Well-known among fishing elite, Kevin Paul is not only a decorated tournament captain, but he is also the father of Sutton Paul, who at the young age of 10 already has enough angling accomplishments and tournament wins to make most grown men green with envy. Unsurprisingly, Sutton has absorbed his father enthusiasm for the ocean and outdoors and is without a doubt one of the most talented and experienced junior anglers in the country. With a fresh passport at just five months old, Sutton made his first trip to the Bahamas, ultimately watching his dad captain Lo Que Sea to a dominating win at the fourth leg of the Bahamas Billfish Championship in the Abacos. That little guy is now 10 years old and has been an integral part of several tournament winning campaigns. Ever since he can remember, Sutton has been fishing, but his mom says he wasnt even old enough to recall his first catch. However, we can only imagine the giant grin on that pee wee angler face. I do remember my first sailfish that I caught when I was six, Sutton says.
When I was cutting mullet on the dock, wed strap him in a car chair and hed sit there with a toy butter knife pretending like he was wedging and deboning, poking at the gills and head of the fish. Many professional fishermen have mixed emotions about bringing their children into the world of sportfishing, knowing it is a tough way to make a living, though it certainly as rewarding of a profession as it comes. To some extent, in the beginning I used reverse psychology. I told him; your dad is very talented with a knife. You could be a surgeon one day. You can do anything you want to.
It seems that time spent on the water is all that he wants. Kevin and I started fishing together in 2006 and he started running the boat in 2010, which was when Sutton was born. He started riding with us when he was probably three years old. He very talented and fishes a lot. Whether it off the dock, or he wading, on a skiff or sportfish boat, he just loves fishing. He caught everything that swims. I saw him catch a personal grand slam at the Corner last summer. It was pretty impressive…at just 10 years old, catching a blue, white and sail in the Bahamas on a day trip. says Tony Huerta, owner of Lo Que Sea.
During his last semester at school, Sutton earned all A and one B. He a real bright kid and very social. He going to go places, K.P. says. Now being homeschooled, Sutton has the flexibility to travel with his father and balance extra-curricular activities with academic requirements. Last summer, Sutton spent seven months with me up in the Northeast. During one of the tournaments he caught six white ones and a blue one, and a 250-pound shark on stand-up. He up from the time we start fishing to the time we stop fishing. He goes as hard as he can. He has a little harder time staying energetic when it rough or if the fishing is slow, but fishing feeds him. He gets jacked up for it. This summer we were in a tournament and I had to go into the salon for a minute. I said, watch my ˜riggers for me. And he sat there holding the lines with both fingers. His chin barely gets above the chair, and I said, watch this, he going to have a ˜rigger bite the moment I walk away. Sure enough, I turned around and it happened. I watched him dump line and said, good luck little buddy. He locked it up and shouted, ˜Pulling string! He communicates very well in the cockpit and listens carefully to what I have to say.
Without homeroom, assemblies or exaggerated electives and after-school programs, homeschooling is a great way to carry through your child dreams while keeping your family connected and developing the depth of character that will hopefully guide them throughout the rest of their professional lives.
This summer somebody hit the test switch for the emergency high water pump, so I left the long rigger to jump in the lazarette and make sure we werent sinking. The second I jump down there Sutton goes, ˜I got bit here on long rigger. Then he like, ˜nothing here…oh, I got bit again. I said alright, get a little better one next time. I couldnt see what was happening because I was in the lazarette and it is so deep in there. Then I hear Sutton, ˜Pulling string, hooked up to a little blue marlin! Im like, oh my god, this is awesome! I think he hooked 5 or 6 blues this year overall. He having a goodtime with it. Most recently we won the Pelican on the Waterman and he caught a fish that added to our tally. To hear Ronnie Fields say he was very impressed by my son, you know, that warms my heart a little so to speak. Already familiar with the tournament stage, we wish Sutton the best of luck in all of his future endeavors. May the odds be ever in your favor.
