Exclusive Sit Down with Sportfishing Icons, Fish Tank

Updated June 10, 2024

Members of our marketing team recently had the chance to hop on board Chris and Laura Jessen’s brand-new 64 Viking Fish Tank for a day of fishing in the breathtaking waters of Costa Rica. But first, Fish Tank has been absolutely nailing it this tournament season! They achieved a victory in the Pelagic Rockstar Offshore Tournament, secured a solid 2nd Place Overall in the Los Sueños Signature Triple Crown, and consistently reached the podium in all four tournaments they participated in so far this season.

After their impressive performance in the tournaments, Chris and Laura graciously welcomed us to join them for a day of fishing, allowing us to experience the excitement firsthand and capture some captivating content. Furthermore, we were invited to a delightful cocktail hour, offering a perfect chance to delve deeper into their new boat and beyond. Keep reading for our exclusive sit down below.

Exclusive Sit Down with Fish Tank Sportfishing

What advice do you have for people looking to get into the sport?

Laura: I think the most important thing before you even build a boat or think about buying a boat is to find a good captain with good references, who has experience, is reliable, and responsible.

Chris: 100% the captain is everything. We interviewed a few people, and we heard about Ben. He sent us a resume, and he was fishing the Triple Crown tournament here at the time. I was like I need to meet this guy, and we did, and the rest is history. It’s been 12 years of amazing times. He’s been incredible. But I think the captain and trusting the captain, is to me, the most important part because I trust him with everything.

Why did you choose to go with Viking?

Laura: We needed a boat that performs well, a company that stands behind its product, and we needed customer service, and there was nowhere else to go but Viking and Galati.

Chris: The customer support is what we were looking for. We had boats previously that we enjoyed certain aspects of, but there was just no support. We want a long term relationship built on trust. I’m not saying that other boat builders don’t do that as well, but Viking’s reputation is something we had to take advantage of.

Can you tell us about the process of choosing your interior on your recently delivered 64 Viking?

Chris: So, I chose all the greys. (jokingly)

Laura: I was actually very nervous about the interior when we moved over to Viking because all the Vikings that I had seen had very dark interiors, very traditional. But it so happened that soon after we started with Viking, our interior designer from our last two boats, Cullen Moser, started working for Viking. So, it literally made the process seamless because she knew exactly what we wanted and what we liked.

What does your fishing schedule look like in a year?

Chris: It varies so much. Last year, for example, we didn’t have a boat. We’d charter a boat for the tournaments, and we would use our smaller boat here a bunch of times. This year, we fished as much as we could while we were here, but this summer, we are going to Bermuda to fish on the Viking 82 demo. And then in the Azores, we’re chartering a boat that Ben is going to run. So, that’s two giant trips. I think that’s it for the fall.

Laura: This year will be the first year we haven’t used our boat in the summer. We used to go right from Costa Rica to Cabo. We used to fish almost year-round.

Chris: Not saying we aren’t going to again. But FAD fishing, we haven’t done that since COVID.

Laura: Right, so we used to fish this season, then the FADS, and then Cabo for the fall, and then back here. So, we were fishing almost year-round.

Chris: This year we got here around Dec 20th, and we’ve fished 61 days. We’ve fished a lot. We caught 1295 sails, and we didn’t have a lot of marlins this year. I think 7 for 10 or 11 on marlin and a couple of stripes.

If you had one day left to fish, where would you go?

Chris: Fiji. We only fished there for one day, and it was probably the most amazing place I’ve ever been. I feel like you would get the most amazing bites there with an experienced crew.

Laura: I think I would have to say Cabo just because I know I would catch a lot of fish in a short period of time if it were my last day. I would want to catch a lot of marlins, so that’s where I would go.

What is your favorite fishing memory?

Chris: My favorite time on this boat probably—clearly winning the triple crown is an amazing feat—but we’ve had so many incredible times on this boat as a team that I can’t really narrow one down. I can’t tell you how many times people finish their slams on our boat or royal slams on our boat; we caught our first everything on our boats. One of the coolest things that ever happened, I think personally, is when Laura won the ladies tournament all three legs all by herself.

Laura: Ah, I forgot about that. That was exciting!

Chris: That was absolutely incredible. How many marlins was your best day?

Laura: Well, out of the three days, I caught 14 out of the 15 marlins.

Chris: I mean, to win a tournament by yourself, I mean I would love to have that opportunity, but it’s probably never going to happen.

Contact Us To Get Started On Your Sportfishing Journey

If you’re ready to dive into the exciting world of sportfishing, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team. We take immense pride in representing the top-tier sportfishing boat brands like Viking Yachts and its subsidiary company, Valhalla Boatworks, as well as offering a diverse selection of pre-owned sportfish brands to suit your preferences. Let us guide you through the process of finding the perfect boat that aligns with your lifestyle. Reach out to us today to embark on your sportfishing journey!