Yes, we all are Pirates, 200 years too late. Everyone with connection with the water, especially Salt-Water has at least some Pirate Blood flowing through their veins. It is always said that “All Fishermen are Liars” and I will add to that that, All Fishermen have the “Potential” to be Pirates.
I am very happy to see that over the sixty years or so that I have actively been a commercial and recreational fisherman, that the Pirate impulse has been subdued greatly, at least in the Recreational sector. For the most part, as recreational fishermen, we all understand that the Ocean’s Resources are finite and that we can have a better fishing experience by following the rules and limiting the amount of fish that we actually kill when practicing this admitted “Blood Sport”.
Yes, some anglers do stretch limits, but it is getting better. Overly strict and unreasonable regulations make even the most honest fisherman’s Pirate Blood Boil at times and as far as Commercial Fishermen are concerned, they are too tied to the tied Briny Ocean and the relation to the Pirates runs deep. However, that is a subject for another day.
The Booty to which I am referring in these thoughts is the capture of the Prize in Fishing Tournaments, particularly “The Battle of the Back Bay, Catch Video and Release Tournament”. It seems that many perfectly normal Anglers will loose all control when trying to obtain a conquest in a Fishing Tournament.
Over all the years I have been fishing and observing and participating in tournaments, the biggest problem has been cheating. In The Battle of the Back Bay Tournament, we have gone to every extreme that we can think of to put together a format where we can use catch and release and have a real tournament for who can catch the biggest fish.
We know with $13,000 on the line and $10,000 going to the 1st place winner, a whole lot of "Pirate Minds" will be contemplating any method possible to stretch the rules. $10,000 will still divide nicely with more than a three-man team. I don't want to put any ideas into any Pirate Brain.
I won't go into details here. but we came up with the "One fish and off the water" rule to make this more like a Game of Chess and to make sure that really is the last fish you catch that day. As to the "Fastest Aspect" Time is not really at stake here. there possibly could be a better way to word that. So, as long as you are done by the allotted finish time, the longest fish will win. However, if two fish measure out the same, within the margin of error that we will set, the first one videoed will be the winner.
I hope this helps, and with thirty high caliber teams out fishing for the prize November 12th just Keep that Pirate Blood Calm for the Tournament and have FUN. Some Team is going home with $10,000. Let’s just make sure it is the REAL WINNER.
Capt. Dave, David Showell
Replies