# Marlin-food or fun



## Jarhead (Jul 3, 2008)

I was just wondering if you guys, or how many of you, eat the Marlin and Swordies you catch.. I know there's a big push for catch and release and tagging fish but I'm seeing a lot of pics of dead sailfish on here. 



I have yet to catch one and haven't been able to get that involved in trying to catch one...... yet... But I would hate to look like an ass at the dock when I finally get my first. It wouldn't kill me to release one if that's the best thing for future fishing but I will keep it and throw it on the grill if it's good eating and not going to hurt anybody's feelings. 



Also, I was searching for the limits on this type of fish and all I found was the Federal Guide that says there's NO LIMIT on most of this type of fish. I found that extremely hard to believe. This guide had Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Florida listed but was the GOM Federal Guide.. Does this apply? I found it through the Alabama site.


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## Midnight Run (Oct 2, 2007)

I would if it was for a tourny. 

marlin are great smoked 

swordfish i personally dont like but others love 

you have to get a HMS permit to be able to kill tuna or any type of billfish


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## JoshH (Sep 28, 2007)

kill em and grill em


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## Midnight Run (Oct 2, 2007)

blue fin you can only kill one a year


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## Travis Gill (Oct 6, 2007)

> *wishiniwasfishin07 (7/14/2008)*kill em and grill em


You would have to catch one firstoke:letsparty


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## Tuna Man (Oct 2, 2007)

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:State w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 20pt">Florida[/B]</st1lace></st1:State><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 20pt">??2008[/B]<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 20pt">Is this what you are looking for?[/B]<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt">Be hard pressed to catch one within 9 miles (In the GOM), I would think! No problem in the Gulf Stream on the Atlantic side. Hooked one years ago and NO HMS Permit:banghead<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 20pt">Billfish[/B]<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 20pt">Sailfish..63" Blue Marlin..99" White Marlin 66"[/B]<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">1 per harvester or 3 per vessel whichever is less<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">All landed fish must be reported to NOAA within 24 hours 800-894-5528. HMS permit required in federal waters.<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 6pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 20pt">Swordfish<o></o>[/B]<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">47? lower jaw fork length, 29? cleithrum to keel length, or 33 pounds dressed weight<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">1 per harvester or 3 per vessel whichever is less<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">All landed fish must be reported to NOAA within 24 hours 800-894-5528. HMS permit required in federal waters.<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 6pt"><o></o><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">http://myfwc.com/marine/Docs/July2008RegsChart.pdf<o></o>[/B]


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## Travis Gill (Oct 6, 2007)

Blues have to be 99inches.


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## HeartofDixie (Oct 3, 2007)

> *Jarhead (7/14/2008)*.... but I'm seeing a lot of pics of dead sailfish on here.


Where?...I haven't seen any 'dead' sailfish on here. Now, I have seen pics (and I posted one) of people who raise a billfish for a pic, but then release them to fight another day. But, show me some pics of dead sailfish.

Also, I had some smoked blue marlin when I was in Costa Rica...it was Great!


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## Jarhead (Jul 3, 2008)

> *HeartofDixie (7/14/2008)*
> 
> 
> > *Jarhead (7/14/2008)*.... but I'm seeing a lot of pics of dead sailfish on here.
> ...




I haven't caught one myself, and all that I know I've either seen on TV or heard people talking about so I could be wrong, but...... Each time they've caught one they go on and on about how you have to keep the thing in the water and keep the water flowing through it's gills.. Seeing how much care they take not the have the things gills out of the water gave me the impression that that's how it's done if you intend to release it.. Then, seeing guys holding them up for a pics I figured "those must be keepers.."



Obviously I didn't inspect the thing or check it for a pulse but, Pretty sure they were dead. Not to mention the pics of them on the dock. Maybe that's where they left their camera and they shot right back out and let the fish go... but I doubt it..


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## Jarhead (Jul 3, 2008)

I'm not trash talking, by any means. I'm on here to learn as much as I can from some of you more experienced fishermen, and I've learned a lot in a short period of time. I was just wondering. I have a buddy that's a sailfish junky. It's like crack for this guy. He fishes for nothing else and he showed me some pics of the ones he caught but they were all over the side of his boat with the fish still in the water. I didn't think to ask him because I didn't have a boat at the time and all I knew about offshore fishing was snapper and grouper. Now, these pics are on the boat and looking like they're going in the cooler. Until recently, I thought it was illegal to keep them or a cardinal sin for fishermen.


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## Magic236 (Oct 1, 2007)

In US waters it is taboo to kill billfish other than in Hawaii, by"sportfisherman." A few years ago, the big $ tournaments had kill divisions for Blue and White Marlin and Sailfish. When Whites were potentially listed as an"endangered species," something the sportfishing industry fought, tournament moved Whites and Sailfish to release. Currently more of thetournament are moving to a release format.

There are better eating fish and it has been proven theybillfish are worth more alive than dead, when you consider sportfishing's positive impact on an area's economy.


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## Sniper Spear-It (Jan 16, 2008)

man jarhead, im sure others will hate this, but i would put any fish on the table once just to see. as long as its legal i would give it a shot. I have eaten about 10 different kinds of shark and blue marlin, conch,nurse shark in the carribean and they all tasted great. if im going to spend that kinda money in gas to get there, then im damn sure gonna kill and eat. Whatever it is. Oh well, nobody likes separfisherman. FYI i Hook and line half the time and practice the same standards. Like every hunter man or beast,kill it,eat it, and if you dont like it or have any other purpose for it,than dont kill it again.BTW rattlesnake, moccasin,bear, and cobra taste great as well. Or at least thats what i heard


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

marlin are DELICIOUS but unless it is a kill tournament, we release em'. just depends who i am working for. on my own boat, i'd probably kill one a year though for the meat. i absolutely love them.


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## 38bat (Nov 23, 2007)

> *Sniper Spear-It (7/15/2008)*man jarhead, im sure others will hate this, but i would put any fish on the table once just to see. as long as its legal i would give it a shot. I have eaten about 10 different kinds of shark and blue marlin, conch,nurse shark in the carribean and they all tasted great. if im going to spend that kinda money in gas to get there, then im damn sure gonna kill and eat. Whatever it is. Oh well, nobody likes separfisherman. FYI i Hook and line half the time and practice the same standards. Like every hunter man or beast,kill it,eat it, and if you dont like it or have any other purpose for it,than dont kill it again.BTW rattlesnake, moccasin,bear, and cobra taste great as well. Or at least thats what i heard


Bear is nasty. About the only way to eat it is in pepperoni or something heavily seasoned and even then it is barely edible. Rattlesnake is okay but not much meat for the effort, I wouldn't bother. Moccasin and Cobra I have not sampled.


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## Sir Reel (Jun 14, 2008)

We were guilty of eating a couple last year. Considering commercial fishermen account for about 98% of the mortality, I don't feel to bad. We were worried that we were doing something taboo last year, but we had no shortage of friends wanting to pick a bag of steaks out of our freezer.


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## Firedawg (Feb 28, 2008)

I love to fish, but do not eat fish. When I was stationed in Guam I tried blue marlin, and it did not taste like fish at all. He told me it would taste like a pork chop and it did!


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## Jarhead (Jul 3, 2008)

PORK CHOP !!! Really?


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