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When I first set up an interview with 13-year-old Christopher Marlin David, I expected our conversation to be steeped in a youthful disinterest in the business at hand. After all, no kid wants to waste even a minute of their last days of summer chatting over the phone with a stranger. But when I hopped off the call with the youngest member of the David family—the family that collectively owns and operates the world-renowned charter boat L&H in Key Biscayne, Florida—I might as well have just wrapped up a conversation with a grown man, and a professional one at that.
Over the course of several weeks, I interviewed the five members of the David family: Jimmy, Debbi, and their three kids, James, Laurel and Chris Marlin. In that time, they were busy fishing in various sport-fishing epicenters around the globe. While some Davids fished the waters off Hawaii, others rigged baits in Florida, North Carolina and Maryland. It seemed they were everywhere, bouncing between marlin fisheries, lobster seasons, bluefin tuna trips and swordfish bites.
Getting to know the Davids and their family dynamics felt like a welcome glimpse at a rare culture. While it’s not uncommon for families to celebrate their sport-fishing heritage, it’s increasingly rare to come across a nuclear family, especially one built upon the deck of a charter boat, in which each member wholeheartedly enjoys the sport itself. The Davids, however, have successfully eclipsed the norms. Every member of their family truly loves to fish. It’s simply what they do. Whether on vacation or at work, the Davids are always looking for a bite. And it all started when a girl met a boy on a boat.
Meet the Davids
Fishing tournaments don’t necessarily seem like the most likely place for a relationship to ignite, and yet time and again we hear stories of how these events bring people together, including Jimmy and Debbi David. When Debbi’s plans to fish with another team fell through, she signed up to be a tournament observer and was placed on the same boat as Jimmy. Debbi unknowingly got to chatting with her future husband, and the couple immediately hit it off. They have now been married for 27 years and have raised three extremely accomplished children. Together they run the L&H program, working tirelessly to keep the charter operation’s many customers happy.
In addition to running their charter business, Jimmy and Debbi each maintain their own unique roles as sport-fishing professionals. Jimmy works as a mate aboard other prominent programs throughout the year. He’s a coveted asset in the cockpit come tournament time. Meanwhile, Debbi works as one of Marlin Expeditions’ expert instructors, traveling the world to coach anglers to hook, fight and release their own billfish.
Although they’ve learned a lot from each other, many of their individual talents can be credited to their upbringings along some of South Florida’s most storied docks. “I was born and raised in Pompano Beach, a fishing community with a small-town feel,” Debbi says. I grew up fishing with family and friends, and at 13 years old I started washing boats and asking to ride along.”
While Debbi got her start in Pompano Beach, Jimmy grew up fishing out of Miami with his grandfather, father and brother aboard the family’s boat, Frick and Frack. He fished nearly every weekend, heading offshore to fun-fish with friends or compete in local tournaments. As he got older and more competitive, he found crucial mentors in Capt. John B. Dudas and Dudas’ son, John Louie. Jimmy credits them for encouraging him to pursue a career as a professional fisherman.
Considering their backgrounds and business, it was only natural for Jimmy and Debbi to raise their children on the water. James and Laurel, now both in their early twenties, and Chris Marlin were always part of the team. That meant afternoons, evenings, weekends and summers were spent working on the boat. And when opportunities arose to fish in other places, they never sat back to watch the show. They brought their work ethic with them wherever they went. To raise kids in this way and have them remain interested in sport fishing is quite a feat. For the Davids, those years of hard work and, importantly, teamwork spurred James, Laurel and Chris Marlin to become some of the best young anglers in the world.
Family Traditions
The Davids have a unique way of tracking time. Since Chris Marlin came along about 10 years after the other two children, the family often refers to the years before his birth as “BC,” or “before Chris.” Jimmy and Debbi’s parenting style stayed much the same, whether BC or after. “We always brought the kids to the boat or fishing as often as we could,” Debbi says. “Everyone helped out as part of our family unit, whether cleaning the boat or rigging baits. Our kids were always interested and never complained.” Jimmy chimes in and says, “Debbi and I are lucky to have raised all three kids on the boat. Charter and tournament fishing helped us become close as a family.”
By all accounts, the three David kids loved growing up on L&H. Debbi and Jimmy introduced their children to life on the water early, with each youngster first venturing out for a fishing trip when they were just a few months old. “James and Laurel immediately liked fishing,” Debbi says. “Chris Marlin, however, wasn’t very interested in that part of it at the start. Instead, he was really into the engine room and heavy machinery, so much so that I can now name every bulldozer and backhoe. But one day all of that changed when we were fishing in Hawaii when he was seven or eight years old. We caught a marlin, and Chris asked me if he could catch the next one. He caught one and then another. It was literally like a light switch went on. When we got back from that trip, he started fishing every weekend.”
James and Laurel enjoyed fishing so much as preteens and teenagers that they often arranged to get ahead in school so they could mate for their dad aboard L&H. “Anytime the conditions and weather were just right, we would take off from school so we could go fishing,” Laurel says. “But our parents always made sure we did well in school. We had to complete our work first. James and I would knock out our work for the week so we could fish.”
Although they weren’t sitting at a desk in a sterile school building, the David kids had a hell of a classroom available to them on the water. “Our parents are both hardworking people,” Laurel says with admiration. “I learned by their example that everyone has a part to play. I also learned a lot on L&H about how to be a good person, to be confident but humble, and to behave like a professional. Working on the boat, we were always around adults, which really sped up our growing up.”
All three kids have focused almost exclusively on fishing. They never showed much interest in playing sports or getting involved in other extracurriculars. The David kids come from a family that fishes, and that was more than enough. Their busy and unpredictable lifestyle made the typical high school experience a somewhat unrelatable one for James and Laurel. “It was always hard for me to relate to kids my own age growing up,” Laurel admits. “When I did make friends, I would have a hard time keeping them because ‘normal’ people make plans. I was always extremely last-minute or would cancel on people to go fishing.”
Having interviewed Laurel, it’s clear that her past challenges with friendships have nothing to do with her personality. She’s fun and vibrant, with a welcome sense of humor and a capable and confident attitude. But when fishing comes first, personal relationships outside of the industry often take a hit. It’s a story many passionate anglers identify with in their own lives. Fortunately, the Davids had each other to turn to, and other kids fishing in tournaments as well. Even still, not many of those kids had the same charter boat upbringing, and even fewer had the drive seen in James, Laurel and Chris Marlin.
That drive propelled both James and Laurel into professional fishing careers. Since his graduation from high school, James has traveled the world as a freelance mate, fishing in world-class destinations such as Cape Verde, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Mexico and Australia alongside some of the industry’s finest captains, including the likes of John B. Dudas, Billy Billson, Eddie Wheeler and Zak Conde. “James was the first one through the business and had to learn a lot on his own,” Jimmy explains. “With many tournament wins to his credit, James has mastered the craft of being a light tackle angler. Now, with countless hours chasing big fish in the world’s most remote locations, James has tallied many exceptional accomplishments for such a young man. He’s truly a special fisherman who is highly skilled at catching fish of all sizes on light and heavy tackle.”
Meanwhile, Laurel has taken an entirely different approach in the industry. She’s currently working as a commercial fisherman, buoy-fishing for swordfish aboard a 27-foot Conch. Although Debbi has some concerns for the physical toll this work could take on her daughter, she isn’t surprised that Laurel has jumped in headfirst. “Her favorite words as a little kid were “by myself,” Debbi says of her daughter with a laugh. “I went with her not that long ago on a buoy trip and told her that she was crazy. The amount of physical labor involved is incredible.”
In addition to wrangling swords, Laurel also coaches anglers as an instructor with Marlin Expeditions, another testament to her skills and expertise. “Laurel is competitive, fun and upbeat,” Debbi says. “She’s just a ray of sunshine, always creating a good mood on the boat. It’s unfair, but this industry is tougher for women. She works her butt off and can keep up with any guy or show them up entirely.” Laurel has some records to prove it too.
At one time, the family chased IGFA world records as a fun way to fish toward a goal. They were already out on the water anyway, so why not consider some world titles too? “Growing up, Laurel excelled at catching the big one for the day, earning her the name Big Fish Laurel!” Jimmy says. “She has five junior angler IGFA world records, four of which she caught aboard L&H.” Impressively, Laurel holds records for shortbill spearfish, blackfin tuna, cobia, African Pompano and little tunny.
Although the family rightfully celebrates Laurel’s accolades, a more recent world record seems to be the most significant for the Davids. Every family member shared their version of the story with me, readily referring to it as a favorite memory together. And it all unfolds along the notoriously rough shores of Cape Verde, where big blue marlin cruise the depths.
When James worked for Zak Conde as a mate aboard Amelia, his family flew out to visit him in Cape Verde for nine days in June. In true David family fashion, they fished the entire trip with the hopes of getting then-10-year-old Chris Marlin on a big fish for a chance at an IGFA smallfry blue marlin record.
Challenging weather conditions and slow fishing plagued their time in Cape Verde, but eventually, the Davids would see their luck change. On their final day aboard Amelia, a big blue launched into the spread, and the three David kids went to work.
With James and Laurel in the cockpit and Chris Marlin on the rod, Jimmy and Debbi watched in amazement as their three kids put on a performance of a lifetime. Chris Marlin expertly battled the 605-pound blue for 40 minutes. After James grabbed the leader, second mate Travis Morrison launched the first gaff, to be followed next by Laurel’s gaff. All three David kids had a direct hand in that catch, and Chris Marlin officially snagged a smallfry world record for blue marlin. It’s a memory that resonates with all the Davids. They still vibrate when they talk about it.
Learning Together
When Debbi and Jimmy first started dating, she immediately appreciated how he supported her interest in learning new things. “He’s always been very encouraging,” Debbi says. “Sometimes people treated me differently, as if a girl couldn’t possibly do it. Jimmy was never that way. He always encouraged me to grab leaders, gaff fish and give everything a try. It felt good to have that extra push from someone.”
Debbi and Jimmy used a similar approach with their kids. “I think it’s really important to let kids try new things and to allow them time to fail and succeed,” Debbi says. “Let them rig a ballyhoo or gaff a fish. It all comes back to encouraging one another. If you don’t give your kids the chance or opportunity to learn, they won’t.”
When first introducing kids to fishing, many parents struggle with ways to keep everything fun. Debbi got creative. “You’ve got to keep it fun so they don’t feel like it’s torture to be out there,” she says. “When James was a kid, we scooped up buckets of water to look at sea creatures. Or when Chris was little, he’d play in the baitwell, watching the fish go in and out of his toy train. Break up the monotony, let them nap, and know your limitations with your kids. That will help keep it fun.”
Debbi and Jimmy also foster an environment where they and their kids can all learn from one another. Debbi and Jimmy specifically encourage an open-mindedness among their children, and in turn they’ve seen them quickly absorb information and skills from legendary mentors such as Capt. Kevin Nakamura and Capt. Matt Bowman, as well as countless others.
The David kids, especially James, sponge up fishing techniques everywhere they go. “James brings everything he’s learned from his travels back home to Laurel and Chris, and to me and Jimmy too,” Debbi says. “He’s meticulous and wants everything to be just right. It’s great to see that Laurel and Chris are open to listening and learning from him. They really respect their brother.”
That very exchange of information built the Davids into such successful anglers, and Chris Marlin has probably benefited most of all. “He’s watched his older brother and sister all his life,” Debbi explains. “He’s got a much greater skill set at his age just because he’s been surrounded by all of us.”
“Since he was introduced to boat handling and live bait-, kite-, sight-, dead bait-, dredge- and lure-fishing at a much younger age than his siblings,” Jimmy says, “Chris Marlin is on the fast track to becoming one of the best, most well-recognized young anglers in the world.”
Although the David kids have focused almost exclusively on fishing, their upbringing still molded them into well-rounded people. They’re markedly mature, world travelers who demonstrate a palpable professionalism. And they’re still very young, with limitless career paths ahead of them. Right now, James and Laurel plan to continue fishing professionally. Both licensed captains, they each told me they might have an interest in running the L&H program someday, but they were noticeably unsure. Nevertheless, fishing will be in their lives no matter what.
“I honestly never thought of doing anything else but fishing,” James admits. “It’s what I’ve always done and wanted to do. My parents have been very supportive of my career, and they’ve helped make sure that I keep moving forward.”
“I honestly just want them to be happy and to stay on the straight path,” Debbi says. “This life isn’t always easy, and I often remind them of that. It’s important for them to travel now and experience the world. Once they have families, it all gets more difficult. But it doesn’t surprise me that James, Laurel and Chris Marlin want this life. It’s who we are.”
