Marlin Disqualified in US Derby

[Adler]

Several stories about a Derby in North Carolina in which the 619lbs Marlin that would otherwise have won was disqualified for mutilation. Apparently it had been attacked by sharks. My question - why would that be a rule in a Derby???

Fishing crew denied $3.5M in prize money after 600-pound marlin DQ’d in tournament

“It’s the final hour, the final day and we fought with him for six hours,” McCoy told the Washington Post. “It’s a tough pill to swallow.”

nypost.com

 

[islandboy]

Several stories about a Derby in North Carolina in which the 619lbs Marlin that would otherwise have won was disqualified for mutilation. Apparently it had been attacked by sharks. My question - why would that be a rule in a Derby???

Fishing crew denied $3.5M in prize money after 600-pound marlin DQ’d in tournament

“It’s the final hour, the final day and we fought with him for six hours,” McCoy told the Washington Post. “It’s a tough pill to swallow.”

nypost.com

Was the shark bite considered unsportsmanlike , or was the concern it was a trained shark assisting in the capture?

 

[eroyd]

The local annual Tyee Derby has similar rules for DQ :

The mutilation of the Tyee by sharks, seals, or other sources, that in the judgement of the Rules Committee will have affected the fighting qualities of the Tyee.

 

[Rain City]

I guess so you can't scoop up a floater

 

[CBsqrd]

Th article I read on the story said that they disqualify mutilated fish so as not to encourage people to run the marlin over with the boat to incapacitate it and make it easier to land. Also said shark bites could make the fish easier to land, hence the DQ.

 

[Adler]

Interesting...feel bad for a group though that fought 6 hours to get a fish that size boated....crazy!

 

[JohnS]

Interesting...feel bad for a group though that fought 6 hours to get a fish that size boated....crazy!

Don't feel bad for them, they are all probably multimillionaires that we're just about to pad their wealth. They still had a great day.

 

[ziggy]

Avoiding the shrapnel loaded CIL Wobbler entrants?

 

[N2013]

If anyone is interested, here’s a link to an interview with some of the boat:

‎The MeatEater Podcast: Ep. 454: A Shark Ate My 3 Million Dollars on Apple Podcasts

‎Show The MeatEater Podcast, Ep Ep. 454: A Shark Ate My 3 Million Dollars - Jun 29, 2023

podcasts.apple.com