Controversy at the Big Rock Fishing Tournament
Amber Hughes
Issue date: 7/8/10 Section: Op/Ed
Big controversy followed the Big Rock Tournament recently held in Morehead City, N.C. The biggest fish, an 883 pound blue marlin, was set to win a big prize of over $1 million, when a little problem got in the way. Rules state that everyone on board must have a North Carolina fishing license. The tournament found out that, although one of the mates on the boat, Citation, had the license by 5:51 p.m., he didn't have it when they caught they fish at 3:16 p.m. The hired mate called in for the license on the way to weigh in the fish. After conducting interviews and lie detector tests with the crew of Citation, reviewing Big Rock Tournament rules, and discussing the issue with the Division of Marine Fisheries and the North Carolina Attorney General's Office, the tournament ruled that the Citation fish was disqualified, making the next fish at 528.3 pounds the winner.
Since my parents have a beach home near Morehead City, I always enjoy following the Big Rock Tournament. It's amazing to see the big blue marlins they bring in, and this year was no exception. Citation's 883 pound fish set a new record for the tournament. That's gone now, of course, along with money, fame and respect. And I feel for the crew-I really do. Between what I've read and the gossip around Morehead these days, it sounds like the mate, a 22-year-old man, was hired and told the captain he had his license. I'm not sure if he was planning to get it later, or if it just slipped his mind, but when they caught this record making, money winning fish, he sure did remember that he had to have a license. On the boat ride back to the dock he called in for the fishing license and all was well until the crew had to take a lie detector test, which is common with all the big money winners at the tournament. The tournament discovered he was lying and days later disqualified the boat's fish.
I've also heard people comment that the tournament shouldn't have disqualified the boat. What did it matter? The guy without the license didn't catch the fish. But the rules state that all people on board must have a fishing license. And, again, I feel for the crew and especially the captain, but rules are rules. The captain should've asked to physically see all the licenses before he even left the dock. He should've had copies. A million dollars was literally on the line, and a $15 fishing license got in the way.
Since my parents have a beach home near Morehead City, I always enjoy following the Big Rock Tournament. It's amazing to see the big blue marlins they bring in, and this year was no exception. Citation's 883 pound fish set a new record for the tournament. That's gone now, of course, along with money, fame and respect. And I feel for the crew-I really do. Between what I've read and the gossip around Morehead these days, it sounds like the mate, a 22-year-old man, was hired and told the captain he had his license. I'm not sure if he was planning to get it later, or if it just slipped his mind, but when they caught this record making, money winning fish, he sure did remember that he had to have a license. On the boat ride back to the dock he called in for the fishing license and all was well until the crew had to take a lie detector test, which is common with all the big money winners at the tournament. The tournament discovered he was lying and days later disqualified the boat's fish.
I've also heard people comment that the tournament shouldn't have disqualified the boat. What did it matter? The guy without the license didn't catch the fish. But the rules state that all people on board must have a fishing license. And, again, I feel for the crew and especially the captain, but rules are rules. The captain should've asked to physically see all the licenses before he even left the dock. He should've had copies. A million dollars was literally on the line, and a $15 fishing license got in the way.
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