Rimmer Covington

I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t involved in recreational fishing in some way. Born and raised on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in Pass Christian, at a very early age, I was introduced to what would become my life’s passion.

From the age of three on, I was on the water with my dad every chance we got. In those days, we’d wade-fish the beaches and chase trout in the bays. Sometimes we’d run crab traps and throw a cast net for shrimp. When I wasn’t fishing, I was becoming somewhat of a fixture at the local bait and tackle shops, where I talked to locals to learn everything I possibly could.

My father was an avid offshore fisherman and a member of the New Orleans Big Game Fishing Club, the legendary organization based in Port Eads, Louisiana, near the mouth of the Mississippi River. I heard tales of epic battles with blue marlin and monster tuna that went on for hours. Before it was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina, Port Eads was basically a port, fuel dock, and a few lodges and camps. It’s located about 15 miles downriver from Venice, Louisiana., in the heart of the lower Mississippi Delta. While Venice was a relatively unknown destination back then, today it’s ranked as the third best fishing destination in the world, only trailing Hawaii and Costa Rica.

At the age of fifteen, I took my first job as a deckhand on a charter boat out of Venice, and it was a dream come true. For the next three years, I worked with various anglers and captains out of Port Eads. This was the same club that had hosted Ernest Hemingway some fifty years earlier. I was blessed to have the chance to fish with some of the best big game anglers in the country, quite a departure from catching speckled trout and redfish in the back bays of Biloxi.

I paid close attention, read books, and eventually learned the complexities of mastering billfish. There’s so much to know about catching billfish. It’s a lot more than just dropping lines in the water and pulling baits. The spread and type of baits, the colors, the speed of the boat – everything depends on the conditions and the species.

I learned the importance of boat types, maintenance, and rigging techniques. I also learned about knowing and being at the right place at the right time. While I put some stock in luck, I believe people can create their own luck through thorough preparation and recognizing and seizing opportunity.

During my three-year “internship” in southeast Louisiana, I attended high school at St. Stanislaus. Just days after I graduated, I headed back to Venice, determined to continue my “graduate studies” in offshore fishing by studying with an angler who’s arguably the best in the business, Captain Peace Marvel. It was a move that changed my life, as Marvel soon became my mentor.

I remember getting to Venice in the middle of the night, and I walked into Marvel’s lodge and woke him up. I introduced himself and told him I’d always dreamed of working with him. Marvel opened one eye and told me to meet him at the dock at 5 a.m. After a quick nap in my car, I arrived wide-eyed and began a relationship that spanned the next five years. He taught me just about everything I know about offshore fishing. Marvel gained his notoriety by consistently putting clients on monster tuna, and I studied his innovative techniques in slow trolling live bait, kite fishing, and chumming. This was an entirely different level, and we spent a lot of time learning areas and trying new things.

By twenty-one, I’d earned my captain’s license, and I was soon at the helm of my own boat, working with world-class captains such as Bill Wells, Kevin Beach, Chris Dinwitty, and Brett Falterman. As I was establishing myself as a successful offshore captain on the northern Gulf Coast, I was also attending college. I earned undergraduate degrees in finance and accounting, and completed post-graduate studies at Milsaps College.

Just days after I graduated, I landed a plum job as a junior securities analyst and assistant portfolio manager with a prominent firm in Jackson, Mississippi. I should have been excited, but I longed to get back to the fishing grounds.

During the two years I worked for the firm, I led a double life. On Friday afternoons, I headed to Venice to take clients on offshore fishing excursions. I used my vacation days to fish tournaments, and I spent every spare moment I had to prepare for trips and competitions.

I kept my fishing career a secret for fear my supervisors would think I wasn’t putting enough time and effort into my job. I’d drive back from Venice at two or three in the morning to get back in time for Monday morning meetings. I can still remember the stares from across the conference table. I was usually sunburned and still smelled a little fishy.

After two years, I realized it was time to make a decision. The workload was taking its toll on me. I was buried in paperwork and spreadsheets for more than fifty hours every week, then commuting from Jackson, Mississippi to Venice, Louisiana for a string of eighteen-hour days on the water.

To the dismay of my friends and parents, I turned in my notice…it was time!