# Sailfish caught/killed off of DI



## Water Spout II

article from the register. Anyone else see it?

http://mobile.al.com/advbirm/db_/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=yFI9wrmt&full=true#display


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## feelin' wright

Congrats. I want to try sailfish to see how it is. I know there is going to be a bunch of angry individuals about killing it but if they are legal who cares.


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## grey ghost

Wow! Dang rite, if tha family eats it, it aint a waste!! Who we saving them for anyway, the CHICOMS?? LOL


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## JD7.62

Cool, lots of sails this year. I cant wait to get mine from my kayak. Lord knows Ive been trying hard.


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## jmunoz

There was one caught at the Pensacola beach peir a couple days ago the beached it and was supposed to be serving it at the restraunt that night. It's on there fb page


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## lastcast

I agree with keeping it if you want. I don't agree with gaffing it , calling a friend, finding out the legal length, then measuring it to find out it was just legal. Turned out lucky that it measured or it would have been wasted.


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## MSViking

If it's a trophy to you, and you want to keep it and it's legal, I have no problem with that.

Congrats to them for catching their fist bill!


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## bbarton13

Wirelessly posted (Iphone 4s)

Here we go


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## Chris V

Atlantic sailfish stocks are perhaps the healthiest of all billfish. As long as it isn't hung up for pics and then thrown in for crab bait, then good for them.

Congrats to them


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## JD7.62

lastcast said:


> I agree with keeping it if you want. I don't agree with gaffing it , calling a friend, finding out the legal length, then measuring it to find out it was just legal. Turned out lucky that it measured or it would have been wasted.


I completely agree.


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## bbarton13

Wirelessly posted (Iphone 4s)

The only reason i dont agree with keeping one cuz i still havent got mine yet either!!!! And the more out there the better chance


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## PAWGhunter

If I catch a legal sail, I'm keeping and mounting it. The space above my fireplace has already been reserved for the mount.


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## Randy M

PAWGhunter said:


> If I catch a legal sail, I'm keeping and mounting it. The space above my fireplace has already been reserved for the mount.


I don't think they actually mount the billfish, I believe they are some kind of plastic. 
If it's legal and you want to keep and eat it, go for it.


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## bbarton13

Wirelessly posted (Iphone 4s)

You only need w pic for mount now a days


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## MillerTime

lastcast said:


> I agree with keeping it if you want. I don't agree with gaffing it , calling a friend, finding out the legal length, then measuring it to find out it was just legal. Turned out lucky that it measured or it would have been wasted.


Yeah what they did made no sense. Why would you gaff a fish if you had no idea that it was good to eat or the minimum size limits. Turned out fine in the end since it was legal and they intend to eat it so no big deal. Just should have been more "prepared" and knowledgeable in the first place.


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## superchicken

Chris V said:


> Atlantic sailfish stocks are perhaps the healthiest of all billfish. As long as it isn't hung up for pics and then thrown in for crab bait, then good for them.
> 
> Congrats to them


Agree, Congrats to them.
Chris have you ever eaten one? Or any billfish for that matter? I have not but know that it is eaten around the world.I would love to try it....bucket list..... but I do not see us killing one just to eat it. Just wondering how it was. I will be there for Thanksgiving so we need to hook up and fish. I dont care if it is for pin fish....You are the guide!
Superchicken


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## JMB

MillerTime said:


> Yeah what they did made no sense. Why would you gaff a fish if you had no idea that it was good to eat or the minimum size limits. Turned out fine in the end since it was legal and they intend to eat it so no big deal. Just should have been more "prepared" and knowledgeable in the first place.


X2

Something no one has mentioned yet....they were:

"four former Dauphin Island Sea Lab students"

"temporary research assistant with the Alabama Marine Resources Division" 

"That's why when John McFadyen Jr. of Dauphin Island found out he'd have a long weekend off from his marine sciences studies at the University of Alabama... "

Really?!? Those may just be the "scientists" that "advise" our NMFS yahoos one day!?


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## Bill Me

Exactly what was thinking. Marine sciences and they stick a gaff in a sailfish with no clue if its edible or legal? FFS


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## beeritself

Not all marine scientists act like this. I fish with a scientist (going for his PhD currently) frequently in south La and he is quite the responsible fisherman. The majority of times it a catch and release type day. This past weekend, we managed to get a little bit of fishing in and only kept the ones that would no have made it (hooked in the gills, etc). I would estimate we hosted close to15 reds per day between the 3 of us for 3 days and only kept 4 total. Don't let these boners think poorly upon the profession - what they did was completely irresponsible.

Here's the 4 we kept:


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## JMB

beeritself said:


> No all marine scientists act like this. I fish with a scientist (going for his PhD currently) frequently in south La and he is quite the responsible fisherman. The majority of times it a catch and release type day. This past weekend, we managed to get a little bit of fishing in and only kept the ones that would no have made it (hooked in the gills, etc). I would estimate we hosted close to15 reds per day between the 3 of us for 3 days and only kept 4 total. Don't let these boners think poorly upon the profession - what they did was completely irresponsible.
> 
> Here's the 4 we kept:
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 63076
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 63077


You are right and I don't. 

There are idiots in all walks of life. It just seems the Governmental kind have an over abundance of them!? Lol.


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## beeritself

I jut reread my post and its riddled with typos. I apologize. The gist of the post is that the action of those "marine scientists" should not give anyone a fair impression of actual marine scientists. They acted irresponsibly.


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## Chris V

superchicken said:


> Agree, Congrats to them.
> Chris have you ever eaten one? Or any billfish for that matter? I have not but know that it is eaten around the world.I would love to try it....bucket list..... but I do not see us killing one just to eat it. Just wondering how it was. I will be there for Thanksgiving so we need to hook up and fish. I dont care if it is for pin fish....You are the guide!
> Superchicken


Pin fish are my specialty H. We will take my boat out for some monster pin fish mayhem.

To answer your question, I have never eaten sailfish. I've eaten blue and white marlin and thought they were just ok, not worth killing if the justification was "to eat". I've heard sailfish isn't bad though.


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## jboweriii

*There are other table fare fish to eat*

Ask the people that charter a boat for thousands that like to catch a bill fish of anykind. I would say most people that kill sailfish don't have the boat to fish for Pelagics so they kill the sailfish to impress somebody back at the dock. It's not that good eating or your fine restaurants would be serving it. Just my .02


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## Water Spout II

yall are all entitled to your opinion but I think this is so stupid its amazing. Have no idea what you are doing so just haul off and gaff a sail. Then, call your buddy and ask what to do with it. 

And let's be honest, it's not like these guys knew anything about this fish...whether it was legal size, if you could even keep it, or if it tasted good. They gaffed it (which would have killed probably) and then surprisingly the fish meets minimum size so they take it home to eat. Dumb.


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## Head Kned

I agree, if you don't know the rules don't gaff a fish. This is a topic on another forum, the buddy they called posted it. He swears the fish measured to the inch of legal, but I would question that as well.


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## surf

when i lived in the Turks and Caicos i had blue marlin and when i moved here i had sailfish and sailfish is the best. if you are going to kill one just at least measure it before you stick a gaff in it.


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## JVT

Isn't an HMS permit required to kill a billfish? Given where they were fishing and their lack of knowledge about what they caught I would think it is highly doubtful they possessed a permit. And now everyone knows they killed a billfish.


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## MrFish

JVT said:


> Isn't an HMS permit required to kill a billfish? Given where they were fishing and their lack of knowledge about what they caught I would think it is highly doubtful they possessed a permit. And now everyone knows they killed a billfish.


I think it is.


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## baldona523

I agree it is ridiculous that they killed the fish and then measured it.

Given that, I have no issues with anyone eating a Pelagic. I have seen Marlin served in Hawaii quit a bit and remember it being good, but this was some years ago. Sailfish tournaments down south they catch 10 a day, so clearly the fish are doing well.


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## Bodupp

College-aged young people out for a few hours of close-in king fishing come home with a SAILFISH! Awesome. Memories to share for a lifetime.

Do I want to piss in their cornflakes?


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## MrFish

Bodupp said:


> College-aged young people out for a few hours of close-in king fishing come home with a SAILFISH! Awesome. Memories to share for a lifetime.
> 
> Do I want to piss in their cornflakes?


It's not pissing in their cornflakes, it's just asking people to be responsible. Don't gaff questionable fish. If you don't know what it is or don't know if it's legal, then don't gaff the damn thing. I have no problem with someone keeping a legal bill. If they want to kill it just to kill it, then as long as they have the proper permits and it's legal, go for it. I wouldn't, but not my decision. Just asking people to be informed.


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## eddy2419

JVT said:


> Isn't an HMS permit required to kill a billfish? Given where they were fishing and their lack of knowledge about what they caught I would think it is highly doubtful they possessed a permit. And now everyone knows they killed a billfish.


I wonder about the one caught from the pier. The regs say vessel owner/operator.

Q: Do I need a recreational permit to fish for or land tunas, sharks, swordfish, and/or bilfish?
A: Yes, vessel owners/operators who recreationally fish for or retain regulated Atlantic tunas (bluefin, yellowfin, bigeye, albacore, and skipjack), sharks, swordfish, and billfish in Atlantic Federal waters, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, must obtain an HMS Angling category permit or a HMS Charter/Headboat permit. However, General category vessels may fish recreationally for HMS so long as they are participating in a registered recreational HMS tournament and fishing under tournament rules. Vessels fishing exclusively in state waters are required to obtain the HMS Angling permit if they wish to keep their regulated tunas (bluefin, yellowfin, bigeye, skipjack, and albacore). Vessel owners/operators should check their state regulations regarding the retention of sharks, swordfish, and/or billfish in state waters.


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## captken

*Smoked Sailfish*

I haven't eaten any in years but if you ever eat any smoked, you will throw rocks at Smoked Mullet or AJ. Many years ago, I kept lots of obviously dead or dying Sails, Whites and even a few Blues. They all ate good. Well, If you got them into a cooler, they ate fine. 

I haven't caught but 1 white Marlin in the past 30 years and it was safely released. No Sails or Blues. 

A Swordfish is on my bucket list (Meg Ryan is too) but I'll probably kick the bucket first.


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## sniperpeeps

You can legally keep a sail in state waters without a HMS permit but it has to be reported within 24 hours. I'm not knocking them for killing it but they way they went about it was irresponsible for sure. I hear they taste like spanish mackeral so.....go catch some spanish???


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