Author, writer, marine artist, charter captain, lure manufacturer, ind. consultant
Everyone to their own, but for me, beating up a dink marlin on the side of a boat and gunnel, then grabbing the poor little thing absolutely was never my cup of tea.
"Looka me, momma! I bee's a big, tough marleen wrassler!"
Author, writer, marine artist, charter captain, lure manufacturer, ind. consultant
Franky, your assumption about how billfish were handled on my boat is uninformed balderdash. In other words, you don't know what you're talking about. The facts are you're damned right no marlin and no sails of the huge numbers that were caught on my boat were EVER hung on a gunnel or brought into the 'pit for a damned tourist picture. Believe it or not, not everybody is into subjecting billfish to those kinds of beatings. Our policy was no kill on marlin and sails (swords and spears were a different story). Part an parcel to that was NOT to "release" an internally damaged gunneled or pitted fish that was likely going to die or become shark bait later. If you wanted a picture of the fish you took one of it in the water or we took it for you.
I rarely impose or even state my rules and value system on this issue on others on this board or elsewhere. Sorry if I offended, but I remain unalterably opposed to beating the crap out of billfish and irrevocably injuring some of them just so some tourist or crew clown can get a picture of the fish out of the water...and I have lived a long life of catching a helluva lot of marlin for people while living by what I believe in.
Oh, and if it was a kid's first marlin? Absolutely the same policy. No way would we try to teach them that the right way to treat an animal that just gave them the biggest thrill of their young lives was to kill it.
I would love to say more, but I am angry and might say things I will regret, so I'll stop here and try to remain polite.
triple slam in Venezuela 1997 or 31 sails in a day Mexico 98
Occupation
Marine Surveyor and Charterboat Captain
Good to stick to your principles Capt. Fred, and I am glad in your long career you have never intentionally injured a billfish, other than swords or spears. I am just sad to see this site becoming what it has become. hardly anybody posts on here anymore unless it is a USCG report or a sales pitch for a product. Dave has put 3 really cool videos on here (2 of which are possibly the coolest videos ever produced on this site) and he gets ridiculed for pulling a fish into the boat. I know him well, and don't think he will care too much, but if he does decide that SFC is a bunch of BS and not worth it (as many already have) we are losing one more valuable contributer. And this site can't afford to lose many more. i guess my feathers got ruffled when he got bashed and hit with sarcasm rather than constructively criticized and told that pulling a fish in the boat isn't really the best thing or whatever.
Awesome video once again Dave. Keep posting them up!!!!! That was great footage. As for the controversy, to each their own. You guys have been putting up some awesome entertainment.
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