Ok My Two Cents

[Deep C]

For those of you who don't like me or don't like what I write... Just don't read it. For those that want my take on the biggest scandal to hit the fishing world possibly ever... Read on...

About a year ago my phone rang. It was a friend from Jersey "Man I was just watching this west coast sharking show and they were talkin some s*** about us east coasters..." He gave some details and I was alerted. A few more calls came from friends with the same message... So I went across town to a bowling alley where they have OLN on their cable system. I saw some unbelievable makos and also some of the sloppiest gaff and boat work I ever saw. Then I saw the smack talk. I responded very vocally and publicly. I contacted the shows producer and suggested a challenge. He had already been considering it and East West was born...
For months we tried to bring something together and he finally came up with a plan. He asked me for a list of east coast guys who were worthy of fishing it. I posted up on several sites that we wanted reccommendations for people who WOULD SHOW THE EAST COAST IN THE BEST LIGHT AND REPRESENT US WELL... Along the way there were many detractors... "It won't happen" "This is BS don't waste your time..." One of the vocal ones who tried to derail the idea was one of the crew in question. I asked him if he wanted to submit his name and he declined... Eventually I compiled and forwarded a list of QUALIFIED candidates to the producer. The team with all the controversy surrounding them now was NOT ON THE LIST.
When tourney time drew near. I saw the producer set the dates in a way that would narrow the stronger contestants playing field and it didn't sit right with me. I saw that he intended to use a venue that would not be a great choice for getting quality fish. He eventually added the other for one leg that I felt had at least some potential. I could smell a stickin for the east in the air.
When I found out the team was in, I was really taken back. That smell for a stickin just had a key ingredient added to the pot! I moaned to the production staff and I was ignored. They knew what they had going in.

I watched a few weeks ago when the first leg went off as guys went nuts and screamed about a close but short fish... I watched the tape and though I don't get along with the guys, I really saw nothing outrageous that warranted the attack they were under. I did note though that when stuff got thrown their way they were quick to slam other contestants. That I find in itself just plain immature and wrong...
Returning home late the other night I saw dozens of emails and pms and even missed calls on my phone about the new episode. It was described to me in detail by friends and on line... I was outraged. Both at the crew and OLN.
I have read litterally hundreds of posts on the subject, watched the tape , the rebuttal and the tape some more... I have talked to people from other teams and even the team itself . I have seen firm commitments to opinions on both sides of the arguement and have to wonder if they went to the same lengths as me or others offereing measured responses in comming to their conclusions.

In watching the tape and scrutinizing it, there are a lot of questionable cuts that do indeed seem to enhance the negative portrayal. I see where the pass off could well have been a blue shark situation. I see a cluster that also has all the earmarks of a blue dog braid job. I do see a lot of stuff out of sequence for sure... In short, do I see the tape as being lopsided yes. The producers wanted some dirt and there was easy pickins to be had here...

Now on the other side... Do I see these guys doing off color stuff?... Absolutely...

Now I'm gonna get a bit pissy about this behavior for a few reasons. The team has tried to paint this as a "non-tournament"... "A vacation"... I'll drop the flag right there... Baloney boys! It was a very real tournament that involved very real people fishing for very real fish and chasing a very real prize. It was supposed to be that way for every one of the twenty boats that put their time, effort and money out to fish it. Almost all respected that and you most certainly didn't. I think what really fries my eggs is that there were a lot of people that wanted to go that would have worked hard and tried hard and not taken it as a joke...
Next, though I believe iin my heart of hearts that the helmsman was not drinking, it can't be conmsidered by anyone a good idea to promote drinking as something to do on the water. We have open container laws against it down here. Since people are so sensitive about children on their team. What message does that send to them? That some how its ok to be on the water with unpredictable fish, firearms, changing sea conditions, and not be 100% sharp as a tack?
The other antics did nothing to show the professionalism of the east coast guys. Again from the get go, the call out to the public was for guys who would best show the east in a positive light. And again if they weren't going to take this serious they should have stepped back for some others that were.

Now on to the touchy area of cheating... I've heard ten zillion things that point at cheating aired out on these forums. The rod pass: I believe when they say that was during a blue shark fight. I believe some other supposed infractions also fall into that creative editing category... But are they squeaky clean? No...
I'll go back to the first week. I mentioned in a previous thread that they would have taken a Dq in the first leg for leaving early. I discussed this issue with one of the crew. He stated that he was caught up in the line of boats that was heading out for the earlier tournament and he didn't want to jeopardize his boat. To a degree I'll buy that. But... He should have let that pack clear and followed the OLN pack out to the designated muster point. Or he could have flowed out with the pack and just sat there. He told me that he just slowely idled on out to stay safe. I didn't say anything when he said that but I was two boats behind him and when he cleared the no wake zone he went hard on the throttles with the rest of the pack and didn't come off em. He said that he called the one producer while stuck in the line and told him he wasn't going to jeopardize his boat in the pack. He claims to have gotten permission. If he did, SHAME ON THE COMITTEE right there. Me, I'm a hardliner and his participation would have been done right there...
Short fish: He already blew a call on one in the first leg and should have been sharper on the second but instead it was even shorter. Cheating? No... Sloppy? Yes. Trying to stretch it on the boat? Why not, its dead...Cheating ? No but aon the edge...Calling it a release... Cheating? Bingo! There you go a released fish made the scale... Yes that is cheating and should be the big flag, pack your bags and go home one. Never mind the kid calling 70" or the rest of the crap... Its game set match done right there...

So: Why did they get to continue on? ... Cause Gurney had his goat... Yes thats just flat out cheating by the production team... He had something so more valuable in the can than any big shark, he couldn't let it go. Some poor team didn't go to Cali beccause of it and they have every right to scream. I've watched shots at either the show or the crew go roaring through these threads. I'm gonna say they are both at fault!

Not done yet: Don't go away just yet... I'm not quite done with my blastin here... The next group I address is every one of the rest of us... What the hell are we doing??? Bash this and that and each other??? What the hell??? We are fishermen damnint! A brother hood... Yes the team did a bad thing... Turn your back on em and don't let them play with you any more. Don't go personal on them and each other. ... Yes the producers did a bad thing... Don't watch the show, unload on the sponsors or the network... This bickering of ours sounds like a bad lite beer commercial and though their actions were bad, WE are making OURSELVES look even worse! Discuss it? Fine... Vent? go ahead but leave the personal stuff at the door...

A final blast: This one is directed at me. I saw an oportunity to get some exposure to boost the popularity of east coast sharkin. I saw a boinkin commin and didn't sound the alarm loud enough. I started this crap and though I never was even in the game, ultimately I take the blame for how it has disrupted our close knuit community...

[Deep C]

Admin John went to tremendous lengths and expense to gather the video that he has put up. Did it exhonerate them? No... But, Stain though not all the way there has fessed up to a bit and even expressed some remorse. Ok its not the end all fix all but it does go a long way to putting him back into a human category, though be it flawed...
I hope rather than firing off shots about lawsuits and continuing the volley of blaming all the other boats that the other team man simply says he made an error in judgement...
As for the rest of us; lets get back in the swing of sharing good fishing info

[GALAZIO]

Nice, well thought out response. I tip my cap to you.

[Bluewater Sportfishing]

A final blast: This one is directed at me. I saw an oportunity to get some exposure to boost the popularity of east coast sharkin. I saw a boinkin commin and didn't sound the alarm loud enough. I started this crap and though I never was even in the game, ultimately I take the blame for how it has disrupted our close knuit community...

Deep, c'mon now what you started was a good idea and a what seemed to be a good tourniment, If you were part of the production crew then yes I could see where you are coming from, think of it as an adopted baby, you gave birth to the idea but someone else was the mother/father of it.

[Olivia Grace]

Paul, I'm not sure of every IGFA rule of the top of my head.

Did we break a rule by calling in a release instead of a boated fish? I know there are fish caught that don't get called in until people are near the inlet because they don't want people to know they caught a fish.

How about putting a rod in a rod holder then trying to gaff a fish, miss with the gaff and picking the rod back up to fight the fish again? I think this would be a DQ under IGFA rules. Your thought please

[Deep C]

I would Dq that fish in any event that states you call a decked fish decked and a released fish released...

Yes all the way through the series I see IGFA infractions... I also saw a lady who DQ'ed herself for rod touching the gunwale and or touching her husband.

This isn't about the other teams out there this is about all the uproar around the actions on one team. Was the actions of that team as unbearable as it was made out to be... Absolutely not...
Do I hate the indivuals on that boat? No...
Are the people of that boat reprehensible monsters? No...
Were their actions in poor judgement? Yes...

I think I spread the venom around the place fairly here. There is not one person in these threads by perpetuating the hatred whos hands are clean. I don't think there is a person alive who hasn't done things that involve poor judgement but when its brought to their attention most just say they're sorry...

[Beatsworkin']

As always, a good read Paul.

[anthony]

Paul, I'm not sure of every IGFA rule of the top of my head.

Did we break a rule by calling in a release instead of a boated fish? I know there are fish caught that don't get called in until people are near the inlet because they don't want people to know they caught a fish.

How about putting a rod in a rod holder then trying to gaff a fish, miss with the gaff and picking the rod back up to fight the fish again? I think this would be a DQ under IGFA rules. Your thought please

I have stayed out of this because honestly...I could give two shits about it. But, I have to give my thoughts on this post and others by Olivia Grace....this isn't about other boats and whether they broke the rules, cheated, etc...it is about your boat and what went on on YOUR boat. Would you please man up to what you did and just move on rather than trying to rationalize or trivialize it by saying "Well, they broke the rules too." Honestly, I have seen kids with bigger stones. You have the opportunity after Capt John's interview to get at least some measure of respect back...but you just don't have the balls to man up. Good Lord!!:

[Stripersniper]

Hey Deep, I've been waiting on your input on this one and I have to say it was a very good read. I think it's time to move on on this one. Hell the stripers are here!!!

[striper101]

As for the rest of us; lets get back in the swing of sharing good fishing info

Amen to that!