03-04-2014, 11:02 PM
He caught it on a rainbow colored segmented swim bait.
The hooks were deeply imbedded in the gill rakers and stomach. He had two options; cut the leader leaving the big lure in the gill rakers and stomach tissue in the longshot hope that the fish would survive long enough to dissolve the hooks which were heavy. Virtually no chance there or quickly dispatch the fish and have it mounted.
Ryan releases 100's of fish each year including marlin and other billfish that weigh up to 700 lbs. He does however kill tuna, mahi mahi and other edible fish for his table when he needs it. The point is; there are times for example, when a giant breeding female marlin is tail wrapped and dies or a shark devours half of a giant tuna before it can be brought to the boat for release. Those same type things happen in fresh water in spite of every effort from the angler to release the fish unharmed. Those of you who are looking down their long noses (Not you top water) better quit fishing because the best fishermen in the world, men like captain Thurner will occasionally kill a fish unintentionally. That is the nature of the sport.
[signature]
The hooks were deeply imbedded in the gill rakers and stomach. He had two options; cut the leader leaving the big lure in the gill rakers and stomach tissue in the longshot hope that the fish would survive long enough to dissolve the hooks which were heavy. Virtually no chance there or quickly dispatch the fish and have it mounted.
Ryan releases 100's of fish each year including marlin and other billfish that weigh up to 700 lbs. He does however kill tuna, mahi mahi and other edible fish for his table when he needs it. The point is; there are times for example, when a giant breeding female marlin is tail wrapped and dies or a shark devours half of a giant tuna before it can be brought to the boat for release. Those same type things happen in fresh water in spite of every effort from the angler to release the fish unharmed. Those of you who are looking down their long noses (Not you top water) better quit fishing because the best fishermen in the world, men like captain Thurner will occasionally kill a fish unintentionally. That is the nature of the sport.
[signature]