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View

105 POUNDS ON 8-POUND TEST… AND 33 YEARS LATER, THE RECORD STILL STANDS. 🤯🎣

On April 20, 1993, Christian Martin was fishing off Key West with legendary Capt. Ralph Delph aboard the 25-foot SeaVee Vitamin Sea.

They were drifting a color change in about 200 feet when a giant Atlantic sailfish ate a flat-lined threadfin herring.

About 40 minutes later, Christian landed a 105 lb 4 oz sailfish on 8-POUND TEST.

It became the IGFA Men’s 8-lb Line Class World Record.

And nobody has beaten it since.

To me, this might be one of the hardest records in fishing to break.

Finding a legitimate 100-pound Atlantic sailfish is hard enough.

But the crazy part is this:

By the time most fishermen realize they’ve hooked a truly giant sailfish, they’ve already hooked it on 20, 30 or 50-pound tackle.

To intentionally beat this record, you’d almost have to spend YEARS fishing 8-pound test, waiting for that one freak fish to finally show up.

Finding the fish is hard.

Being ready with 8-pound test when it does?

Dang near impossible.

That’s what makes records like this so incredible.

And we’re now only 8 DAYS AWAY from Ralph Delph’s induction into the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame and the announcement of our next DELPHFISHING DREAM TRIP WINNER!

One winner + a friend are coming with us to the DRY TORTUGAS, and we’re filming the entire day for everyone to see.

PLUS, @ti.tackle is giving away more than $1,400 in precision-machined T5 titanium fishing tools.

Want in on the TI Tackle giveaway?

FOLLOW @ti.tackle.

That’s it.

Winner announced August 29 in Springfield, Missouri.

33 years later… who thinks they could beat this record? 👀🎣

View

This story is hilarious, but first, Capt. Ken Harris deserves a little context.

Ken went on to become one of Key West’s most accomplished light-tackle captains. His anglers set world records, he won major tournaments over decades, and he helped push light-tackle fishing to another level in that legendary Key West era.

But when this happened, Kenny was still new to Key West and just meeting Ralph Delph.

He jigged up a nice black grouper on 10-pound test and was pretty proud. He pulled alongside Ralph, held it up, and asked if it was a black or a gag.

Ralph said, “It’s a black.”

Kenny added, “Got him on 10-pound test.”

Bad move. 😂

Ralph told Jim Anson, “Pull that one out of the box and show him.”

Jim reaches down and pulls up what Kenny remembers as an almost 100-pound black grouper.

Kenny quietly puts his fish behind his back and says:

“Remind me never to show Ralph a fish again.” 😂

That moment turned into a lifelong friendship. Ralph became a mentor, and soon they were fishing together during one of the greatest eras of light-tackle sport fishing.

Ralph and his sons became especially known for giant black grouper, consistently finding them on wrecks, ledges, and deep water off the Dry Tortugas and west of Key West.

For most anglers, a 10-pound-test black grouper is a lifetime story.

Around Ralph, it was just the one you hid behind your back. 😂

🎣 DELPHFISHING DREAM TRIP GIVEAWAY
Enter the Delphfishing Dream Trip Giveaway, follow @delphfishing, and use keyword HALL OF FAME.

Bonus: follow @ti.tackle for a chance at $1,400+ in titanium fishing tools.

Winner announced August 29 at Ralph Delph’s IGFA Hall of Fame celebration in Springfield, Missouri.

Those Who Were There 🎣

View

Ken’s story made me laugh because I know that feeling all too well.

Years ago, my brothers Rob, Mike and I caught a 72.89-pound kingfish, at the time the biggest kingfish ever weighed in the history of the Southern Kingfish Association tournament series.

We couldn’t wait to call our dad and tell him.

His first words?

“You know I’ve caught bigger than that on 12-pound test.”

Then he laughed.

Only after that did we get the congratulations. 😳😂

That was Ralph.

The bar was always somewhere higher.

Fishing in his shadow wasn’t always easy, because those were some enormous shoes to fill. But looking back, I think that was one of the greatest gifts he gave us. He made all of us better. He made us set our sights higher, work harder, and believe that whatever we had just accomplished probably wasn’t the limit.

That’s why I relate so much to Capt. Ken Harris telling this story.

Ken caught a 63-pound kingfish on 12-pound test that broke the world record. Ralph read about it, laughed, and then went out and caught a 73-pounder on 12… followed by a 75-pounder.

As Ken put it:

“Don’t assume anything when it comes to Ralph Delph.”

That pretty much says it all.

🎣 DELPHFISHING DREAM TRIP GIVEAWAY

Want a chance to fish with us? Make sure you’re participating in the Dream Trip Giveaway, following @delphfishing, and don’t forget our bonus giveaway from @ti.tackle.

Follow @ti.tackle and you’ll also be entered to win more than $1,400 in T5 precision-machined titanium fishing tools built to last a lifetime.

The next Dream Trip winner will be announced August 29 at 6 PM during Ralph Delph’s IGFA Hall of Fame celebration at Wonders of Wildlife in Springfield, Missouri.

Keyword: HALL OF FAME

View

For years, Capt. Ken Harris kept seeing the same name show up in the newspapers, MET standings and IGFA records coming out of Key West: Ralph Delph.

290-pound shark on fly.
103-pound amberjack on fly.
Record after record.

Ken remembers thinking, “Who is this guy?”

Then one day he finally saw him in person.

Ken was fishing a wreck in the Gulf when a 20-foot SeaCraft came over the horizon. Ralph pulled up wearing the bandanna that would become part of his trademark look. Ken had already read about him for years, but seeing him actually fish was something different.

Ralph put one blue runner in the water and watched the fish rise beneath it. Amberjacks, cobia, permit, everything was there. Ralph just kept looking until he finally pointed to one fish and told Jim Anson, “That’s your fish.”

One cast.

Fish on.

Then Ralph looked around and left.

Ken couldn’t believe it. The fishing was incredible. Why would anyone leave?

Because Ralph wasn’t just out there trying to catch fish. He was hunting the biggest fish, world records and tournament-winning fish.

Ken would later become one of several great Key West captains Ralph helped mentor, fish alongside and ultimately compete against. But on that first day, Ken knew exactly what he had just seen.

A Key West cowboy.

A gunslinger.

And in Ken’s words, “We weren’t on his level yet.”

“And that’s the first time I saw Ralph Delph.”

Those Who Were There
The stories of Capt. Ralph Delph, told by the people who actually lived them.

🎣 DELPHFISHING DREAM TRIP GIVEAWAY

Want a chance to fish with us? Enter the Delphfishing Dream Trip Giveaway, follow @delphfishing, and make sure you’re following our bonus sponsor @ti.tackle.

Following @ti.tackle also gets you entered for the bonus giveaway: over $1,400 in T5 precision-machined titanium fishing tools, including titanium pliers, wrenches, and lifetime-built gear.

Our next Dream Trip winner will be announced August 29 at 6 PM during Ralph Delph’s IGFA Hall of Fame celebration at Wonders of Wildlife in Springfield, Missouri.

Keyword: HALL OF FAME

Follow along, get entered, and we’ll see who’s going fishing with Delphfishing next. �

View

🔥 BONUS GIVEAWAY: OVER $1,400 IN TI TACKLE TITANIUM TOOLS! 🔥

We’ve been using @ti.tackle for over a year now and absolutely love their gear. These are premium T5 titanium tools built for serious saltwater use and made to last a lifetime.

One of you is taking home the COMPLETE TI Tackle package worth over $1,400!

To enter:

1. Comment “HALL OF FAME”
2. Tag 3 friends
3. Do this on any or every single piece of content until August 29 for more chances to win.
4. Make sure you’re following @ti.tackle to be eligible for this bonus prize

🏆 Winner announced August 29 LIVE from the Wonders of Wildlife Museum in Springfield, Missouri, during Capt. Ralph Delph’s IGFA Hall of Fame induction!

Good luck! 🎣🔥

#Delphfishing #DreamTripGiveaway #TITackle #RalphDelph #HallOfFame FishingGiveaway SaltwaterFishing

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View

105 POUNDS ON 8-POUND TEST… AND 33 YEARS LATER, THE RECORD STILL STANDS. 🤯🎣

On April 20, 1993, Christian Martin was fishing off Key West with legendary Capt. Ralph Delph aboard the 25-foot SeaVee Vitamin Sea.

They were drifting a color change in about 200 feet when a giant Atlantic sailfish ate a flat-lined threadfin herring.

About 40 minutes later, Christian landed a 105 lb 4 oz sailfish on 8-POUND TEST.

It became the IGFA Men’s 8-lb Line Class World Record.

And nobody has beaten it since.

To me, this might be one of the hardest records in fishing to break.

Finding a legitimate 100-pound Atlantic sailfish is hard enough.

But the crazy part is this:

By the time most fishermen realize they’ve hooked a truly giant sailfish, they’ve already hooked it on 20, 30 or 50-pound tackle.

To intentionally beat this record, you’d almost have to spend YEARS fishing 8-pound test, waiting for that one freak fish to finally show up.

Finding the fish is hard.

Being ready with 8-pound test when it does?

Dang near impossible.

That’s what makes records like this so incredible.

And we’re now only 8 DAYS AWAY from Ralph Delph’s induction into the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame and the announcement of our next DELPHFISHING DREAM TRIP WINNER!

One winner + a friend are coming with us to the DRY TORTUGAS, and we’re filming the entire day for everyone to see.

PLUS, @ti.tackle is giving away more than $1,400 in precision-machined T5 titanium fishing tools.

Want in on the TI Tackle giveaway?

FOLLOW @ti.tackle.

That’s it.

Winner announced August 29 in Springfield, Missouri.

33 years later… who thinks they could beat this record? 👀🎣

View

This story is hilarious, but first, Capt. Ken Harris deserves a little context.

Ken went on to become one of Key West’s most accomplished light-tackle captains. His anglers set world records, he won major tournaments over decades, and he helped push light-tackle fishing to another level in that legendary Key West era.

But when this happened, Kenny was still new to Key West and just meeting Ralph Delph.

He jigged up a nice black grouper on 10-pound test and was pretty proud. He pulled alongside Ralph, held it up, and asked if it was a black or a gag.

Ralph said, “It’s a black.”

Kenny added, “Got him on 10-pound test.”

Bad move. 😂

Ralph told Jim Anson, “Pull that one out of the box and show him.”

Jim reaches down and pulls up what Kenny remembers as an almost 100-pound black grouper.

Kenny quietly puts his fish behind his back and says:

“Remind me never to show Ralph a fish again.” 😂

That moment turned into a lifelong friendship. Ralph became a mentor, and soon they were fishing together during one of the greatest eras of light-tackle sport fishing.

Ralph and his sons became especially known for giant black grouper, consistently finding them on wrecks, ledges, and deep water off the Dry Tortugas and west of Key West.

For most anglers, a 10-pound-test black grouper is a lifetime story.

Around Ralph, it was just the one you hid behind your back. 😂

🎣 DELPHFISHING DREAM TRIP GIVEAWAY
Enter the Delphfishing Dream Trip Giveaway, follow @delphfishing, and use keyword HALL OF FAME.

Bonus: follow @ti.tackle for a chance at $1,400+ in titanium fishing tools.

Winner announced August 29 at Ralph Delph’s IGFA Hall of Fame celebration in Springfield, Missouri.

Those Who Were There 🎣

View

Ken’s story made me laugh because I know that feeling all too well.

Years ago, my brothers Rob, Mike and I caught a 72.89-pound kingfish, at the time the biggest kingfish ever weighed in the history of the Southern Kingfish Association tournament series.

We couldn’t wait to call our dad and tell him.

His first words?

“You know I’ve caught bigger than that on 12-pound test.”

Then he laughed.

Only after that did we get the congratulations. 😳😂

That was Ralph.

The bar was always somewhere higher.

Fishing in his shadow wasn’t always easy, because those were some enormous shoes to fill. But looking back, I think that was one of the greatest gifts he gave us. He made all of us better. He made us set our sights higher, work harder, and believe that whatever we had just accomplished probably wasn’t the limit.

That’s why I relate so much to Capt. Ken Harris telling this story.

Ken caught a 63-pound kingfish on 12-pound test that broke the world record. Ralph read about it, laughed, and then went out and caught a 73-pounder on 12… followed by a 75-pounder.

As Ken put it:

“Don’t assume anything when it comes to Ralph Delph.”

That pretty much says it all.

🎣 DELPHFISHING DREAM TRIP GIVEAWAY

Want a chance to fish with us? Make sure you’re participating in the Dream Trip Giveaway, following @delphfishing, and don’t forget our bonus giveaway from @ti.tackle.

Follow @ti.tackle and you’ll also be entered to win more than $1,400 in T5 precision-machined titanium fishing tools built to last a lifetime.

The next Dream Trip winner will be announced August 29 at 6 PM during Ralph Delph’s IGFA Hall of Fame celebration at Wonders of Wildlife in Springfield, Missouri.

Keyword: HALL OF FAME

View

For years, Capt. Ken Harris kept seeing the same name show up in the newspapers, MET standings and IGFA records coming out of Key West: Ralph Delph.

290-pound shark on fly.
103-pound amberjack on fly.
Record after record.

Ken remembers thinking, “Who is this guy?”

Then one day he finally saw him in person.

Ken was fishing a wreck in the Gulf when a 20-foot SeaCraft came over the horizon. Ralph pulled up wearing the bandanna that would become part of his trademark look. Ken had already read about him for years, but seeing him actually fish was something different.

Ralph put one blue runner in the water and watched the fish rise beneath it. Amberjacks, cobia, permit, everything was there. Ralph just kept looking until he finally pointed to one fish and told Jim Anson, “That’s your fish.”

One cast.

Fish on.

Then Ralph looked around and left.

Ken couldn’t believe it. The fishing was incredible. Why would anyone leave?

Because Ralph wasn’t just out there trying to catch fish. He was hunting the biggest fish, world records and tournament-winning fish.

Ken would later become one of several great Key West captains Ralph helped mentor, fish alongside and ultimately compete against. But on that first day, Ken knew exactly what he had just seen.

A Key West cowboy.

A gunslinger.

And in Ken’s words, “We weren’t on his level yet.”

“And that’s the first time I saw Ralph Delph.”

Those Who Were There
The stories of Capt. Ralph Delph, told by the people who actually lived them.

🎣 DELPHFISHING DREAM TRIP GIVEAWAY

Want a chance to fish with us? Enter the Delphfishing Dream Trip Giveaway, follow @delphfishing, and make sure you’re following our bonus sponsor @ti.tackle.

Following @ti.tackle also gets you entered for the bonus giveaway: over $1,400 in T5 precision-machined titanium fishing tools, including titanium pliers, wrenches, and lifetime-built gear.

Our next Dream Trip winner will be announced August 29 at 6 PM during Ralph Delph’s IGFA Hall of Fame celebration at Wonders of Wildlife in Springfield, Missouri.

Keyword: HALL OF FAME

Follow along, get entered, and we’ll see who’s going fishing with Delphfishing next. �

View

🔥 BONUS GIVEAWAY: OVER $1,400 IN TI TACKLE TITANIUM TOOLS! 🔥

We’ve been using @ti.tackle for over a year now and absolutely love their gear. These are premium T5 titanium tools built for serious saltwater use and made to last a lifetime.

One of you is taking home the COMPLETE TI Tackle package worth over $1,400!

To enter:

1. Comment “HALL OF FAME”
2. Tag 3 friends
3. Do this on any or every single piece of content until August 29 for more chances to win.
4. Make sure you’re following @ti.tackle to be eligible for this bonus prize

🏆 Winner announced August 29 LIVE from the Wonders of Wildlife Museum in Springfield, Missouri, during Capt. Ralph Delph’s IGFA Hall of Fame induction!

Good luck! 🎣🔥

#Delphfishing #DreamTripGiveaway #TITackle #RalphDelph #HallOfFame FishingGiveaway SaltwaterFishing

View

Before Yamaha, there was Mariner.

For the past three decades, the Delph name has been closely tied to Yamaha Outboards, and Ralph finished his career as a Yamaha man. But this old Mariner ad shows a very different chapter—and a very different era of offshore fishing.

“My Mariner will probably run more miles this year than your car. And I’ll bet it needs less maintenance.”

And Ralph was actually doing it.

He was running 75–150 mile offshore trips and fishing in weather most wouldn’t even consider.

What makes this even better is that there wasn’t really a “photo shoot.” Ralph was booked almost every day except Sundays, so Mariner just came along and shot him while he was already doing what he always did—running offshore, fishing, working.

Nothing staged. No dock shots. Just real time on the water.

Even the extra photos in this carousel were taken that same day and never used in the final ad.

I also remember him carrying a small 15 HP kicker inside the console. Back then, if you ran that far offshore in a single outboard, you had to be ready to get yourself home. If something failed, that kicker came out and got you back.

No assumption of rescue.

That’s what made it so different. Very few people were pushing that far offshore in outboards at the time because the tech just wasn’t what it is today.

And this ad also reflects something I love about that era:

No followers. No reels. No engagement numbers.

A fisherman became known because other fishermen knew his name.

Reputation was built at weigh-ins, marinas, tackle shops, and through word of mouth between captains. Companies like Mariner weren’t buying reach—they were borrowing credibility.

Ralph’s reputation came from what he could actually do on the water.

Long before anyone could “follow” him online, fishermen already knew exactly who he was.

Another piece of the story behind Ralph Delph’s IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame induction.

To enter the Delphfishing Hall of Fame Dream Trip Giveaway, follow the instructions and use keyword HALL OF FAME.

BONUS: Follow @ti.tackle and enter for a chance to win ~$1,400 in solid T5 titanium fishing tools from TI Tackle.

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