Big Game Fishing - Jigging - Popping worldwide

throws up a question .........?
Are there any releases too in Puerto or is everything kept like the small Marlin ????

I considered Puerto for a visit -thats why Im asking !

Tl T

Quoted from "qh-breeder"

throws up a question .........?
Are there any releases too in Puerto or is everything kept like the small Marlin ????

I considered Puerto for a visit -thats why Im asking !

Tl T

Hi Torsten
That Black Marlin wasn't overly small. It went 638lbs on the scales!

Unfortunately it was taken on a set of 30lb test and eventually got tail-wrapped and died. That's why they brought it in. The organisation though does I understand strongly promote a 'catch and release' ethic for all billfish. Just unfortunate that this wasn't explained in the initial post.

This is the fuller picture I picked up from a post - http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/sh…ad.php?t=241610 - on another forum:

Quoted

Captain Steve does it again Catching a 638 lb Marlin with a 30 WT Tiburon Reel! March 21 2010.The guys heading out a little after 7 am for a short 6 hr day we went in between the rocks at Islas marrietas and El morro fishing for Jack Crevalle and Roosterfish, when captain Steve Spotted a big fin popping out of the water he trolled to the direction where he had saw the fin going and boom around 9:30 am We had a big hook up which ending up being almost a 6 hour fight with a 638 lb Black Marlin! The Marlin bit a live bait bullet tuna on a Tiburon 30 Reel and Calstar 58 graphite Rod at El Morro If that is not a test for gear I don't know what is? After the hook up first on the reel was client Gennelly Wall She put up a good fight for about an hour then passed the rod along to Tomas Pisker. "the Marlin was jumping and diving I was tired out" Tomas put up great fight for 2 hours then it was up to the crew 2 hours later the Marlin took its final leap and was tangled in the line so we had to pull him in total time 5 1/2 hours on a Tiburon 30 wt reel aboard the Ana Maria 35 ft Cabo Yacht.

PV Sportfishing Strongly Promotes and Encourages catch and release on all Billfish so we can keep our fishing paradise for years to come here is a video example for tag and release so you can still bring in the fish take a great photo and release!
video link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEgklPWkhnQ
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http://www.puertovallartafish.com

do they release yft too or keep em all to sell em - since they cant eat em all, on that one day they caught to many big ones to eat em all !

There must be reason they gill gaffed the 5th and sixth and seventh ................. I m just asking !


TL T

I take your point Torsten. There are seemingly differing attitudes to Tuna and Billfish, but I have to say from my experience it's not just restricted to Puerto Vallarta - it's in large part a global phenomena. Unfortunately the Tuna species in the main are relegated to the role of either baits or food. Thinking back to all of the places I've fished the only place we've released Tuna - Blackfin and Little Tunny - has been in the 'States, Montauk and Key West. Apart from that you'll find that species like Bluefin are released, Atlantic-side in the 'States and Canada, but I suspect only as a result of State or Province imposed quotas.

Why this attitude?

Yes, in part it's the commercial value of the fish and the fact they are good to eat. But I guess the same could be said for Marlin and Sailfish. (Back in 1979 the first billfish I saw, in the Canaries, a White Marlin, was gaffed and brought aboard and distributed amongst the locals. We also griddled some, it was delicious. That though was the first and the last time I've eaten Marlin, attitudes have changed.) As well though Tuna are a relatively difficult fish to release. The only effective way would appear to either grab the tail root or use a tailing device.

Perhaps as well, in that they're a shoal fish rather than an individual predator, we wrongly assume they are still present in the oceans in vast numbers despite all the scientific evidence to the contrary. Linked to that there's a prevalent attitude, and I'm not saying it's right or wrong, that if we release them then the 'commercials' will take them anyway.

Putting a further thought into the equation though there are a number of iconic species and an apparent attitude amongst conservation bodies, and anglers, that certain species should be released. In the UK for example we have Tope, a small species of 'ground shark', which are always released but Cod and Pollack almost universally are taken as food. It would be interesting to put such a philosophical point to an organisation like the IGFA or Billfish Foundation.

That video report covers four trips. Good gaff shots too - mostly in the head or thereabouts!

Mexico imposes catch limits for recreational fishers that includes tuna and it seems that charter boats, especially those owned by gringos, do observe these limits. According to one website:

In ocean waters and estuaries the limit is a total of ten fish per day, with no more than 5 catches of a single species, except of the species of Marlin, Sailfish and Swordfish and Shark, of which only one specimen of either is allowed, and which counts a five toward the overall 10 fish limit, or Dorado, Roosterfish, Shad, or Tarpon, of which only two samples of each specie are allowed, and which count a five toward the overall 10 fish limit.

Sounds fairly reasonable to me. Quite a few charters also have a policy of releasing billfish.