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Dopiest Catch: Lack of Fishing License Costs Winning Blue Marlin Team $1.2 Million
Add now to the annals of "the one that got away" stories the tale of the one that was taken away on a technicality.
The crew of the Citation thought they were sitting pretty, having pulled in the biggest fish in the annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament in Morehead City, N.C., an 883-pounder. This would have netted (pun intended) them over $1.2 million, because the fish was the first over 500 lbs. and because, as it turned out, no bigger fish was caught through the end of the tournament.
But, yesterday, the Citation was disqualified. Because one of the mates on the boat was not in possession of a valid North Carolina fishing license. A license that would have cost him $30. According to the story in the Virginian-Pilot, the mate, Peter Wann, had lied to the Captain of the boat, saying he had a license. Once the record fish was caught, and he realized it might be an issue, Wann purchased a license (presumably online?) on the way to the weigh station.
Wann's belated licensing was discovered when he failed the routine polygraph examination given to the crew members of tournament winning teams. Fishing is apparently serious business in the Carolinas. So serious, in fact, that before the tournament board of directors made the decision to disqualify the Citation, they "spent three days deliberating with state officials and the North
Carolina attorney general."
If only the fish could have been pulled in on July 4th, Free Fishing Day . . .
Posted by Eric Lipman on June 23, 2010 at 09:51 AM | Permalink
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