Dead fish. How do you feel?

[Big Jay]

It has only happened to me once, but how do you feel about dead or dying fish and what to do with them.

Inevitably it happens to all of us. Lets say you been on the stick with a big Blue marlin for lets say 2 hours now. She's foul hooked. She sounds deep, becomes dead weight. You get her to the surface, and shes tail wrapped and belly up. Without a doubt dead. All attempts at reviving her fail.

You have a decision to make. Do you:

a) Gaff her, drag her on board. Only to hang her from the scale. She has no food value and its an area where marlin is not considered food (no natives around).

b) Cut her off and let her go. Returning her to the ocean where she came from. To become food for sharks and other marine life.

PErsonally i would choose B. Let her return to the ocean and at least help to further the life of other marine life. What would u guys do?

[BrothaBob]

Cut her loose......have a moment of silence and then get those lines back in the water....

I only keep what I am going to eat or give away.....I have had short flounders have a stroke on the way up........hate throwing them back but, they will be food for something bigger hopefully.......

[Deep C]

Its a tough call. If I kill one in a tournament it gets smoked and given to charities .Smaller fish like whites usually just get handed out to neighbors and friends. If I get a dead billfish of any kind that is 100% dead and stiff when we get it up, if its a legal fish she will again head for the smoker and distributed. If not legal she gets a trip to lobsterland below. If it has a pulse and 99% dead it is dragged to force water through the gills and let go. Fortunately that is extremely rare. I might catch 120-150 sails a year and another 80 or so mixed white and blues in a good year and half that in a bad year. Perhaps once every two years I'll get one...
Something I do that sometimes leaves question mark with some people is if I feel a fish is in a world of hurt (wrapped) and the fight will kill them, I will push the drag in the corner and either bust em off or hand line assist to get it up top quicker... Pointless just wasting one if you can help it.

[Sea Draggin]

Crabs gotta eat too

[MakoMike]

Blue and white marlin are both good eating. Out in hawaii (where are you Ahi?) its served in resturants all the time.

[TommyTuna]

who ever started the rumor that Blue Marlin aren't good eating? Excellent grilled or smoked. It's just another damn fish, no more or less important than a large shark, tuna or any other pelagic fish....

If I ever get a legal fish come up dead, it will be bled, gutted and iced - it won't go to waste....

[scrumcenter]

I would filet him up and chow down just because they have bills doesn't mean they don't taste good I wouldn't feel good just turning loose a dead marlin to feed the crabs when I could eat and share the meat with family and friends

Phil

[WAHOONBOX]

THE MEAT IS BEAUTIFUL..........
AND I WOULD EAT THE HECK OUT OF IT!!

[TheChumStain]

who ever started the rumor that Blue Marlin aren't good eating? Excellent grilled or smoked. It's just another damn fish, no more or less important than a large shark, tuna or any other pelagic fish....

If I ever get a legal fish come up dead, it will be bled, gutted and iced - it won't go to waste....

I'm with you if it dies it fries

[Glenn W]

Option 3: Gather up every grill and smoker this side of town and have at her. Sorry she's gone, but Oh so fine--- not edible fare my ass