Update - Angler lost $1 mil. prize on violation

[Guest]

This deal sucks for the angler.
He did nothing wrong.


The captain should lose any share of the prize money that was slated to go to him, for not making sure that the crew was properly licensed.

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/06/big-rock-blue-marlin-tournament-winner-question

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C.

Officials with the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament in Morehead City, N.C., announced Monday that they are holding off on a decision about the results of the event, which concluded Saturday.

Tournament officials withheld payment to the winning team after it failed a polygraph test - issued to several team members after the event.

In question is a tournament rule that requires everyone - including the captain and mates - to have a North Carolina Coastal Recreational Fishing License.

A mate on the Hatteras-based Citation didn't have a required license, but tournament officials are looking into whether the unnamed mate had been issued the license in time to comply with tournament rules.

"We have been in contact with the Division of Marine Fisheries, as well as the North Carolina Attorney General's Office," tournament director Crystal Watters said in a press release Monday. "We are exercising due diligence in this investigation, so to protect our participants, sponsors and charities."

A ruling against the team would result in the loss of a little more than $1.2 million in winnings - $318,750 instantly awarded Monday for catching a tournament-record 883-pound blue marlin, and an additional $912,825 for winning the overall blue marlin division.

The license in question costs $15 for North Carolina residents and $30 for nonresidents.

Andy Thomasson of Richmond caught the fish - his first blue marlin. After the announcement he told the Jacksonville (N.C.) Daily News: "We didn't do anything wrong. But one of our people did. He failed to get a fishing license, but we didn't know it."

If the team on Citation, a vessel partly owned by Michael Topp, is disqualified, runner-up Carnivore, out of Cape Carteret, N.C., would take the big money on a 528-pound blue marlin brought in by angler John Parks of Jacksonville.

 

[AK10mm]

Re: Angler may lose $1 mil. prize for mate's mistake

I would be either REALLY PISSED,or feel Really Stupid.


Is a Tip for the crew appropriate under these circumstances???

 

[Guest]

Re: Angler may lose $1 mil. prize for mate's mistake

I just heard from a buddy who said it's a done deal and the checks have been written. Second place moved up to first and so on.

 

[Adician]

Re: Angler may lose $1 mil. prize for mate's mistake

I know the captain and trust me, he's normally a top notch guy. If someone says they have a license generally they do. Even a permit would've worked.

 

[drmarc]

Re: Angler may lose $1 mil. prize for mate's mistake

Did the angler charter this boat for the tourney, if so I think the boats Captain should be searching out an attorney to defend him in a civil suit?

 

[flatlander]

Re: Angler may lose $1 mil. prize for mate's mistake

I heard from the Marina where we keep our boat up in Wanchese, that this boat from Hatteras was a private boat, therefore each angler needs a license. Under NC law if the boat is a for hire charter boat, they can by an annual license which covers their charters. In this case this boat was private not for hire so all anglers had to have a license.

Todd

 

[Rhys]

Re: Angler may lose $1 mil. prize for mate's mistake

Use that individual for bait next time out.

 

[ArcticLight]

Re: Angler may lose $1 mil. prize for mate's mistake

That's a big fish. I hope the meat does not go to waste.

That sucker is probably 100 years old.

 

[AXEMAN]

Re: Angler may lose $1 mil. prize for mate's mistake

wow, look at the difference in the weights between 1st & 2nd. i wonder if thats a record?

 

[7.62willdo]

Re: Angler may lose $1 mil. prize for mate's mistake

When their that big their females, they change sex at a certain size like halibut, when i ran a glass bottom catamaran out of honolulu the charters would come in with a fish that big and it would go to a pet food processor i was told the meat was no good! just what i was told

 

[sickbugs]

Re: Angler may lose $1 mil. prize for mate's mistake

the meat on a big blue is great, a lot of people have something against eating them though, but billfish in general taste really good.

funny story.. i spent 8 years or so working on boats, always with the goal of catching myself a marlin.. ive landed several tuna up to 180 lbs, a 680 lb tiger shark, a nearly 400 lb lemon shark, cut off a massive hammerhead at the boatside.. but never a marlin.

one morning at about 5:30 am, we are trolling up on the northwest corner of the island, i have out a string of small squid lures for catching bonito, bonito is a great marlin bait when rigged properly. my dad,who was also the captain of the boat yells at me, fish in the wash.. and i get to watch an est. 400 lb blue pick up on one of my tiny little bonito baits, run out nearly 400 yards of 40 lb test, then straighten the hook without even slowing down.

so ended my ambition of catching a marlin.

 

[Bryan27]

Re: Angler may lose $1 mil. prize for mate's mistake

If they lose their prize money it'd be bullshit. If they caught the prize winning fish then the crew member without the license should be cut out of the winnings. One guy not having a license doesn't mean the fish wasn't caught in a fair and legal way, make the sob w/o the fishing license walk the plank........

 

[Guest]

Re: Angler may lose $1 mil. prize for mate's mistake

I also heard that it is a private boat, so everyone on board was supposed to be licensed.

Someone asked if the fish was a record.
It's a record for that tournament, but certainly not a world record for the species. The all tackle record for blue marlin is around 1400 lbs. I believe.

I've never tasted marlin. The only one I ever landed was released. I'm not going to eat my citation.

 

[sickbugs]

Re: Angler may lose $1 mil. prize for mate's mistake

its too bad records skew results so much when it comes to the igfa, while the blue marlin record is 1402 lbs or something like that (atlantic) and the pacific isnt far behind, i think the igfa ought to make special note that fish much larger than this have been landed (1600 lb'er landed in Hawaii in the 80's for example, and one caught by handline in Hawaii also that bottomed out a 1000 kg scale.. thats over 2200 lbs of fish.
edit - the double grander caught by handline was off of japan

 

[dmg308]

Re: Angler may lose $1 mil. prize for mate's mistake

Any blue that size is female and really past breeding age so its not a big deal to bring them in.If the meat is smoked its pretty good but overall its not great.

Its BS that they lost the payout for that reason.This was the first year I couldnt fish the Bigrock but know plenty of people that did.Fine the guy for not having the license and payout.Punishing others for someone elses actions is becoming far to commonplace.

 

[Mag 300]

Re: Angler may lose $1 mil. prize for mate's mistake

If that were me I would be pissed!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[martinez_ian]

Re: Angler may lose $1 mil. prize for mate's mistake

Is that a midget convention, or is that fish really efin big?!

 

[Guest]

Re: Angler may lose $1 mil. prize for mate's mistake

It's a big fish.
Unfortunately, it wound up being worth nothing to the angler, because of a stupid mistake.

_________________________________

June 22, 2010

PRESS RELEASE

After interviewing members of the crew of the fishing vessel “Citation”, review of the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament rules, consulting the division of Marine Fisheries as well as the North Carolina Attorney General’s office, it is apparent that there has been a substantial violation of Tournament rules. The Board of Directors has unanimously determined that they have no choice but to disqualify the 883 pound blue marlin caught on June 14, 2010. The rule violation did not involve “dishonesty” or “cheating” on the part of the owners or angler of the “Citation”.

The rule violation involves the “mate” not having a Coastal Recreational Fishing License. This license is required by North Carolina law. It is required by the Tournament as written in our rules. Participants and crew were reminded of the license requirement at the Captains meeting prior to the Tournament. The mate engaged in fishing activities without a valid license and later obtained a license at 5:51 pm while heading to the weigh station. The fish was boated at 3:16 pm.

This is an unfortunate situation for the crew of “Citation” as well as the Tournament itself. For the integrity of the Tournament, Big Rock has no choice but to enforce the rules and disqualify the fish.

Because of this disqualification, The Big Rock Board of Directors declare Carnivore in 1st Place with their 528.3 pound blue marlin and in 2nd Place Wet-N-Wild with their 460 pound blue marlin.

Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament Board of Directors-

 

[macthknife]

Re: Angler may lose $1 mil. prize for mate's mistake

That mate better find a new career....if he lives.

 

[Sean the Nailer]

Re: Angler may lose $1 mil. prize for mate's mistake

Did a captain just lose his boat?


That boat have a plank?


Somebody hanging from the 'Yardarm?