This father-daughter duo is making a splash in competition fishing

At 5’2” and 120 pounds, Jaselyn Berthelot doesn’t look the part of a championship angler, but the 23-year-old Addis native is making big waves in the world of competition fishing. She and her father, Toby Berthelot, have racked up serious accolades—and payouts—for deep-sea catches, powered by Jaselyn’s passion for the sport.

Last year, she helped her team land a $2.58 million prize at the Bisbee’s Fishing Tournament in Cabo San Lucas, which included hauling in a 457-pound blue marlin, among other catches. It was one of several accomplishments in a season that also included winning the 2025 Gulf Cup and the Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic with blue marlins weighing more than 600 pounds.

Jaselyn’s partner and skipper is her father, a longtime outdoor enthusiast who began tournament fishing in 2013. Jaselyn grew up around fishing, but caught the fever in 2021 as a freshman at LSU when her schedule became more flexible, she says. Until then, she’d been a busy high schooler focused on competitive dancing. Part of her motivation in dropping a line was to challenge her brother.

“I wanted to give him a run for his money,” she says. “Then I was hooked. No pun intended.”

Jaselyn and Toby compete in national fishing tournaments with their crew from April through early September, primarily in the Gulf. Preparation includes charting and scouting where they think the fish will hit. They’re also part of the state’s official sport fishing team, the Louisiana Canyons. Excursions take place over a weekend, during which the crew sleeps in shifts to man lines around the clock. While sophisticated technology helps someone of Jaselyn’s frame to haul in big ones, there’s no denying the effort it takes—or her thirst for the challenge.

“I just fell in love with it,” she says. “My dad and I have a really big passion for it.”

This article was originally published in the May 2026 issue of 225 Magazine.