450 lb marlin v shark

[Ken Gargett]

[trumpetchris]

wow. Talk about a nasty surprise, for both the man and the marlin!

[Fatshotbud]

That's a pisser!

[BobbyRitz]

One has to ask...how did they know it weighed 450lbs?

[Ken Gargett]

One has to ask...how did they know it weighed 450lbs?

i think that most guides spend so much time with the fish of their choice, as it were, that they know them intimately. he would have sen the fish and been able to compare it with many others he has weighed of similar size. most of them get surprisingly close - they may up it for anglers' egos but in general, i'd say it would be very close to their estimates.

[Colt45]

A real shame.....

[El Presidente]

I have to say I hate seeing great fish destroyed. I remember seeing photo's of a 1000 lb Marlin being strung up and weighed in Cairns last year. I could never understand why.

Interesting though was a Marine Biologist commented that Marlin can put on 100lb in a year and that the 1000lb marlin was unlikely to be more than 10 years old. Still, shame to see such a majestic animal strung up on a dock.

[Ken Gargett]

comletely agree. when watching it, i thought a great shame all round. the intention, from the discussion, was to tag it but it did look like a gaff to me. my understanding is that only a small number of large marlin actually survive catch and release. i'm told the same about bonefish though i find that much more dificult to beleive (or perhaps i just don' want to).

went to lizard island years ago (for non-aussies, that is ground zero for giant black marlin) and it was fascinating how much they play own the marlin fishing. weigh station has been moved well away from resort, catch and release is stressed (apparently you can only keep one if it is a chance for a record and therefore needs to be weighed).

most of my life, i fished 'normally', as in keeping what you caught within bag limits and size restrictions but moving to trout fishing gives a different perspective. i would feel positively ill if anyone tried to keep a trout i had caught (possible exception is if you are out camping and catching food to eat, but i still would not feel good).

[dragon]

<<< I have to say I hate seeing great fish destroyed. I remember seeing photo's of a 1000 lb Marlin being strung up and weighed in Cairns last year. I could never understand why.

Interesting though was a Marine Biologist commented that Marlin can put on 100lb in a year and that the 1000lb marlin was unlikely to be more than 10 years old. Still, shame to see such a majestic animal strung up on a dock. >>>

Agree 110%

[Ken Gargett]

talking to a mate from victoria - he tells me that he was fishing on that very boat in 2001 and that they also lost a marlin in the same circumstances, only this time the shark followed the fish right up the transom and ended up a foot or two away from the anglers. apparently, not a pleasant experience.