Rules violation costs Citation win, record, $900,000-plus in Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament [NC]

Jacksonville (NC) Daily News ^ | June 20, 2010 | Rick Scoppe

[Constitution Day]

Imagine catching the largest blue marlin in the history of this tournament (since 1957) and then losing $912,825 because someone didn't have a fishing license?

Ouch.

[Constitution Day]

NC ping please?

[Constitution Day]

The captain, crew and angler of the Citation are having an EPIC "case of the Mondays" today. :(

[equalitybeforethelaw]

So you charter a boat to compete in a competition. You catch the biggest fish and win $900K +, then a deck hand isn’t properly papered and you loose you’re winnings. How come this doesn’t work for business’s that hire illegal aliens? BTW, I smell a lawsuit.

[Pollster1]

. . . the rules violation was that one of the crew didn't have a fishing license as required . . .

"The crewman in question now swims with the fishes."

[Constitution Day]

The rules are the rules, sorry to say.

Here's a quote from Andy Thomossan, the angler who caught the fish:

“We didn’t do anything wrong. But one of our people did. He failed to get a fishing license, but we didn’t know it. He told us he had it. He didn’t. So you take a man for his word, you know? I can’t do anything. They made their decision,” Thomossan said, referring to the Big Rock board of directors.

“They’re taking it away, everything. The fish is disqualified. We’re disqualified. So that’s the end of it. Yeah, wow. That hurts. To have it done it like that…, to have somebody beat me because they caught the caught (a bigger) fish is not so bad, but…,” he said, his voice trailing off without completing his thought.

From ENCToday.com:
Lack of $15 license costs $912,825 at Big Rock

[Constitution Day]

See my #5 below. The mate in question not only didn’t have a license, but LIED and said he did!

I would hate to be that guy. He is walking around with a target on his back for sure.

[Constitution Day]

#6, I mean

[equalitybeforethelaw]

He told us he had it. He didn’t. So you take a man for his word, you know? I can’t do anything. They made their decision,” Thomossan said, referring to the Big Rock board of directors.

Word of wisdom to the boat Capt: Inspect, don’t expect. No license, no berth on board - simple.

[BubbaBasher]

0bama told us he had a birth certificate. Will he have to take a lie detector test too?

[Teacher317]

VERY stupid on the part of the Board. There must be some unpleasant interpersonal history or something. The winner was not in violation of the rules, a hired deck-hand was. The lie detector tests could easily show that he lied about it to the winner. I would think a wise board would take this into consideration, note that since it was not a fisherman (you don't need a fishing license to drive or man a boat in NC, only to catch fish), and leave the winner's amazing catch in place. Dock $150,000 (10,000 times the cost of the license) from the winner's purse to make it extremely clearfor future competitiors, but don't put an asterisk by the new "winner" and make crew-finding into a security-clearance-level event.

Zero Tolerance = Zero Judgment = Zero Brains

[Jack Hydrazine]

I coulda been a contendah!

[Constitution Day]

No kidding. As expensive as the tournament entry fees are, I’d be damn sure everyone had a license!

[Constitution Day]

I can see your point, but it's not only a part of the tournament rules (here), it's North Carolina state law:

North Carolina Recreational Fishing License: As of 01/01/2009 The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries will require a recreational fishing license for anyone participating in fishing aboard a vessel. This includes a license for the captain, the mate and the anglers. These individual licenses can be purchased on a 10-day, annual or lifetime basis.
252-726-7021. http://www.ncfisheries.net/recreational/NCCRFL.htm

[Andonius_99]

maybe this will help them...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2538616/posts

[Constitution Day]

LOL!! I wish!

[Pollster1]

0bama told us he had a birth certificate. Will he have to take a lie detector test too?

That's only for fishing tournaments. You don't need official documents or legal proof to occupy our White House, or even to vote. This is similar to why the Dems fight requirements for voters to provide ID.

[stormer]

Brings a whole new meaning to “the one that got away”.

[Vigilantcitizen]

Somebody would be totin an epic azz whoopin.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Who's to say it isn't the same problem. If the unlicensed crew member is legal then he better seriously look at a career change, and maybe moving far away from water.