Osprey - 4-9-2015 at 01:00 PM
No Marlin Heart Attacks so Far
I don’t target marlin anymore because they just wear me out but, if I have the appropriate gear and one takes the lure or bait I’ll fight it, bring it
in and release it. I’m sneakin’ up on the big eight oh so during the fight I take it easy, rest when I must to catch my breath. I don’t take or need
pictures to capture the memories so I try my best to make the release easy on both of us, let the fish revive a minute, watch it to see if it swims
away in a natural manner. Same with all billfish so far and I’ve never seen one go belly up.
I don’t like people shouting at me from behind during the fight to “hurry up” or “keep the pressure on” to foreshorten the fight to help the fish
survive. That’s where the captain of the boat and “appropriate gear” come in. I’m well aware of dangers to the fish (and to me) that can be brought on
by buildups of lactic acid and carbon dioxide during a long fight. I’m also aware of the danger to the fish and the crew that can happen when the fish
is brought in too green. No one I know can tell you how much pressure one should put on a big fish to assure his healthy release.
I don’t think I’ll be asking the IGFA that question because they exist to record large fish caught on light tackle, not the other way around. I’ll bet
they have stunning records of 500 pound fish fought for 42 hours on 12 pound test that would make your eyes pop out. In those big fish, little gear
contests that end with the fish getting off it probably comes about when the boat or the fisherman runs out of gas, not the monster billfish.
Contrary to a lot of bar talk, these modern $12 dollar hooks don’t rust out so quick so circle hook or J hook, if it’s in the gut, The Billfish
Foundation says they’ve found that 25 % of hooks stay in the stomach of the fish for at least one year. I can’t see Bisbee and other tourney boats
leaving the dock without live and dead bait so they should hope the circle hooks slide out to the corners of the mouths every time.
Another reason I’m careful about line pressure is that I never want to see “long line releases” because a billfish dragging 130 meters of line around
will soon die or be dispatched by sharks, dolphin or orcas.
Maybe I’ve just been lucky but I’ve never had a billfish die on me from a heart attack – every one has treated me to action right up to the boat.
güéribo - 4-9-2015 at 01:17 PM
Classic!
Udo - 4-9-2015 at 01:39 PM
And I was under the impression that you were writing about the fisherman getting a heart attack because they caught a billfish.
Great anecdote, however, Jorge!
Miss seeing you and Lynda a lot.
(Since we can fly all over Mexico for free, Jana and I will have to make a long weekend one of these days. They have two planes now that fly to Cabo
per day out of John Wayne airport (5 minutes from my house.)
[Edited on 4-9-2015 by Udo]
