Let’s Get Reel
Fishing shouldn’t be all that complicated, should it? As the old saying goes, it’s just a jerk on one end of the line waiting for a jerk on the other. But the beauty of fishing is that it can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it, and yet still so rewarding and enjoyable.
That’s the philosophy that we brought to this month’s Sportfishing Issue, one that afforded us the opportunity to talk fishing with a boatful of experts, many of whom were kind enough to answer our countless questions. So I thought it’d be fun and informative to present a few of their thoughts here.
This fishing fab four consists of: Joan Vernon, angler, captain, tournament director, conservationist, and an International Game Fish Association Hall of Famer; Capt. Frank “Skip” Smith, president of Smith-Merritt Insurance, Inc., and an authority on yachts and sportfishing; Karl Anderson, captain of the 72-foot Merritt Brier Patch and the 63-foot Merritt Saranita; and Pete Frederiksen, director of communicati ons at Viking Yacht Company and Power & Motoryacht’s regular sportfishing columnist.
Without further ado, here are the questions, and a sampling of their responses: “Elephants eat peanuts! (Regarding the size of the bait/lure in proportion to the fish.)” “Do not talk, just listen.” “I once had a captain tell me that if you never look at fishing as a paycheck, look at the greater gifts fishing gives you, and give back to it, you’ll never lose your love of fishing, and you’ll be paid in many more ways than just your paycheck.”
Costa Rica. This country offers outstanding offshore and inshore saltwater fishing on both coasts, Atlantic and Pacific. The lakes and rivers are abundant with tropical freshwater fish. It’s a true adventure not to be missed.”
“Australia. Chasing giant blacks, and diving the Great Barrier Reef each day, never gets old or boring.”
“First choice would be Alaska. If that’s too far away, then any place where there’s a kid at your side that you’re teaching to fish.” “I’ll never forget fighting and releasing a swordfish on 12-pound-test line off the coast of Kenya. We were nighttime fishing with live bait. The captain wanted to kill the fish, as it was a potential record, but I wouldn’t let him—it almost came to a fight! It was a thrilling hour-and-a-half battle, with me cutting the line as soon as I tipped the fish to allow it to swim away from the gaff.”
“My life is blessed with a full memory card of great fishing experiences and friends with fish caught and lost. It’s like trying to put all my logbooks onto a single page. But in the end for me, all those special days with my dad and all my fishing buddies are irreplaceable.”
Not the 1,012-pound bluefin, not the 447-pound blue marlin, not my first bonefish, but rather anytime I fished with my father, because I wouldn’t have caught anything if not for him.”
“It’s great, as most people are going to the twin, triple, and quad outboards. They get out there, catch their fish, and get back to the dock in record time. But on the other hand, where are the sportfishing jobs? Fishermen can learn it all on the Internet and from magazines, and don’t need to hire a professional. Then there are the environmental issues….”
“Thanks to the incredible efforts of many conservation and science groups, there have been excellent opportunities to positively impact the industry. Numerous examples of good fisheries management and conservation include the redfish and striped bass stock increases and the Spanish mackerel rebound, and we’ve learned a great deal about marlin and tuna through satellite-tagging research. Knowledge is power, and the more we learn and apply good science to stock management, the healthier and more sustainable our sportfisheries will be.”
“Health care [for the fishery] is critical to protect the resource and an angler’s rights to fish. Anyone that wets a line should get involved to protect these factors for today, and especially for future generations. Special-interest groups block access, the government relies on junk science to manage fish stocks, and it will only get worse unless sportfishermen step up to the plate and start playing hardball. Whether you belong to a national organization like the Recreational Fishing Alliance or a local group like the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund, an angler cannot keep pulling fish out of the water without making an effort to contribute to the well-being of the fishery.”
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