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Martha's Vineyard Times is a weekly publication.
July 21 - July 27, 2005 Edition
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Gone
Fishin'
That was undoubtedly a disappointment for ESPN, the cable news network, which returned with a flotilla of chase boats and helicopters to film the contest for a second year in a row. According to one person who talked to another person, last season's four-part monster shark tournament show was a big hit for ESPN. So they wanted more. There were certainly more boats. Steve James, head of the Boston Big Game Club, sponsor of the event, said a total of 245 boats entered the tournament, which is 90 more boats than last year willing to pay a $1,250 entry fee. He said the ESPN publicity was responsible for the big jump. The winning boat, Bobby's Crew, captained by Bob Benoit out of Fairhaven, received a 23-foot Fountain boat, motor, and trailer worth approximately $85,000. Funny, the ESPN producers did not call me for an interview. I never did see how much of my first and only interview ended up on the cutting-room floor. I made some cracks about shark fishing. The truth is, it is not my style of fishing, but I can certainly understand why some fishermen find it exciting to hook up to an animal weighing hundreds of pounds and which is capable of treating an angler like an anchovy. The Friday Gazette published an OpEd by James D'Ambrosio (an OpEd being a letter to the editor they agree with) from a fellow identified as a “frequent contributor,” which means he is in their stable. James was lamenting what he described as the useless killing of sharks purely for the enjoyment of a mob made mostly of people drunk with alcohol, and by men, not women, because they are more sensitive, like James. James manages to wrap up fishing, George Bush, the old movie “Jaws,” the new movie “War of the Worlds,” and cancer in a long diatribe against the shark tournament and guys high on testosterone. It appears that he thinks the tournament should not take place, or at the least it should only be open to women. I first met James when he worked briefly for The Times and was peddling shark cartilage on a web site. I do not think much of web-based products and did not think much of that one. According to his self-righteous OpEd, the cartilage he sold came from sharks that had been caught and were destined to be discarded. He claims that shark cartilage is useful for treating cancer patients. More reputable medical sources disagree. Greg Skomal, a Division of Marine Fisheries biologist and the state's shark expert, disagrees with the picture of the tournament painted by Mr. D'Ambrosio. Greg said that shark tournaments like the one held in Oak Bluffs provide a valuable resource for fisheries managers and research scientists. Over the weekend he was joined by biologists and students from the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, the National Marine Fisheries Service lab in Rhode Island, Boston University, and Middle Tennessee State University. “It was really great,” said Greg, “Literally, nothing goes to waste from these sharks, and that includes the cartilage.” A truckload of thousands of pounds of filets was sent to the Long Island Council of Churches in Riverhead, N.Y., for distribution. According to Greg, tournaments help add to the basic facts fisheries managers need to make their resource decisions. “Whether it is striped bass, blue sharks, or codfish, we have to have a sense of what we know and what we don't know about its biology and ecology,” said Greg. “And that means we need to sample fish and that includes sharks.” Greg travels all around the state to collect biological samples. Getting samples from a tournament is a lot less costly than mounting a research cruise, and besides, scientists are lousy fishermen. “That's a fact,” said Greg. “This is a great opportunity to take advantage of samples being brought to us.” Greg said that in the case of the Oak Bluffs tournament, and most other state tournaments, organizers work to find a good balance between conservation and recreation by imposing weight and other restrictions meant to limit the number of fish brought to the dock. For example, though there were 245 boats entered, a total of 46 sharks were brought to the dock. The most impressive fish caught was a 1,191-pound tiger shark. Unfortunately the fish was so large it could not be brought into the boat and was towed alongside the boat for the return trip, considerably slowing the fishermen who caught it. They arrived six minutes after the weigh-in deadline and missed first place. But the tiger, one of the most dangerous sharks and one that will eat anything that floats, was an exciting catch for the gathered scientists, including a man interested specifically in tigers. Found in the shark's belly was an entire sea turtle shell, a favorite of tiger sharks. “That was just the icing on the cake,” said Greg, “It was just an incredible sample for us.” Speaking of sharks The Martha's Vineyard Surfcasters Association will hold a more low-key, beach-chair Chappaquiddick shark tournament from Saturday evening at 6 pm to Sunday, August 7, at 6 am. Any shark qualifies except dogfish (sand sharks). Anglers have the option to keep a fish, but the tournament organizers encourage tagging and catch and release. The longest fish wins. Jeff Sayre, association president, advised, “Measurement is on the 'honor system.' Watch your fingers! Pictures are a plus, so bring a camera and measuring tape.” The tournament boundaries extend along the Chappy shore from the southerly fence line on East Beach to Cape Poge gut. The entry fee is $15 for members and $50 for non-members, which includes the cost of membership to this fine organization. The tournament ends with awards and fun and refreshments at Jeff's home in Oak Bluffs. For more information or to register before the tournament, contact Jeff at 508-693-4841 or jeff@flyfishingthevineyard.com. Coop's makes Field & Stream's top ten My wife and I made an overnight trip to Connecticut last weekend to pick our 14-year-old daughter up at camp. The return part of the journey included a visit to a large mall complex located off Route 84. The stop provided me with an opportunity to give thanks that we had gotten that far without being involved in a multiple car accident. What happened to the days when traveling at 70 miles per hour was considered fast enough to remain in the middle lane? I was not on a highway; I was on a slalom course traveled by drivers who appeared to have received their formative driver's education playing video games. While my wife and daughter shopped I took refuge in a Barnes and Noble Bookstore, a sort of mall oasis that included clean restrooms, a comfortable coffee shop, and chairs positioned next to a wall-length magazine rack that displayed no warning signs about reading without paying. In fact, looking at the number of folks sitting and reading magazines, it is welcomed. Judging by the magazine title inventory, fishing and hunting do not occupy the interests of Americans as much as dieting, self-improvement, home decorating, and communicating with aliens. I was not expecting to see a familiar face as I thumbed through the August copy of Field and Stream Magazine, one of the country's oldest national outdoor magazines, with a circulation of more than 1.5 million. But there it was, a photo of Coop, his hair freshly combed and standing behind the neat counter (talk about photo manipulation) of his Edgartown tackle shop, Coop's Bait and Tackle, picked by the editors of Field and Stream for inclusion in an article titled, “America's Best Tackle Shops.” The author, Kirk Deeter, wrote, “Call me nostalgic, but I've always felt that the best tackle shops are much more than just places to find fishing stuff. A great one is the angler's ultimate resource - part classroom, part museum, and part safe house for the angling-afflicted.” About Coop's, he began by describing how the shop evolved from the Gilkes family's house, to a house with an attached tackle shop. He wrote, “If home is where the heart is and fishing is what you love why not put a tackle shop in your house … you will abandon the bigger is better line of thinking the minute you walk in and see the floor to ceiling stacks of conventional and fly fishing gear, specifically meant to handle any sport fishing challenge presented by the tricky and volatile waters along this part of the American coastline.” Unlike most of the husbands sitting and reading on shopping-mall parole, I bought a magazine. When I got home I called Coop, who had not even seen the new issue of Field and Stream. He said he knew about the designation but had not said anything to me. “I didn't want it to look like I was bragging,” said Coop. Also named among the top 10 were Eagle Sports Center Eagle River, Wis.; Mark's Outdoor Sports, Birmingham, Ala.; The Fly Shop, Redding, Calif.; Half Hitch Tackle, Panama City, Fla.; Ted's Sports Center, Lynnwood, Wash.; Florida Keys Outfitters, Islamorada, Fla.; Fishing Tackle Unlimited, Houston, Texas; Thorne Bros. Custom Rod & Tackle, Fridley, Minn.; and Professional Sports Shop, New Orleans, La. Congratulations to Coop and all the other Vineyard tackle shops, standouts in their own right. The Vineyard is lucky to have so many fine tackle shops, each with a unique atmosphere. Striper Wars Dick Russell, part-time Island resident, journalist, and environmental activist, will be speaking and signing copies of his recently published book, “Striper Wars: An American Fish Story” (Island Press, June 23, 2005; $26.95), at 7:30 pm, Friday evening in the Katharine Cornell Theatre in Vineyard Haven. The evening is sponsored by the Bunch of Grapes Bookstore on Main Street in Vineyard Haven. Certainly, the relative abundance of striped bass in Island waters and along the eastern seaboard is something that would be easy to take for granted until it disappears, and it almost did but for the work of dedicated people. According to a press release, the book describes “the saga of the greatest, most hard-won fisheries management success story in the world.” It is one all Island fishermen should be interested in hearing about. And in this corner Karen Kukolich of Edgartown, an all-around expert shot and fisherman, officially received word from the International Game Fish Association that she now holds the world record for a Pacific Jack Crevalle in the 16-pound tippet class. The fish weighed 19.97 kilograms and was caught on Feb. 28 in Crocodile Bay, Costa Rica. It is Karen's sixth IGFA record. Congratulations. Found custom rod An unlucky fisherman lost a seven-foot custom rod and reel from the top of his or her vehicle. Luckily, a nice woman driving up State Road saw the rod by the side of the road and brought it to Dick's Bait and Tackle in Oak Bluffs, where the rod was first made. According to Matt, one of the staff at Dick's, the rod is an older model. For the past several years, Steve Morris, owner of Dick's, has been adding serial numbers to the custom rods he makes so the owner can be easily identified if a rod is lost. This one does not have a serial number; call Dick's at 508-693-7669 or visit the shop for more information. Fishing, Fishing Supplies & Boat Charters Business Listing |
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