All of us, who have spent any amount of time on the water, have seen or at least heard some awesome fishing stories. One of the features we will now add to this blogsite is to utilize it in sharing some of our stories with you and to provide a forum for you to share your stories with us and the many readers of this blogsite.
My best fishing story is one that I was lucky enough to be a part of. It took place in Panama in 2009 when Guy swam down with my line and connected it to an already hooked up 1200 plus pound black marlin so we could get the fish tagged with a satellite tag. To read about this “Ultimate Fish Story” click here , and to see it on video click here. While this adventure with Guy will likely remain my most memorable fishing story, prior to this amazing event, the best fishing story I had ever heard was told to me by my father.
The story was about longtime family friend, Bobby Tidwell, catching his first marlin in Cabo San Lucas Mexico in 1956. Herb Bell of Packard Bell fame, owned the 100 foot Five Bells, named after the five Bell brothers, including the boat’s captain/ brother, Willard. As one of the very first boats to fish the waters of Cabo, the Five Bells played an important role in discovering this fishing paradise. Herb would invite friends to join him on fishing trips to waters of the East Cape and Cabo San Lucas. He needed talent on the boat to help ensure fishing success for his friends, and invited my dad Milt Shedd to join him in that role. During the trip to Cabo in 1956, Bobby Tidwell joined the group. An accomplished diver and expert angler, Bobby had yet to catch a marlin and was determined to do so. While trolling, Bobby hooked up to a striped marlin and when a second rod went off, dad grabbed the rod thinking they had a double. As both lines quickly came together, dad realized it was not a double hookup, but that one hungry marlin had eaten both baits. With the Five Bells now stopped, the fish ran towards the bow. Both dad and Bobby followed the fish and, when about the middle of the boat, the fish turned and ran directly under the boat and came up jumping on the other side.
Knowing there was no way to get to the bow to clear the line to the other side, dad tightened down the drag to break the fish off. To his amazement, he turned to Bobby just as he was diving overboard shouting “I am going to catch this fish.” Bobby is one of the most determined men I have ever known, but this was crazy. He dove overboard with rod and reel in hand, swam down to clear the considerable draft of the large boat and came up on the other side. Luckily, the marlin did not sound and was jumping toward the horizon. Bobby was being pulled behind the marlin, much like a water skier as the ski boat slowly moves away before accelerating to pop the skier out of the water. The other guys on deck looked down in amazement as Bobby yelled back to launch the skiff, which dad was already in the process of doing. The skiff was launched and Bobby Tidwell caught his first marlin. When asked later why he did it, Bobby simply replied “It was the only thing I could do to make sure I caught that fish.”
Bobby Tidwell passed away last year. While many people in Orange County, CA will remember him as the guy who gave the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) $30 million dollars in his will, I will remember him for the amazing fishing story witnessed and told to me by my dad when I was just a young kid.
If you have an unusual fishing story send it to me, Bill Shedd, at laura@guyharveysportswear.com so we can share it here on this blogsite for others to enjoy.
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit:www.guyharveysportswear.com
Responding to last week’s announcement from the Government of the Bahamas that it will prohibit all commercial shark fishing in its more than 240,000 square miles of territorial water, Dr. Harvey commented: “I am very impressed and pleased that the Government of the Bahamas has taken the necessary and correct step to further protect its marine resources from over-exploitation by both local and foreign interests. This new legislation compliments the ban on commercial long line fishing enacted 20 years ago. The ban on commercial shark fishing and exportation by shark by-products is a huge step in the conservation of sharks worldwide.”
Through the Bahamas National Trust (BNT), Dr. Harvey met with government officials last March to add his voice and influence as a highly respected conservationist to call for strict regulations to ban the commercial fishing of all sharks in The Bahamas, an archipelago of 700 islands sweeping across 500 miles of open ocean. The Bahamas is the fourth country to ban shark fishing after Honduras, the Maldives and Palau. Estimates are that more than 70 million sharks are killed annually around the world.
One of the premier shark-watching destinations for divers, reeling in $800 million over the past 20 years for the Bahamian national economy, sharks, according to Dr. Harvey, were worth much more alive than dead.
“Many countries have seen their populations of sharks annihilated by commercial over-exploitation,” said Dr. Harvey. “Research has shown that shark populations do not recover. Other countries will take encouragement from the Bahamas’ very bold move. They are realizing, very quickly, the value of the living shark in maintaining the health of reef ecosystems. In addition, the economic value of a living shark to ecotourism is now widely accepted as a sustainable and non-consumptive use of a marine resource with many additional benefits to respective island nations.”
Last year, following news that a Bahamian seafood company was considering exporting sharks to the Far East, the BNT along with the U.S. based Pew Environmental Group and individual conservationists, such as Dr. Guy Harvey, who created a “Protect Bahamian Sharks” campaign logo and poster, initiated a petition drive to force the issue of banning commercial shark-fishing. The government upon receiving a petition signed by 5,000 Bahamian residents acted this week to protect the some 40 sharks species found in Bahamian waters.
With shark populations around the world continuing to spiral downward, marine scientists such as Dr. Guy Harvey, are working around the clock to give these magnificent animals a fighting chance for survival. Dr. Harvey is also seeding cultural change in the structure of shark fishing tournaments to creating Catch and Release divisions.
Last month, he brought his cause into the epicenter of one of the nation’s oldest and largest shark fishing tournaments in Ocean City, Maryland. Thanks in part to his efforts and a willingness to continue to adapt by the tournament founders and organizers, The Ocean City Shark Tournament’s cash and prize package payment in the catch and release division increased to over $15,000.
In May, the Second Annual Guy Harvey Ultimate Shark Challenge, a catch and release only tournament, was held on the West Coast of Florida in Punta Gorda. The tournament, created as a model for catch and release only shark tournament formats, drew some 3,000 competitors and spectators and paid out over $15,000 in cash and prizes.
In related shark conservation activity, Dr. Harvey offered his artistic talent and foundation sponsorship funding in support of the recent Circle Hook Symposium held in Miami. The symposium, hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is an international gathering of scientists, resource managers and constituents convening to discuss the performance and use of circle hooks in commercial, recreational and artisanal fisheries. While it is legal to use a J-hook to fish for sharks, experts such as Dr. Harvey recommend using a circle hook, where the barb points inward and not outward.
The oceans just got a little safer for sharks, and conservationist, artist and scientist —Guy Harvey couldn’t be more pleased.
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In 1986 we were fishing one of the last Giant Tuna tournaments to be held in the Bahamas. Fishing was ok that week but we wound up winning with one fish. Ralph Mongeau caught a 615 pound tuna aboard “Raptor” on a classic day with a stiff southeast breeze. The tuna were pouring but not biting, well and ours was the biggest fish caught that week.
One evening, we watched movies from the International Game Fishing Association’s (IGFA) film library. Hundreds of anglers had donated their old fishing films and many of them had been copied onto video tape. The first film was shot in the early 1950’s and had wonderful action shots including footage taken from a small airplane that showed huge schools of tuna crossing the shallow flats south of Cat Cay. We could see fish peel off from the school and strike the bait trolled behind boats that were the state of the art “fishing cruisers” of that time, according to the announcer.
The film that really got us excited showed one of the greatest fishing guides of all time, Tommy Gifford. I met Gifford several times when I was a teenager and was most impressed with what a crusty old so and so he was, yet, he never paid me too much attention – I wish I had seen the movie before I met him. One way or another, I would have pestered him into letting me hang around, ride along, or something.
Marlin were already being caught in the Pacific by pioneering Australians, New Zealanders and Hawaiians. The Avalon Tuna Club was already a going concern with many striped marlin catches and Zane Grey was making expeditions to the South Pacific islands that have not been matched even with today’s motherships.
Ernest Hemingway advised Gifford of commercial marlin fishing techniques used in Cuba (later immortalized in his novel “The Old Man and the Sea”). Mike Lerner (proprietor and a founder of the Lerner Stores as well as the major financial contributor for the fledgling IGFA) chartered Gifford in 1934 to try for a blue marlin off Bimini. Gifford and Lerner decided to give these big cousins of sailfish a try. The movie footage is superb by any standards, doubly so considering when it was taken. Greyhounding marlin with a recognizable but unspoilt Bimini in the background, drew applause from the watching anglers and crew.
When Gifford put on a life jacket as he prepared to wire a good sized blue marlin, Lerner had, alongside the boat, cries of surprise and comments of sarcasm coming from the salty viewers. Then, Gifford billed the marlin like a sailfish. Cheers of surprise and approval echoed through the warm Bahamian night as Gifford billed a series of marlin ranging up to almost 500 pounds!
There were no gaffs -just a short nuggety young man who never let go once he had hold of a bill! “What a stud! I don’t believe it and I’m seeing it!” were two of the many shouted comments as Gifford was shaken like a rag doll. Never once did he relinquish a grip. It is still one of the most awesome fishing movies I have ever seen.
The IGFA museum in Dania, FL is the ultimate destination for angling enthusiasts and those interested in the complete historical record of the sport. It is open to the public 7 days a week
I had been impressed by the IGFA Hall of Fame and Museum when I attended its opening but hadn’t had a chance to check out the library with its video viewing and reading rooms. “Mike, I used to come and hang out once in a while and look at the old books when the office was in Pompano. Is the library open to the public?” I asked the then IGFA president Mike Leech at a chance meeting. “You mean you haven’t been in yet?” was his astonished reply. Two days later, I drove down and was floored by what I found. Leech introduced me to head librarian Gail Morchower, who showed me through a state of the art facility that has since seen a fair bit of me. (A few years ago I was inducted into the Hall Of Fame and some of my log books are now included.)
First, we entered a rare book room containing first editions (all of Zane Grey for starters) and original albums and logs donated by pioneering anglers. The humidity and temperature controlled room is a fishing history researcher’s nirvana. The books can be viewed and read but not removed from the library.
There are two video viewing rooms with comfortable seating to view the more than 1500 videos, including copies of the early movies mentioned above (and hundreds more!) You would have trouble reading just the current magazines as fast as they come in and there is a huge library of older periodicals as well as over 12,000 books. You can find books, videos and magazines from a computer list of titles, authors, and subjects. (It took Morchower about 30 seconds to tell me the year of the video I had seen in Bimini 15 years earlier.)
The IGFA Hall of Fame and Museum is open 10 to 6 daily and admission is free for IGFA members. The airy and spacious reading rooms offer superb views of four wetland ecological zones. Library, museum and ecological classroom, the only thing you won’t have enough of is time.
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit:www.guyharveysportswear.com
Day 3 had calmer weather and we went out wide of the island and soon found a circling frigate bird. Under this was a big female dolphin, but she looked at a couple of lures and went away. Shortly afterwards, the first blue for day showed up and took a couple of bites on the long right before fading off.
We trolled west to the 12 mile bank and as we got to the NE corner, Derrin spotted a pair of fins stationary at the surface. I raced up the ladder to have a look…swordfish! No doubt. It was sunning in the middle of the day on the flat calm surface. As we trolled closer, the fish stirred, swam and then went under. We circled the area, and not three minutes later, the sword came up on the long right lure, bill out and took a slash at the lure, before going about its business. Derrin nearly fell off the flybridge in his excitement.
A little later, Derrin got a radio call from a local fisherman, Ferris Ebanks Cayman’s “old man”. He was drifting chunks for yellowfin and had just hooked a marlin so was going to pass it over to us to catch and tag. In Cayman, the local fishermen generally release the marlin they hook while fishing for tuna.
Alex Harvey waiting for the bite
Alex took the rod, and settled down for a fight. The local anglers use 80# line straight to the hook so there was no leader, and Alex had to use a light drag. After ten minutes the marlin jumped about three hundred yards away and we backed down on the belly in the line recovering it all and got over the marlin. It was beautiful swimming about thirty feet down, face and bill lit up neon blue as was its tail. I used my underwater video on the swim platform to get shots. The surface was so calm you could see the fish clearly. Time to go in!
I did a couple of passes on the marlin and realized I could overtake the fish and deploy the PSAT underwater without ever having to wire the fish and risk breaking the light leader. So said…so done. George got the necessary footage and just then the thin leader broke at the circle hook and the 175# blue marlin swam off carrying a PSAT. I had not more tags on board.
We headed east again up the north side of the bank, saw a marlin free jumping and headed over to the spot…kaboom! An agitated 150# blue took to the air, and it was Andi’s turn again on the 30# tackle. The marlin made some awesome jumps coming at the boat, and going across the stern before sounding. George was excited. All good, Andi pumped the marlin to the boat, and I went for the usual swim to get the release on film. Glenn and Alex did the honors and the marlin swam off hastily.
We immediately started trolling again and as Andi was letting out his line, a marlin ate the lure and started thrashing around behind the boat. We all looked at each other in amazement. How often does that happen? Alex was up and fought the fish to a standstill without any jumps in short order, and we called the marlin 300# and cut her off quickly, a very green fish.
This was the first time George had been marlin fishing. He certainly was thrown in at the deep end and was able to shoot a lot of great footage. No more bites for the day, and we ended up 3 for 4 on marlin for the day, 4 for 7 on the shoot. I was very proud of the crew, Captain Derrin and Glenn, who did a great job and I would recommend them to anyone visiting Grand Cayman who wants to do some big game fishing, or charter them for a tournament.
On day 4 George and I went to the sandbar early before any of the tour boats arrived and we had the stingrays to ourselves. They exhibit schooling behavior which is unusual for a typically solitary predator, and I wanted to capture some of this behavior on film. We then had another great wall dive accompanied by eagle rays and turtles, jacks and groupers, as well as the odd lionfish.
Next on the agenda were interviews with the Director of the Department of Environment Gina Ebanks-Petri and the Deputy Director Timothy Austin. Each gave solid interviews about the value of the scientific work being done by REEF and collaborating scientists and how valuable this last remaining Nassau grouper SPAG(Spawning Aggregation) site was to the Cayman Islands and the Caribbean as a whole.
It’s a wrap. We did more shooting around town and in the Guy Harvey Gallery and Shoppe and across the road at the original Guy Harvey Island Grill. George Town is a popular destination for cruise ship visitors and stay –over visitors and they enjoy the tranquility and cleanliness of these islands while browsing the shops, restaurants and beaches.
I am confident that this documentary will tell the success story of how the research effort and conservation of the last remaining Nassau grouper spawning site in the central and western Caribbean may see the beginning of a recovery of this overexploited species. Indeed, it is a success story with which the people and government of the Cayman Island should be very proud.
The Marine Conservation Board will meet within the next month to determine whether protection for the spawning sites should be extended. It seems to be common sense to protect any species at times of spawning but, particularly the Nassau grouper, which has been brought to the very edge of extinction throughout its geographic range by lack of proper management and just sheer human greed.
Enough already! Let’s get this done.
Dive safely fish responsibly.
—Guy Harvey
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit:www.guyharveysportswear.com
Bait and switch, also known as pitching bait, is a great way to fish for world records. By trolling hookless lures as teasers then throwing out a bait on the appropriate line class results in almost every bite being a potential world record. It is also an exciting way to fish for billfish. It is dramatically NOT the most efficient way to catch billfish!
“That was a cluster!” is often the last word from a frustrated captain, who could see it all unfold and come unraveled. The average amateur crew will foul up far more fish than they can catch when using bait and switch. Artificial lures are the way to go if you do not have an expert, professional crew and want to catch billfish on light tackle. AND, you should be able to catch at least half the fish that bite your smaller lures.
For tag and release angling on sail fish, white marlin and striped marlin, use small lures and small hooks. There is no need to free spool the lures. Instead, hold the rod tip high over your head and drop the rod tip rapidly down toward the fish when you see it start to strike. This technique throws several feet of slack into the line and allows the fish to get the lure and hooks into its mouth. It is called “Rod Tipping”.
I use lures even on light line. When I am trying to find a body of fish in tournaments, even with 12 lb. and 16 lb. line, I troll lures. The lures I use have heads with a diameter at the forward tip of the head of, at most, 9/16” to 3/4”. Flat heads pull easier than slanted heads or cupped heads. Nothing makes more fuss or pulls harder for a given diameter than a cup-headed “chugger” lure. They are great lures but need to be used at slower speeds if used on light line.
Slant faced lures, “straight runners” or plungers are intermediate between chuggers and cylinders. Even the largest cone shaped lure heads pull surprisingly easy. The diameter of the tip of a cone shaped lure is almost zero and a light lure will tend to plane along the surface. “Green Machines” and Moldcraft “Hi Speed” (A terrible misnomer as it is awful over 7 or 8 knots.) are true cone shapes and pull lightly enough to use on 6 pound line!
Truncated cones like MoldCraft “Wide Range” and other similar lures, truly cylindrical lures like the MoldCraft “Hooker” or “Four Eyed Monster”, as well as many excellent similarly shaped custom lures, are very stable even at very high speeds (up to 17 knots) if the length of the head is 3 times the diameter. Head diameter, lure weight and trolling speed determine how hard the lure pulls and what line classes can be used with that lure. With long 10” or 12” skirts and a truncated cylindrical head shape no more than 5/8” in diameter, I would happily fish at 8 knots for any billfish up to at least 100 pounds on 6 or 8 pound line. With a pair of 5/0 to 8/0 hooks on similar “needlefish” lures, the average angler should catch over half the billfish that bite on 12 pound test—much better than all, but the most expert anglers can achieve on dead natural bait.
The limiting factor on how big a lure you can pull is ultimately related to how hard the lure pulls at 8 knots. Light monofilament stretches up to 30% and light rods bend under tension, then spring back when the tension is released. A lure that surfaces and comes partly clear of the water, pulls less hard for a fraction of a second. In that time, the stretchy nylon contracts and the rod straightens out and the lure is catapulted toward the boat. This is unacceptable! It results in tangled hooks and leaders, causes high rpm spins, and on very light line, can cause a broken line because the lure is now being pulled sideways through the water. Some so-called experts hate lures because novices that use them commonly beat the pros in tournaments!
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The most outstanding characteristics of the sailfish is the enormous dorsal fin, which is much higher than the greatest depth of the body. Photo credit: Richard Gibson
The sailfish is the most common of the ten billfish species, and are distributed world-wide in tropical waters. The average size of the Atlantic sailfish is 40-60 pounds and they are one of the smaller billfish species. In the Eastern Pacific they grow twice that size reaching 200 pounds. The outstanding characteristic of the species is the enormous dorsal fin which is much higher than the greatest depth of the body. This fin is used to make the sailfish look three times the size it really is and is particularly used when corralling bait schools. When working in tandem with other sailfish in what I describe as cooperative feeding, the sail is raised and used to keep the bait in a tight school which is then easily managed by predators. In addition, they change color frequently, with dark blue backs and bronze flanks cut by vivid stripes when excited. They are marvelous animals to paint, which is why diving with them is so important to capture the anatomy, color, movement and the thrill of the chase.
In the western Atlantic, sailfish spawn in spring and summer. The tiny fertilized eggs hatch and grow very rapidly, just as all oceanic fish species do. The sailfish will reach six pounds in six months, and may be thirty pounds in their first year. Tagging has shown sailfish will live as long as twelve years and make large seasonal migrations, though some will linger in good feeding areas for long periods. They eat a variety of oceanic species, such as sardines, anchovies, puffer fish, filefish, flying fish, small tunas and bonitos, jacks and ballyhoo. In turn, they have few predators, but the large sharks, such as the mako, tiger and bull sharks, have preyed upon sailfish, as do large blue marlin and some large toothed cetaceans, like orcas.
Sailfish are the world's most sought after billfish and are common in the tropical Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans
There is little directed commercial fishing for sailfish in the Caribbean, but there is a lot of commercial long line activity in the eastern Pacific. This is unfortunate, particularly in Costa Rica, where the recreational use of sailfish is much more valuable to the local economy as a living fish than as a protein source. Socio-economic studies in Central America have shown the sailfish to be a very valuable sustainable resource in the catch and release fishery. The use of circle hooks in this fishery ensures 99% survival, and so some countries, like Guatemala, have banned the landing of all sailfish. There is currently an effort in Central America to have a regional approach to the management of the species, particularly as the species migrates extensively along the coasts of the member countries.
My underwater encounters with sailfish and sardines were some of the most graphic and inspiring I have had in fifteen years of diving with billfish all around the world. Underwater photography of these marvelous fish has become more exciting and educational compared to their angling value and provides a unique experience in certain locations.
It is our collective responsibility to conserve all marine creatures and maintain the biodiversity of the planet.
Good diving and fishing.
— Guy Harvey
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit:www.guyharveysportswear.com
The Wahoo's color pattern is characterized by the vivid "tiger" stripes running down the body, particularly when excited
Wahoo are highly migratory ocean game fish and visit the islands and seamounts that make up the Cayman Islands in the winter months. Although they are available all year round, their peak of abundance is from October to December and February to April. The Cayman Islands record wahoo of 146 lbs. was caught in June 2007 off East End, Grand Cayman. The only bigger wahoo caught in the Caribbean have come from the Bahamas, while the current all-tackle world record of 182 lbs. was caught recently in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
The wahoo is a cosmopolitan species found in all tropical and subtropical waters around the planet. Growing to 200 lbs. and over 6 feet long, the wahoo is built for speed; long and slim, a stiff upright tail and long pointed jaws equipped with sharp teeth. They have color typical of ocean game fish, with blues, purples and bronze, but are characterized by vivid “tiger” stripes running down the body, particularly when excited. They are one of the most beautiful of fish and are a favourite of mine to paint.
Wahoo will form aggregations as juveniles up to 15 lbs., but typically become solitary as adults. Sometimes far offshore, I have come across a floating log, holding a school of young wahoo, and will chum them with cut bait, then dive in to watch the juveniles light up their vivid stripes as they feed. As many prey species find sanctuary in the open ocean under flotsam, I portray scenes of wahoo or dolphin fish and marlin with floating objects in the background as it is a natural situation and educates the viewer about the natural history of the species.
Wahoo are speedy, fast growing and excellent table fare. Many anglers consider them the finest game fish available in offshore waters
Wahoo have never been targeted as a commercial fishery resource, because though they have widespread distribution, nowhere are they abundant like other small mackerel species or some tuna species. They are a very fast growing species, up to 20 lbs. in the first year, and reproduce rapidly, like most oceanic fish species. Wahoo are currently fully exploited by recreational fisherman around the Caribbean and Central America. Some countries have daily bag limits, and in others they are conserved for recreational use only. I have released many wahoo under 10 lbs., and once I have caught a couple adults in a morning, I will then switch to another type of fishing.
In the Cayman Islands, anglers target the wahoo along the steep drop offs around the islands and on the 12-mile bank, 60-mile bank and Pickle bank. Individual crews have their preferred rigs, but trolling ballyhoo bait with a skirt on a wire line is a popular rig. Wahoo will bite any artificial lure that is moving fast, so many crews here troll at 11 to 14 knots and make use of the wahoo’s predatory nature and tremendous speed to generate the action. One word of caution; a wahoo’s teeth are so sharp, they can cause bad injuries even when dead. I have a terrible scar on my left foot caused when a dead wahoo’s open mouth came in contact with my bare foot in a rolling sea. Since then I have always worn boating shoes out on the water.
There are many good island recipes for wahoo, but this is a fish that I like to eat fresh, which is why one will do me for a while. The flesh is white and dense, and can become dry if overcooked, so I like to include a good buttery sauce when steaming or grilling fresh wahoo steaks.
Fish and dive responsibly, good luck, and tight lines.
—Guy Harvey
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit:www.guyharveysportswear.com
It was a frisky blue marlin like this one, creating a commotion alongside the boat, that completed Guy Harvey's quest to catch a blue marlin from Cayman Island waters during each month of the year
As December approached, I marveled at how fast 2008 had passed. Though it was a year ago, it seemed like only yesterday that I had fancied my “pipe dream” of catching a blue marlin each month of the year from the waters around Grand Cayman Island. Not that such an accomplishment wasn’t there to be done, because I was truly convinced that blue marlin could be caught year-round from my home waters. It was just that for me to achieve such a feat, I would be bucking sizable odds, knowing that most of my fishing would be from my outboard-powered boat, and primarily confined to weekends only. Right away, the new year began with such a busy schedule of various commitments that I barely made it out on the water at all in January, and when I finally did, I was fishing alone on my then 26-footer Makaira. It was really only after I had caught my first “solo” blue marlin on that late January day that I concluded all things were possible — and so began my quest in earnest to catch one of these magnificent fish during each and every month of 2008. Now, here it was, almost a year later, and I needed to catch just one more blue marlin to complete my lofty goal.
December arrived, and with it our typical western Caribbean winter weather of cold fronts and rough seas. The day before a cold front moves in marks your best shot of getting out on the water to catch fish, so you must drop everything else you’re doing if you are to take advantage of the weather window. That’s what my guest Dr. Colin Wakelin and I did on an early December day as we took my 28-foot Scout Makaira II out to do some trolling just outside Rum Point. We didn’t have to wait long, as we got our first bite while I was putting out the third lure in my five-lure spread. The hungry marlin actually snatched the line right from my fingers! Wakelin is from New Zealand, but had been working on Grand Cayman for four years. We had fished together before, and he’d hooked blues but had never converted. On this day, however, he finally scored.
Wakelin brought the very active fish to the boat rather quickly, where it gave me a good blow to the right wrist (my painting hand) while I was leadering it — reminding me not to be in too big of a hurry to remove the hook from a green fish. But the sting was short-lived because of the exhilaration that came over the two of us. Wakelin had finally caught his first blue marlin, and his fish, the 17th blue that had been caught aboard my boat during the calendar year, completed my quest to catch a blue marlin during each month of the year. In all, with an assist from family and friends who accompanied me, I managed a remarkable 24 hookups from a total of 26 bites. Not bad for a weekend fisherman trolling from an outboard-powered boat.
Guy sets his trolling lines for a new year of fishing adventures
Of course, the personal challenge of my quest is what drove me, spurred on by each successive month of catching a fish. However, I was also pleased with having demonstrated that the Cayman Islands are host to a year-round blue marlin fishery, a fact that I hope will ultimately help in promoting increased interest in our local sport fishing. What I hadn’t counted on was the number of incredible memories and milestones that would be associated with my pursuit. During 2008, I was able to, on more than a couple of occasions, assist friends in catching their first blue marlin; was witness to some memorable, if not amazing billfish battles while fishing from my own boat; and shared some very special days on the water with my wife, Gillian, and our two teenagers, Jessica and Alex. I’ll never forget the rare juvenile blue marlin that Jessica caught during September. Only days later, Alex was aboard and assisting me in catching the largest blue marlin I’ve ever fought from my boat. Of course, the year began with my first “solo” catch of a blue marlin, and during April, I was part of a fishing team that accomplished a first — catching a blue marlin from a sailboat during a Cayman Islands tournament. And most memorable of all was the amazing October day I spent fishing with young Evan Taylor and helping his “Make-A-Wish” come true. It was a remarkable run in 2008, and I hope you derived as much pleasure in reading my monthly accounts as I did in reliving them.
To all of my friends, good health and good fishing in 2011.
— Guy Harvey
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit: www.guyharveysportswear.com
The 10th annual Torneo Tropic Star got off to a good start. Thirty-one boats registered, 12 from the world famous Tropic Star Lodge fleet, and another private 19 boats from Panama City, ran 150 miles to Pinas Bay, on the southeast corner of the Darien Province, Panama. Visiting teams of three anglers charter the TSL boats, and rotate to a different boat each day. Three teams from the Cayman Islands, four from Canada, two from Jamaica and four from the USA take all the TSL boats.
A lit up Black Marlin explodes from the water off Panama's Tropic Star Lodge
Cayman Islands teams were; Cayman Hard Buoys with Troy Burke, Tony Berkman and Andrew McCartney; Cayman New Buoys with Alistair Walters, Sebastien Guilbard and Marcus Montana. The third team was Los Bamofos with Andi Marcher, Guy Harvey and Neil Burnie.
A practice day of fishing before the tournament begins gets everyone familiarized with the fishing techniques, crews, and tackle. A few minutes after the start of fishing Alistair Walters hooked, fought and released a 300lb black marlin at the famous Pinas Reef. Other teams went offshore while some stayed inside to fish for roosterfish, jacks and cubera snappers.
On Day 1, the Cayman Hard Buoys got off to a flying start with two blue marlin catches by Tony and Troy — a black marlin for Tony and a sailfish for Andrew — resulting in a PACIFIC GRAND SLAM; three different species of billfish in a single day.
Unfortunately, the first blue caught by Tony passed the 90 minute maximum fighting time as was DQed, but they jumped into the lead with two marlin and a sailfish anyway. Cayman New Buoys also did well holding second place with Marcus releasing a 300lb blue and Sebastien a 450lb blue on their first day. Los Bamofos scored a single sailfish, released by angler Andi Marcher.
Day 2 was a slow day for the Cayman teams except for Los Bamofos, when honorary Cayman angler Neil Burnie, from Bermuda, caught a fine 475lb blue marlin. The other two Cayman teams did not add to their score. Meanwhile, one of the Canadian teams pulled ahead with a total of three marlin releases, plus a magnificent 267lb yellowfin tuna. In addition, the Jamaican anglers were closing in with 14 year old Nicholas Chen bagging two blues and a sailfish.
Day 3 got off to a slow start but once the captains located the schools of bonitos, live bait was now available. Earlier in the day we had caught some 25lb yellowfin tunas and began pulling them live, hoping for a big black or blue marlin to take them. Live baiting is the preferred method of fishing for black and for blue marlin on the Pacific coast of Panama. The private boats from Panama City switched over to live bait fishing from pulling artificial lures once they saw how effective this method was at getting the bite.
A Black Marlin shakes loose the bridled bonito, but the circle hook stays in
The first blue marlin, caught by Los Bamofos, spent four excruciating minutes in the spread checking out all three baits, zipping back and forth and driving the crew crazy before it settled on the short bait. Angler Andi Marcher took 40 minutes to subdue this active 500lb blue marlin, and Los Bamofos was now catching up with a tally of two blue marlin and a sailfish.
Cayman New Buoys also scored early in the day with a 300lb black marlin by Marcus. Meanwhile, Cayman Hard Buoys lost a marlin, then had a double marlin bite hooking a 350lb black marlin which was caught by Tony Berkman, keeping them in third place. Right then, Los Bamofos lost two consecutive bites which would have put them in the running.
With fishing closing at 3p.m., Cayman New Buoys hooked and released their fourth marlin, a 450lb blue by Sebastien and now took over the lead from the Canadian team. An hour from the end of fishing, Los Bamofos scored with a magnificent blue marlin, to put them into fourth place.
After three days of competition, Cayman New Buoys ran off with Team Most Points (1200), after their first visit to Tropic Star. Canada came second (1000) on Time. Cayman Hard Buoys placed third (1000) on Time, having finished fourth last year. Team Los Bamofos placed fourth (1000) on Time. In total, the three Cayman teams contributed eleven marlin and two sailfish to the tournament total catch of 35 marlin and 9 sailfish.
Congratulations to the Cayman New Buoys! This event is a qualifying event for the Bonnier-IGFA World Tournament of Champions held in May 2011 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. This angling event is sanctioned by the Cayman Islands Angling Club and the Cayman Islands International Fishing tournament held in April each year is also a qualifying event. The winners go through to participate in this prestigious big game angling event. Good luck!
—Guy Harvey
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit:www.guyharveysportswear.com
This feisty snook was pulled from its mangrove creek habitat. Snook inhabit many freshwater creeks and lagoons on both coasts of the Florida peninsula. Photo Credit: Richard Gibson
One of my most memorable diving expeditions was not in the ocean but in the famous Homosassa River on the west coast of Florida diving amongst manatees. In the cool fresh water of the river were a host of marine species, such as mullet, gray snapper, jack crevalle, redfish, sheepshead, tarpon and some of the biggest snook I had ever seen.
Typically, snook hang out on the edge of mangroves and in river mouths where the water is usually murky, the fish are shy and, as a diver, you seldom get a good shot of snook in its natural surroundings.
Many were over forty pounds, and would turn to face me before spinning around and seeking refuge deeper in the basin. They have a unique look, a signature appearance, with a longer lower jaw than upper jaw, a distinctive black line on their lateral line and bright yellow fins and tail. I was in snook heaven.
What was so interesting about this location in the Homosassa was the number of species that were tolerant of the lowered salinity and were thriving. While there was apparently little food for these predators, I came to the conclusion they were shedding all their marine parasites in the fresh water, before returning to the estuary or the ocean.
In Florida, the snook is a prized game fish with an awesome reputation for giving a good fight and are great table fare. They are caught using a variety of live baits, lures and plugs, and the best time to fish for them is an hour before high tide and three hours of the falling tide. They tend to congregate near shorelines with some structure such as piers, docks, pilings, rock formations and reefs. In Florida, they accumulate near the warm water outflows of power plants, particularly in winter.
The snook's signature appearance with the undershot-jaw, distinct black lateral line and bright yellow fins is captured on my "Two Snook" artwork for the MTH1237 t-shirt
No other inshore species has devout a following as the snook. Their numbers and accessibility have made them very popular wherever they are found. There are several species, the largest being the common snook. They range as far north as the Carolinas, throughout the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean and as far south as Brazil. In the eastern Pacific, several species are found along the coast from Mexico to Ecuador.
Because of their popularity in the USA, there are size limits, this being more than 28inches but less than 32 inches long (so the juvenile fish and the larger brood stock are protected at all times). There are seasonal limitations and catch limitations, plus this species cannot be sold
The common snook feeds primarily on fishes and some crustaceans. Their spawning season extends from June to November, after first maturity at three years old. They may live up to seven years and to a size of forty five pounds, though bigger individuals are reported from the Pacific. They have many predators, such as barracudas, large jacks, goliath groupers and a variety of inshore sharks such as lemons, bull sharks and black tip sharks.
When next you are in snook country, wet a line and have a tremendous angling experience while observing all local laws and catch regulations. It is our collective responsibility to conserve the marine environment and maintain the biodiversity of the planet.
Safe diving and tight lines.
—Guy Harvey
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit:www.guyharveysportswear.com
I would like to welcome you to the Guy Harvey Sportswear web site. Here we will feature my blog where I will report on expeditions, adventures, and various marine conservation efforts. We will also include various guest bloggers, videos and photos that I believe you will find interesting, whether you are a serious fishing or diving enthusiast, or simply someone who cares about the marine resource, loves living the coastal lifestyle, or just wants to learn more about Guy Harvey sportswear.
I would like to welcome you to the Guy Harvey Sportswear web site. Here we will feature my blog where I will report on expeditions, adventures, and various marine conservation efforts. We will also include various guest bloggers, videos and photos that I believe you will find interesting, whether you are a serious fishing or diving enthusiast, or simply someone who cares about the marine resource, loves living the coastal lifestyle, or just wants to learn more about Guy Harvey sportswear.
