Tuna & Marlin Mayhem....

[scattered_grass]

Interesting point, one that a lot of people would agree with I am sure. Being from Hawaii we don't get a whole lot of bigeye tuna on the troll, and obviously we don't get any bluefin tuna either. If you ask a lot of marine scientists or fisheries managers whether the bigeye of bluefin tuna stock is more exposed than the blue marlin stock, many i think would say tuna are in more danger. Thats a point that is up for a lot of debate i am sure, but tuna are fished for harder and longer than any other fish in the world.
I have killed my fair share of blues in my life, we can sell them here on Oahu at auction, helps keep our charter costs down.
I think a lot of people forget that sportfishing is just that, a SPORT. You can't take the killing out of trophy hunting, so if a guy wants to take a trophy fish than he should be able to. Having the skill and knowledge to subdue a big fish like that is part of being great at the sport.

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[Squidnation]

I use to worry about what people said about us keeping a marlin or two a year. That is until my wife said I want to try it. She did and she loved it. It is her favorite food fish. Now for those that say marlin taste like crap, all I can say is that it is personal taste that or you or your wife can't cook worth a damn. Anyway - Anyone asks me why I killed that marlin I say cause its my wife's favorite fish to eat.

On another note I think a 400lb yellowfin is a much rarer fish then a 700lb marlin. But throw those two fish on the deck side by side and wait for the fireworks ON BOTH! Great tuna buddy but why kill that poor marlin. I don't get it.

[MountainM]

The endless pics of decked YF cows do bother me more than one marlin.

[gringo loco]

Hope all the people catching billfish, would use common sense in whether to keep or release, would hate to see the law be catch and release, and prohibit sportsfishermen from keeping any. As I only keep what I catch and eat, and don't fish for catch and release, if I can't eat what I catch it's simple, don't fish for them. Noeatem, Nofishem!!

[LongRigger]

Hope all the people catching billfish, would use common sense in whether to keep or release, would hate to see the law be catch and release, and prohibit sportsfishermen from keeping any. As I only keep what I catch and eat, and don't fish for catch and release, if I can't eat what I catch it's simple, don't fish for them. Noeatem, Nofishem!!

This is a very good point. Theres no way of telling that the majority fish we do release even survive. If a fish is borderline than you SHOULD keep it, it is a waste of a resource to throw back a fish that doesn't have a chance of making it, you are denying people of a valuable food source.

About the YFT, its completely fine for a long range boat to go out and slay whole mounds of them but I kill one blue or striped marlin a week and all of a sudden I am the enemy. Sounds like a double standard to me.

[Asylum]

Bill is the biggest hippy tree hugger on this board... Wont even grease Bambi and winds up keeping it as a pet!

JT, I might be paroled for good behavior sometime soon, we need to talk