pound fish, easily surpassing the current state record 412 pounder that was landed over 22 years ago in the same general vicinity.

But the Kellys’ record was not to be. You see, one of the official Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association Fish Record rules states that although an angler can re-ceive assistance with someone with a gaff or net, only one angler can handle the rod and reel. And as for Murphy, he collected up his rod and reel and headed home with not the story of the one that got away but the one he gave away.

Louisiana duck dollars shared

For the first time in 39 years, money from LA hunting licenses dedicated to waterfowl management will be allocated to a waterfowl conservation organization other than Ducks Unlimited.

A resolution adopted by the LDWFC last week auth-orizes one third of the money the state has beengiving to DU to go to Delta Waterfowl Foundation.

Since 10 percent of license fees amount is capped at $300,000 annually. Delta is expected to receive approximately $100,000. DU will retain the remaining.

DON DUBUC is the outdoors reporter for L’Observateur.