fishnsmygame
05-02-00, 03:08 PM
About four years ago while fishing from the Camp Lejeune, NC fishing pier, I caught a fish that became the subject of a heated debate among several local fishing experts. Had that debate been recorded in the form of an information thread, I am confident that the length would have given strong competition against the longest thread ever posted on the NGTO board! http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ubbngto/wink.gif The experience of pier fishing was rather new to me at the time. However, I had spent a lot of time observing knowledgeable people who fished with success from piers and read and talked with people about fishing for large fish from piers. The day the fish took my bait was about 10 days before the eye of hurricane Bertha passed within a few miles of the area during early July of 1996. By the time I finally landed my fish on the pier that day, I was so excited about the feat that identification was not on my list of concerns. I simply took the fish down to the pier keeper's house where we snapped a few photographs before I put the fish in the large pier house cooler and returned to the end of the pier and set my line and bait back in the water.
End of story as far as I was concerned at the time because I had what I wanted most; that warm feeling one has inside after success! About 45 minutes later the pier weigh master came on the PA system and called me to the pier house to fill out the official paperwork on the fish I caught. I thought to myself, "Don't tell me I've done something illegal!" When I got to the pier house the official weigh master told me the fish was a Spanish Mackerel and should have official paperwork completed and sent to the DNR. As it was explained to me, after the end of the year the state of North Carolina would then send me a state citation giving personal recognition for catching the fish. We completed the official paperwork, and again I returned to the end of the pier feeling a little warmer and a little happier over my success! End of story as far as I was concerned at the time.
When noon hour arrived, the usual population of working fisherman stopped by the pier house. Most had no idea who actually caught the fish, but word of the fish passed quickly and virtually everyone passed by the cooler for a peek. Thus, I got an unexpected opportunity to hear unrestricted comments spoken by other people as they viewed the fish. I still find it hard to believe the number of different identifications made by people who had fished the local waters for many years. By the time noon hour had passed, I was left totally perplexed over the fish. Was it really a Spanish Mackerel or was it some exotic sub-species virtually unknown to the local waters? I had heard so many different views and opinions about the true identification of this fish that even the knowledge and integrity of the weigh master had come under question. (IMHO, the ambiguously negative reflections cast on the weigh master were more specifically related to gender prejudice as opposed to factors that helped identify a fish!) When I finally left the pier later that day, I was allowed to leave my fish in the pier house cooler overnight. People were still rumbling over the identification of my fish when I left the pier! My first stops were at local libraries to do my own research to try and specifically identify the fish myself. My last option was taking the fish to a Marine Biologist at the DNR Marine Research Center in Moorehead, NC the next day.
By the next morning I had drawn my own conclusions and made my decisions. I found nothing during my research that indicated the weigh master had mistakenly identified the fish as a Spanish Mackerel. One memorable factor came about from an individual who had many years of experience with King and Spanish Mackerel. This individual specifically identified my fish as a juvenile King Mackerel without a single comment on the lateral sensory lines, which I later discovered are distinctly different between the two species of mackerel. My research proved the individual correct about one thing; a juvenile King Mackerel does have spots that sometimes confuse the novice into thinking them a Spanish Mackerel. However, another important factor not mentioned by this individual was that spots on a juvenile King Mackerel quickly fade after death. The next day, 24 hours later, the spots on my fish were as clear as when the fish first came out of the water as was all other markings. Another individual, who was thought an expert from many years of experience with fish identification, identified the fish as a Cero Mackerel. Clearly, my research showed distinct differences in the spot shapes and patterns between the two species of fish; not to overlook markings on my fish that related specifically to the Spanish species as opposed to the Cero species.
My personal experience with this 9.75 lb Spanish Mackerel taught me a lot about identifying fish. More importantly, it taught me a lot about the fact that human nature often defies expert opinions or knowledge. No doubt about it, there were at least a couple of people observed who debated against my fish being a Spanish Mackerel for no other reason than pure jealously; a conclusion also noted and supported by a few other people. At the time my fish was caught, the all class world record for Spanish Mackerel was 13 pounds (I think it holds today). The minimum size for a Spanish Mackerel to qualify for a state citation is 6 lbs. Regardless of what anyone says or thinks and as far as I am concerned, I caught a 9 lb, 12 oz Spanish Mackerel as attested to by my official North Carolina State Citation and my photographs that accompany the citation. Had this been a debate over a world record or in a fishing tournament for money, you better believe my fish would have gone to a Marine Biologist at the DNR Marine Research Center in Moorehead, NC for identification. My personal satisfaction was achieved without the expense of traveling 150 miles for the sake of proving a meaningless point that served no positive purpose for anyone; not even me.
It is worth noting that I heard no individual attest to ever having seen a Spanish Mackerel that large. Imagine what the debate might have been like had the fish weighed 14 lbs! I can imagine one thing for certain in the latter case; a trip to Moorehead. http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ubbngto/wink.gif
The remainder of this story is a humble offering that might serve to benefit anyone in real life; even and including all those avid fisher persons devoted to fly tying and fly fishing for brook trout!
Metaphoric Or Common Sense Approach To Identifying Or Relating To Living Creatures Or Objects:
I spent the first 18 years of my life on a little 67 acre farm about 15 miles SW of Philadelphia, MS. At 18 years of age, I laid eyes on the ocean for the first time when I arrived at the Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island, SC. (I've only met one other individual (originally from Great Britain) who, like myself, described life before the Marines as making them feel like Marine boot camp at Parris Island, SC was more like a vacation than something unpleasant.) After boot camp I was assigned to Parris Island for regular duty where, at the age of 19, I caught my first fish from the ocean; a toad fish (also called an oyster cracker and other (some unprintable) names as well). I can still hear that ugly fish - and that fish was ugly with a capital U - grinding his teeth against the hook shank before he hurt my finger. After I finally retrieved my hook and threw the fish overboard, I listened to my friend talk about the variety of fish in the ocean as he described their mean, low-life habits. I recall coming away from my fishing experience that day with the common sense knowledge that "Any unidentified creature living in the ocean is assumed capable of hurting me!" That was sufficient information for me to identify and relate to saltwater creatures at the time. About 8 years later, during my excitement over catching a fairly large golden croaker - the only one I've ever caught - while fishing the surf in Southern California, I forgot my first saltwater fishing lesson learned. That beautiful fish of shining gold color jogged me back to a sense of reality when he sliced my finger with his gill plate as though I had been cut with a straight razor!
Final Analogy:
Since the time a beautiful croaker sliced my finger, I have not forgotten to identify and relate to fish in the ocean as "Something that probably can and will hurt you!"; nope, not even during the hundreds of hours spent combing reefs in the Pacific Ocean; including my first encounters with Turkey Fish and sea snakes. I have often wondered how many times my first lesson learned during my first trip fishing in saltwater may have proven a lifesaver for me. No doubt about that lesson prevailing years later when I first laid eyes on the pretty, docile little blue ringed octopus; long before I ever knew the identify of this neat little creature. It was awful tempting to unconsciously pick up that little creature with my bare hands, but I didn't. Each reader can do their own research about the deadly little creature known as the blue ringed octopus. Ugly, beautiful, known, unknown or otherwise, wild creatures have my respect, because oddly, the unwary of the unknown invariably seem to achieve the consequences of pain! Unfortunately for some, the painful consequences have proven deadly.
No, there's no blue ringed octopus living in cold freshwater streams of North Georgia. Never the less and in the humble personal opinion of this writer, it seems prudent that fundamental rules of common sense should prevail no matter where one lives. Reminds me of the time when I poked a cigarette at an odd looking tiny rock in the sand while I was squatted in a very vulnerable position answering the call of nature. Yep, it happened a couple of small canyons over from where I encountered the two huge rattlesnakes I wrote about in another post. That tiny little poke set off an explosive chain reaction directly beneath me..... Another story, but I still have the long khaki pants and hat that I removed from my tattered body that day as proof and if George McClury, the California State Game Warden at the time, remains alive today then he can bear personal witness of my dilemma that day! Likewise for the Captain in the Army Medical Corps - a member of the Army Reserve unit bivouacked on the flats far below me - who helped me get to the Naval Hospital. Regardless, it would not surprise me in the least if my experience is still used as an example during hunting safety lectures today; definitely an extremely rare experience. I was out hunting, but I could just as easily have been fishing and suffered the same consequences. Maybe I'll post the vivid details of that story one day.
It is often prudent to remain silent or leave things alone in the absence of specifically reliable knowledge. When something doesn't seem or feel exactly right or reasonable then it is usually because somehow, something is wrong somewhere. Ever heard the words, "Curiosity kills a cat?" Those are not my words and neither are the words ; "What you don't know can kill you."
------------------
Sam
[This message has been edited by fishnsmygame (edited 05-17-2000).]
End of story as far as I was concerned at the time because I had what I wanted most; that warm feeling one has inside after success! About 45 minutes later the pier weigh master came on the PA system and called me to the pier house to fill out the official paperwork on the fish I caught. I thought to myself, "Don't tell me I've done something illegal!" When I got to the pier house the official weigh master told me the fish was a Spanish Mackerel and should have official paperwork completed and sent to the DNR. As it was explained to me, after the end of the year the state of North Carolina would then send me a state citation giving personal recognition for catching the fish. We completed the official paperwork, and again I returned to the end of the pier feeling a little warmer and a little happier over my success! End of story as far as I was concerned at the time.
When noon hour arrived, the usual population of working fisherman stopped by the pier house. Most had no idea who actually caught the fish, but word of the fish passed quickly and virtually everyone passed by the cooler for a peek. Thus, I got an unexpected opportunity to hear unrestricted comments spoken by other people as they viewed the fish. I still find it hard to believe the number of different identifications made by people who had fished the local waters for many years. By the time noon hour had passed, I was left totally perplexed over the fish. Was it really a Spanish Mackerel or was it some exotic sub-species virtually unknown to the local waters? I had heard so many different views and opinions about the true identification of this fish that even the knowledge and integrity of the weigh master had come under question. (IMHO, the ambiguously negative reflections cast on the weigh master were more specifically related to gender prejudice as opposed to factors that helped identify a fish!) When I finally left the pier later that day, I was allowed to leave my fish in the pier house cooler overnight. People were still rumbling over the identification of my fish when I left the pier! My first stops were at local libraries to do my own research to try and specifically identify the fish myself. My last option was taking the fish to a Marine Biologist at the DNR Marine Research Center in Moorehead, NC the next day.
By the next morning I had drawn my own conclusions and made my decisions. I found nothing during my research that indicated the weigh master had mistakenly identified the fish as a Spanish Mackerel. One memorable factor came about from an individual who had many years of experience with King and Spanish Mackerel. This individual specifically identified my fish as a juvenile King Mackerel without a single comment on the lateral sensory lines, which I later discovered are distinctly different between the two species of mackerel. My research proved the individual correct about one thing; a juvenile King Mackerel does have spots that sometimes confuse the novice into thinking them a Spanish Mackerel. However, another important factor not mentioned by this individual was that spots on a juvenile King Mackerel quickly fade after death. The next day, 24 hours later, the spots on my fish were as clear as when the fish first came out of the water as was all other markings. Another individual, who was thought an expert from many years of experience with fish identification, identified the fish as a Cero Mackerel. Clearly, my research showed distinct differences in the spot shapes and patterns between the two species of fish; not to overlook markings on my fish that related specifically to the Spanish species as opposed to the Cero species.
My personal experience with this 9.75 lb Spanish Mackerel taught me a lot about identifying fish. More importantly, it taught me a lot about the fact that human nature often defies expert opinions or knowledge. No doubt about it, there were at least a couple of people observed who debated against my fish being a Spanish Mackerel for no other reason than pure jealously; a conclusion also noted and supported by a few other people. At the time my fish was caught, the all class world record for Spanish Mackerel was 13 pounds (I think it holds today). The minimum size for a Spanish Mackerel to qualify for a state citation is 6 lbs. Regardless of what anyone says or thinks and as far as I am concerned, I caught a 9 lb, 12 oz Spanish Mackerel as attested to by my official North Carolina State Citation and my photographs that accompany the citation. Had this been a debate over a world record or in a fishing tournament for money, you better believe my fish would have gone to a Marine Biologist at the DNR Marine Research Center in Moorehead, NC for identification. My personal satisfaction was achieved without the expense of traveling 150 miles for the sake of proving a meaningless point that served no positive purpose for anyone; not even me.
It is worth noting that I heard no individual attest to ever having seen a Spanish Mackerel that large. Imagine what the debate might have been like had the fish weighed 14 lbs! I can imagine one thing for certain in the latter case; a trip to Moorehead. http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/ubbngto/wink.gif
The remainder of this story is a humble offering that might serve to benefit anyone in real life; even and including all those avid fisher persons devoted to fly tying and fly fishing for brook trout!
Metaphoric Or Common Sense Approach To Identifying Or Relating To Living Creatures Or Objects:
I spent the first 18 years of my life on a little 67 acre farm about 15 miles SW of Philadelphia, MS. At 18 years of age, I laid eyes on the ocean for the first time when I arrived at the Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island, SC. (I've only met one other individual (originally from Great Britain) who, like myself, described life before the Marines as making them feel like Marine boot camp at Parris Island, SC was more like a vacation than something unpleasant.) After boot camp I was assigned to Parris Island for regular duty where, at the age of 19, I caught my first fish from the ocean; a toad fish (also called an oyster cracker and other (some unprintable) names as well). I can still hear that ugly fish - and that fish was ugly with a capital U - grinding his teeth against the hook shank before he hurt my finger. After I finally retrieved my hook and threw the fish overboard, I listened to my friend talk about the variety of fish in the ocean as he described their mean, low-life habits. I recall coming away from my fishing experience that day with the common sense knowledge that "Any unidentified creature living in the ocean is assumed capable of hurting me!" That was sufficient information for me to identify and relate to saltwater creatures at the time. About 8 years later, during my excitement over catching a fairly large golden croaker - the only one I've ever caught - while fishing the surf in Southern California, I forgot my first saltwater fishing lesson learned. That beautiful fish of shining gold color jogged me back to a sense of reality when he sliced my finger with his gill plate as though I had been cut with a straight razor!
Final Analogy:
Since the time a beautiful croaker sliced my finger, I have not forgotten to identify and relate to fish in the ocean as "Something that probably can and will hurt you!"; nope, not even during the hundreds of hours spent combing reefs in the Pacific Ocean; including my first encounters with Turkey Fish and sea snakes. I have often wondered how many times my first lesson learned during my first trip fishing in saltwater may have proven a lifesaver for me. No doubt about that lesson prevailing years later when I first laid eyes on the pretty, docile little blue ringed octopus; long before I ever knew the identify of this neat little creature. It was awful tempting to unconsciously pick up that little creature with my bare hands, but I didn't. Each reader can do their own research about the deadly little creature known as the blue ringed octopus. Ugly, beautiful, known, unknown or otherwise, wild creatures have my respect, because oddly, the unwary of the unknown invariably seem to achieve the consequences of pain! Unfortunately for some, the painful consequences have proven deadly.
No, there's no blue ringed octopus living in cold freshwater streams of North Georgia. Never the less and in the humble personal opinion of this writer, it seems prudent that fundamental rules of common sense should prevail no matter where one lives. Reminds me of the time when I poked a cigarette at an odd looking tiny rock in the sand while I was squatted in a very vulnerable position answering the call of nature. Yep, it happened a couple of small canyons over from where I encountered the two huge rattlesnakes I wrote about in another post. That tiny little poke set off an explosive chain reaction directly beneath me..... Another story, but I still have the long khaki pants and hat that I removed from my tattered body that day as proof and if George McClury, the California State Game Warden at the time, remains alive today then he can bear personal witness of my dilemma that day! Likewise for the Captain in the Army Medical Corps - a member of the Army Reserve unit bivouacked on the flats far below me - who helped me get to the Naval Hospital. Regardless, it would not surprise me in the least if my experience is still used as an example during hunting safety lectures today; definitely an extremely rare experience. I was out hunting, but I could just as easily have been fishing and suffered the same consequences. Maybe I'll post the vivid details of that story one day.
It is often prudent to remain silent or leave things alone in the absence of specifically reliable knowledge. When something doesn't seem or feel exactly right or reasonable then it is usually because somehow, something is wrong somewhere. Ever heard the words, "Curiosity kills a cat?" Those are not my words and neither are the words ; "What you don't know can kill you."
------------------
Sam
[This message has been edited by fishnsmygame (edited 05-17-2000).]