Guy Harvey Magazine is focused on fishing, boating, scuba diving, and marine conservation. Portfolios from the world's best fishing photographers, articles on gear, travel, tournaments, apparel, lifestyle, seafood recipes, sustainable fisheries.
Issue link: https://guyharveymag.epubxp.com/i/53451
What's the toughest fish you ever caught and why? JV: I would have to say the toughest fish I have caught was a swordfish on 12-pound test, estimated at 100 pounds. I was fishing off the coast of Malindi, Kenya, at night using live bonito as bait. It was the beginning of the rainy season and debris was pouring out of the rivers into the ocean. There was a large tree stump floating in the area where our captain wanted to slow troll. He commanded his crew to retrieve the stump and tie it off the stern of the boat. Thus, during the battle with the sword, not only did I have to negotiate fighting a nice, strong fish on light tackle but also had to work around the branches of the tree stump. CM: It is difficult to know what is meant by toughest. Toughest location, toughest bites, etc. But I would say that the most difficult fish I ever caught was a shark, mostly due to the length of time required to reel him in. I have caught many, many blue sharks off the coast of Martha's Vineyard and it can take 1½ to 2 hours to reel them in. Who is your favorite fishing partner? JV: Offshore fishing can be challenging at best, and having someone to share the boat with often eases the pain of slow fishing as well as helping in a total frenzy of a hot bite. Bill Easum from Port Aransas, Texas, has shared the cockpit with me on many occasions. We have had some great times and exciting fishing together. We both enjoy light-tackle fishing and the work that goes into landing a billfish under light-tackle conditions. CM: Although it may be legal to have a fishing partner in Massachusetts now (LOL), I don't prefer to call anyone a fishing partner. Doing TV is a lot of fun, but it's still a job and a lot of work, so when I have the opportunity to fish with my wife and/or my kids, I would say that they are the best and my favorites. What is your biggest like or dislike about fishing tournaments? JV: It brings out the best and the worst in an angler and captain! I like fishing tournaments for the friendships and fun times. I dislike fishing tournaments when the competition overtakes the friendship. CM: I am a very competitive person and, therefore, enjoy the competition. I dislike how tournaments have a tendency to take the fun out of the sport. Fishing is a hobby for most, not a job. When you take a competitive nature combined with money, it tends to remove the fun. If you only had one lure or fly to use the rest of your life, what would it be and why? JV: A blue and white Islander lure would do me just fine offshore, and a plain, white bucktail jig inshore! Need I say more? CM: I hope never to be put in this situation! It is like saying "pick your favorite meal" and that is all you will be able to eat for the rest of your life. But, if I had to choose, I would say the Lunker City Spanky. It is a very versatile bait and I can use it to catch fish at all times of the year. Where is the most challenging place you ever fished? JV: Fishing the Pacific coast of Colombia was a true challenge. We fished at a friend's small, private lodge up near the Panama border. Our boat was a converted drug boat—a center console outboard with very high freeboards. We didn't have any bait, so we tried to catch live bait, which we did in small numbers. I was fishing 6/8-pound test line and tippet, all artificials and fly. The captain didn't have a clue what he was doing. It was very rough and rainy. We had to rig our own tackle, handle all the rods, handle the fish at release, and believe me, it was miserable. CM: Everything is a challenge! Everyone gets up early to fish and I get up late! Everywhere I fish is a challenge, but I would have to say that fishing in Panama provided the most challenges. It was a long trip to get to Panama, an effort to get to the location where we would be fishing, and not to mention being in a foreign country and dealing with those issues. I know that these are things that have nothing to do with fishing, and in the end, it is worth it, but it is nothing like hitting the local lake and doing what you are accustomed to doing. What is the biggest issue facing fisheries? JV: Declining fish populations is the biggest challenge we have facing us today. This applies to inshore and offshore fishing. Bad management and lack of necessary science must be addressed on a worldwide basis in order to maintain what we have today. CM: I believe that the lack of knowledge that people have regarding the sport fishing industry is the biggest issue. People do not understand fishing and hunting at all, and having the authorities close down fisheries is harmful to the sport. Sportfishing generates a lot of revenue on many levels, and when it is managed properly, it is a positive thing.