Wild Hooker - 1213 lb. Blue in Ascension Island

[cpierson]

I just received a report and pictures from friends on the Madam and Wild Hooker of a 1213 lb. blue they caught in Ascension Island earlier this month. Per Capt. Laine Landry, "We just returned from Ascension Island off the Madam and Wild Hooker. Allen Stuart weighed a #1213 blue ,we also released 1-#800,1-950 to 1000 pounder,and a few smaller blues,also had a couple # 220 to 250 tuna."

The pics will be up as soon as I can figure out how to upload them.

[cpierson]

Below is the link to the picture of this beast spanning the width of the transom:

http://forums.marlinmag.com/photos/d..._-_Transom.jpg

[Seth]

What a pig! Here is another shot.

[Legend]

What a waste.............

[leo trauma]

I agree!!!

[Roberto a.]

I am sad that one day my 3 yr old boy will only see big female marlins on pictures. We should kill only what we going to it. A marlin of that size, is usually female with a high reproductive potential. Congatulations for having caught such a large fish and at the same time, shame on you for wasting precious resources for generation to come. Long live cath and release.

[Roberto a.]

I am sad that one day my 3 yr old boy will only see big female marlins on pictures. We should kill only what we going to eat. A marlin of that size, is usually female with a high reproductive potential. Congatulations for having caught such a large fish and at the same time, shame on you for wasting precious resources for generation to come. Long live cath and release.

[PanamaJack]

I am sad that one day my 3 yr old boy will only see big female marlins on pictures. We should kill only what we going to it. A marlin of that size, is usually female with a high reproductive potential. Congatulations for having caught such a large fish and at the same time, shame on you for wasting precious resources for generation to come. Long live cath and release.

Roberto
I really don't want to get dragged into what can be a very emotive subject with a moral dimension.

But, in all probability, that big female was past breeding and close to the end of its life.

There's very little research undertaken on fish of that size but I recall when the re-badged Hooker (re-named at that point God's Favor) was first down there a 'Stateside angler caught a Blue of 1246lbs. Scientists had requested that the skipper, Trevor Cockell, take tissue samples of any big fish killed and retain their ovaries. Whilst you can't necessarily draw conclusions with the 1213 I know that, in that particular specimen, they were cancerous.

To balance it though we'd that same day, on another boat, released a fish that looked as if it would make '4 figures'. And that was only the fifth Blue my friend had had.

The 'Stateside angler had in the past released over 200 Blues and that was only the second fish he'd taken.

Hope that puts it into some form of perspective.
Dave
Honorary Life President
Sportfishing Club of the British Isles