Rebecca Jones, an amateur fisherwoman from Tillamook, Oregon, may have broken a world record while fishing for rockfish on April Fool’s Day. She began her day by digging for sand shrimp before heading to Barview Jetty near Garibaldi to catch rockfish for dinner. Instead, she ended up catching a monkeyface prickleback, a strange-looking fish she had never seen before. These fish are sometimes referred to as monkeyface eels, although they are not technically true eels. They can survive out of water for nearly a day and a half and are typically found in rocky, tidal areas.
The largest monkeyface prickleback on record was caught in Newport, Oregon in June 2008, weighing around 3 pounds and 4 ounces. Jones’ catch weighed 4.8 pounds, potentially breaking the world record. She has petitioned the International Game Fish Association to verify if her fish qualifies as a record-breaking catch. Despite being relatively new to fishing, Jones persevered through losing bait and eventually felt a hit on her line. She described the fish as not putting up a hard fight but being very strong, requiring her to sit on it to remove the hook.
Jones is largely self-taught in her fishing and hunting pursuits, watching videos and reading books, magazines, and fishing and hunting regulations to learn valuable skills. She has been hunting deer, elk, and bear for three years and is now trying her hand at spring turkey season. Living in Tillamook allows Jones to take advantage of trout fishing and ocean fishing, where she has caught ocean salmon, rockfish, and Dungeness crab. She believes that these skills not only provide self-confidence and self-sufficiency but also wants to pass them on to the next generation, especially to encourage other women to participate in these traditionally male-dominated activities.
Jones’s passion for fishing, hunting, crabbing, and clamming is evident in her desire to share her skills with other women and encourage them to pass them on to future generations. She views the opportunities available in Oregon as a way to build self-confidence and self-efficiency. For Jones, these activities are not just hobbies but essential skills that can be learned and passed down through generations. Her dedication to learning and mastering outdoor activities highlights the importance of self-teaching and perseverance in pursuing one’s interests.
Overall, Rebecca Jones’s potential world record-breaking catch of a monkeyface prickleback showcases her determination, self-taught skills, and passion for fishing and hunting. Her experiences as an amateur fisherwoman in Oregon, including hunting deer, elk, and bear, demonstrate her commitment to learning and mastering outdoor activities. By encouraging other women to participate in these activities and pass on their skills to future generations, Jones highlights the importance of self-confidence and self-sufficiency in outdoor pursuits. Her story serves as an inspiration to aspiring fisherwomen and hunters, emphasizing the value of perseverance and dedication in pursuing one’s passions.
