Ouch.
Posted on 06/21/2010 6:48:16 AM PDT by Constitution Day
MOREHEAD CITY — A rules violation has cost the Citation its record-setting win in the 52nd Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament.
Angler Andy Thomossan, who caught the record-setting 883-pound blue marlin Monday, said Sunday afternoon tournament officials had stripped the Hatteras-boat of the win, the record and the $912,825 prize money from the $1.66 million purse.
“No record. No money. No fish. No nothing,” Thomossan said, adding the rules violation was that one of the crew didn't have a fishing license as required.
The lack of a license by a “for-hire mate” was discovered during a lie detector test Saturday night, said Michael Topp, one of the boat’s three owners. The tournament requires a lie detector test for the top money winners, including the captain, mate and angler as well as “others as deemed necessary.”
Under tournament rules, “anyone fishing aboard a vessel” in the Big Rock must have a N.C. fishing license, including the captain, the mate and anglers.
A North Carolina Coastal Recreational Fishing License costs $15 annually for state residents 16 and older or $30 for nonresidents, according to the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ website. A 10-day license can also be purchased for $5 for state residents 16 and older or $10 for nonresidents.
Also, fishing boat owners can purchase a block of 10 10-day fishing licenses for $150.
Thomossan said he first got wind something might be wrong at Saturday night’s awards banquet, and Sunday morning the tournament sent out a news release that said the board of directors was withholding presentation of the prize money until “an alleged rules violation by the top team has been totally researched.”
Tournament director Crystal Watters, who sent out the e-mail news release, said Big Rock officials would have further comment Monday.
“I really have nothing to tell you,” she said Sunday night. “I won’t know anything until tomorrow until the board meets. The board is going to convene and make some decisions about the issues and then we’ll do a press release.”
Citation captain Eric Holmes didn’t returned messages left on his cell phone.
With the Citation being stripped of its win, the winning boat will now be Carnivore, which is captained by Ed Petrilli of Cape Carteret. Angler John Parks of Jacksonville caught a 528.3-pound blue marlin Wednesday.
Ouch.
NC ping please?
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.
"The crewman in question now swims with the fishes."
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
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.
#6, I mean
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.
0bama told us he had a birth certificate. Will he have to take a lie detector test too?
Zero Tolerance = Zero Judgment = Zero Brains
I coulda been a contendah!
No kidding. As expensive as the tournament entry fees are, I’d be damn sure everyone had a license!
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
LOL!! I wish!
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.
Brings a whole new meaning to “the one that got away”.
Somebody would be totin an epic azz whoopin.
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