On our first day’s fishing we caught a small shark. What was unusual was that the fish was not caught on a hook, but on one of our sinkers, a circular weight. I felt that this was a sign from heaven that we would succeed. The next day, we caught our giant tuna. It was a miracle that, with our simple equipment, we should catch it and beat others with very sophisticated fishing tackle.
You couldn’t imagine the confusion as we played that fish. The sea was rough, the surrounding waters were laced with boats, and it raced around in a desperate effort to escape, crossing lines and tangling them. It took all our effort to play it as it lunged frantically about. Finally we hauled it aboard. It was a tuna, ten feet long and weighing more than one thousand pounds. It was the heaviest and the longest fish caught in the tournament and won us a prize of $23,000.
After the tournament, Father talked with me. He told me to go now and fish for men.
From 40 Years in America, p. 254.