David Gaston can drive north from his Sylacauga, Alabama home and within a couple of hours be fishing some of the best bass lakes in the country. If he has a couple of more hours, the Yamaha Pro can instead drive south to the Gulf of Mexico to enjoy some of the best blue marlin and tuna fishing in the world.
Growing up in a family that loves fishing of all kinds, it was only natural that Gaston become a fisherman himself, which he did at an early age. He doesn’t remember the first fish he caught, whether it was in fresh or saltwater, or how big it might have been, but he’s created plenty of memories in the years since.
Earlier this year, he finished his second season as a Bassmaster Elite Pro. He qualified for the Elites through the Opens, had a very successful 2023 rookie season, and qualified for the 2024 Bassmaster Classic at Grand Lake where he finished 42nd.
His more recent saltwater memories include a grueling 11-hour battle this past May with his first bluefin tuna, an 831-pound giant that has been certified as a new Alabama state record.
“I knew immediately it was definitely a big fish,” laughs Gaston. “We were about 140 miles out in the Gulf, fishing around the oil rigs, actually looking for yellowfin tuna, a generally smaller but extremely hard-fighting fish. Sometimes we call them footballs with turbochargers.”
The Yamaha Pro, who was fishing that day with his father, uncle, and brother, threw out a larger chunk of bait in hopes of catching a larger fish, and it worked. Something big hit the bait as it sank and started peeling line off the reel. Gaston jumped into the fighting chair, got strapped in, and stayed there for the next 11 hours as he fought the fish and finally brought it to the boat.
“International Game Fish Association (IGFA) rules stipulate only one person can touch the rod and play the fish for it to be considered for a record,” explains Gaston. “That’s why I stayed with it all day. The bluefin weighed 831 pounds and was certified as a new Alabama state record for the species.”
Gaston knows he fishes in two very different worlds, because there aren’t many similarities between the Elite Series bass fishing events and the big saltwater tournaments he and his family fish.
“I did not have a very good Elite season this year,” he admits. “I just couldn’t get into a ‘groove’ where I was comfortable. In bass fishing, it really is only you against the fish, whereas in a marlin tournament, it is a total team effort.
“In bass fishing you absolutely have to concentrate on what you’re doing. I thoroughly enjoy fishing the Elites, and qualifying for the Classic was an unforgettable experience, but if your focus isn’t razor-sharp, you’re going to struggle, and I did.”
The Yamaha Pro describes saltwater events as being far more intense. His family has a 66-foot Viking with a full-time four-man crew, and in a tournament they may travel 200 miles or more offshore and fish two or more days. Issues like gasoline usage and food for the crew and anglers have to be planned and packed. Gaston’s rods and reels are custom-made for him for different situations, and all have to be rigged, because in addition to marlin, there are separate classes for yellowfin, wahoo, and dolphin.
“We’re all in contact with tournament headquarters by radio, so we know the general size of the fish that have been caught,” continues the Yamaha Pro. “There is a 110-inch minimum size for a blue marlin, for example, and a marlin that long probably weighs over 500 pounds.
“We get credit for catch-and-release on any species, so only the real giants are brought in. In one marlin tournament we fished, 95 boats caught 195 blue marlin.”
Gaston and his family have won and placed in the top three in the yellowfin category in several events, but the Yamaha Pro also has a goal of winning a Bassmaster Elite tournament. He knows the pieces of the puzzle are all in place. All he has to do is drive a little farther.
