Jose Wejebe, 1958-2012: Trailblazer on the Yellowfin Road

Jose Wejebe, who died in a single-person plane crash April 6, made his mark as a master angler and guide even before the 1995 ESPN premiere of Spanish Fly.

A native of Cuba, born in 1958, Jose Wejebe moved with his family to South Florida during the turbulent years surrounding the Cuban revolution. He would grow up fishing in Miami, and receive a captain's license at the age of 18. Wejebe was featured in Florida Sportsman Magazine and other media outlets many times during the late 1980s and early '90s. It was a period of rapid progression in tackle and boats, as well as booming interest in Key West, where Wejebe quickly became an "A-list" guide.

In more recent years, Wejebe dazzled national TV audiences with his wide-ranging fishing exploits, including catching giant bluefin tuna on spin tackle off Massachusetts.

Modern viewers might not realize that Wejebe was catching giants of another color, way down in Key West, back in the early '90s. The following article appeared in the December 1991 issue of Florida Sportsman. We had to scan the article, so to read it properly left click on an image (or right click, and open image in a new tab).

--Jeff Weakley, Editor

* Click on an image to view larger size. Or right click on image and open in new tab or window.

---