Release Records?

[Anthony of the ARK]

Does anybody have any idea if there is an officail source for 1 day release records. I know "In the Bite" magazine does something like that but hasnt really got off the ground.

Do you think people in the offshore world would like to have an Online source to find billfish release records according to species, geographical location and Style of fishing?

Any feed back is much appreciated.

[Anthony of the ARK]

come on guys i need a little feed back on this issue

[Team Karma]

The biggest issue I see is that people will always call BS unless there is a way to 100 percent prove the release count. I know for the insane days out of Cabo on the Finger Bank back in 2004-2007 boats claimed to catch 180 striped marlin with video proof and still no one agrees exactly how many fish they caught.

I think it would be really cool to have the daily records for individual locations because very few places offer identical fisheries. Likewise, identifying the style of fishing used would be relevant and interesting.

I understand that most places are never going to get close the numbers in the Cabo example I used but it all goes back to people not believing other peoples catch claims in my opinion.

[Squidnation]

Its a great idea and you can start by tapping into the OC WHite Marlin Club archives. I think Bill Regan was gonna attack some sort of project regarding release records in OC. Cape May Marlin Club may have similar records. I am sure there are clubs up and down the east coast that can help.

The biggest thing is to understand this is always a work in progress and cannot never be deemed 100% accurate. Do the best you can and let the records stand and fall with each additional entry. Good Luck and thanks for doing this

[frankypettolina]

You are welcome to all the OCMC has- the White Marlin single day and seasonal count are easy- both this year, both Billfisher.

I can't offer Amanda's (Office Admin) time to help, but if you wanted to peruse the paper records, they are now in storage at the club storage facility. You may even find something a certain former president and fishing committee chair wrote to the then president about going to an all release format in tournaments being a financial deathblow to the club

[Anthony of the ARK]

Thanks guys,

The credibility of a certain record will be determind by the feedback of the people in the community that the record took place. For example if a boat out of Virgnia Beach Catches 60 whites and other boats caught 40, and captains and others in community recongnizes that as the VA beach record then thats how it will be written.

The fact is that the credibility of a billfish release in tournaments and fun fishing is still backed by the honor system/ the reputation and integrity of the crew. There is no desire to change that.

For the skeptics, for example somebody in New York has doubts about how many fish were caught in virginia beach, then i really couldnt care. They wernt there fishing the same bite and they dont know the boats and crews that we re fishing that bite.

Once again i cannot emphizes enough that a particular record will not be posted until it is known for sure that the local community where the record took place deems it credible.

im not bashing anyone from New York just an example.

[Team Karma]

I feel the same way you do as far as the records go. I personally would not lie about a catch count but I know there are plenty of people that would, even just when fun fishing. I was stating my point of view that I think a lot of people would write off the records as unprovable and BS.

When all the boats where on the unbelievable bite of whites last year, the best of the best were all catching about the same number of fish. The release counts seemed to match and that is an example of location that would be perfect for the record site. And to further agree with you, who cares what someone that wasn't involved with the bite and isn't knowledgeable about the fishery thinks. I fish the west coast of Mexico mostly, if I call bs on a record for Virginia Beach I am just making myself look like an idiot, not the guys with the record.

I brought up the Cabo example because people familiar with the fishery and the crew(s) have called BS. Even though the crews had good reputations, a lot of people do not believe the numbers.

I should have mentioned in my last post that I think a website like that would be very interesting and I would check it frequently. You could do all sorts of combos such as seasonal, monthly, yearly and all time records for species, bait type, line strength and locations. Plus, who doesn't love some billfish release pictures!