re: Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic week

The boat that landed this fish has multiple cameras on the cockpit and is a $5M boat.

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People are insinuating it was caught and iced and stowed before the tourney...stowed sans bill because it wouldn't fit into any compartment or engine room otherwise

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Well they are dumb. Most boats arrive several days before the tournament and with the cancellation of the Cajun Canyons most came over earlier than that.

Surely no one would notice people icing that fish, in the engine room because the fish boxes are visible, for 5 plus days. And what about when they were offshore for 3 days. How do you keep a fish cold in the engine room with just ice from the boat icemaker. Obviously you've never been in one in the summer with the engines not running much less when the boat is underway for 48+ hours.

Come on. This argument is ridiculous.

I'm not saying that's what I believe...I'm saying that's what's insinuated.

1. Aries arrived late compared to most boats;
2. Aries is a 70'+ viking with a massive insinuated fish box...likely not large enough for this fish...but without a bill it's more possible...still unlikely (but that's a rumor floating around).

A $5M+ boat that has multiple cameras doesn't film this? Really? Hell, it has cameras in the engine room...let alone in the cockpit.

I think they likely hooked it, pulled a loop maneuver to get line back fast and at some point the fish ran at the boat as the captain thought he was catching up to the fish in the loop or pivot.

The boat ran over the fish while it was being filmed and killed the fish...causing the damage. Cameras were erased and a story was concocted.

First of all I won't hide behind a screen name. Let's get some facts straight.

I am one of 3 boats who protested the fish. The other 2 boats protested before I even returned to port and urged me to protest even though it wasn't required.

I have never protested another fishing tournament decision and I have been doing this for quite some time.

I am not aware of anyone speculating that this fish was landed before the tournament?

There is zero video of this fish even though the team was entered in the catch and release category as well. No team fishing this tourny in both the catch and release division and kill division leaves the cameras off even if they know the fish is a kill fish because if you pull the fish off on the leader, you don't want to lose the release points.

The teams story changed multiple times after they returned to the dock, ranging from the fish broke its bill on the transom to they weren't even sure if the bill was intact when they drug it on the boat to the fishes bill broke while dragging it on the boat.

This tournament and every tournament on the gulf coast has dq'd fish before for much less. Cookie cutter shark bites, single prop marks, etc.

2 seperate tourny officials from other events came to by boat to personally tell me that this fish should have never been weighed.

At the end of the day all I can do is accept the poor decision because eventually it will catch up to all those involved. As far as my post on social media, suck it up cupcake and deal with me voicing my concern and opinion in public manner. Seems a little hypocritical, considering some are bashing me behind screen names everytime my name comes up on a thread on these forums. Show up, enter a tournament and come compete if you are that concerned!

Just out of curiousity for those not there and because it can be hard to tell from photos. But what does it look like happened to the fish to you? Prop hit, broke off by the crew on accident, broke off by the fish trying to land it, etc.?

I think the worst part is the crew clearly trying to hide what actually happened, even if it was an innocent accident. It would of been one thing for them to be honest and the tourny just allowed the fish.

talk about first world/rich people problems.

My opinion/speculation. They ran the fish over. One of the mates ran his mouth about it on the dock as well.

The fish went headfirst under the boat and was propped. Only explanation that explains the bill and the lower jaw cut at the same level. It also means the line is trailing in the fishes mouth. It sucks that it happened like this because like it or not they caught the bigger fish. There has to be rules however and this clearly hindered the fishes ability to fight which was my protest. The tournament director himself said "they weighed the fish in the heat of the moment" and another said "unfortuantely this is a freight train that we can't stop". And I heard both myself.

I don't know, it still states it's up to the judges and not the judges of other tournaments. While I can understand, the rules are clear.

Who are the good ol' boys? Aries has hardly been owning these tournaments.