The
As Seen in
Best There Ever Were
1 Primary Species: Giant bluefin tuna Golden Era: 1930 to 1950, 1970s. In the
late 1970s, the tuna apparently changed their migration. When the Asian taste for bluefin sushi evolved during the 1980s, prices rose, an industry was born, and Canada prohibited recreational anglers from catching giants. In the past few years, the country has allowed a regulated catch-and-release fishery. The History: During the late 1800s, harpooners began targeting giants that tangled their herring nets. Through the early 20th century, anglers started pursuing the bluefin, though they were not considered good table fare. Finally, in the 1930s, tackle makers caught up with the fishery, and IGFA founder Michael Lerner helped initiate the International Tuna Cup (Sharp Cup). Memorable Moment: Bluefin here average 700 pounds, but they get much bigger. The current all-tackle world-record bluefin — a 1,496-pound behemoth — was caught off Nova Scotia in 1979. More Information: Capt. Joey Gauthier (joeysfishing.com; 888-461-5639) and
Ten Legendary Fisheries That Changed the Sport By Mike Mazur
Many fisheries across the
b.
c.
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March 2013
From the zipping taxis of Bimini, Bahamas (a), to the bustling harbors of Nova Scotia (b), thousands of anglers over the past century have scoured the planet in search of the world’s best fishing. Many have found it with the huge blue marlin of Kona, Hawaii (c), or the giant blacks of Cabo Blanco (d) and Piñas Bay, Panama (e). Famed author Zane Grey ( f) discovered bluefin tuna heaven in Canada.
d.
wedgeporttunamuseum.com
2 e.
f.
Courtesy Zane Grey Inc. (opposite, lower right), capt. Vincent Daniello (inset, top), Courtesy IGFA / igfa.org (7)
a.
globe have, at one time or another, generated the sort of fishing upon which fables are built, producing big fish in numbers and attracting the attention of the world’s premier anglers. But among those, a few have gone down as truly special, often transforming the very way we fish and think about our sport. They give us something to dream about. Here are 10 such fisheries. Quite a few still produce to this day, while others have faded over the years. Still others were decimated long ago by commercial overfishing. But all share a common thread as legends in the rich history of saltwater fishing.
An 857-pound bluefin is maneuvered alongside the boat during the 1949 Tuna Cup in Nova Scotia (below); big fish still are caught today in this northerly fishery (inset).
Canadian Mariti m es — Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswi ck
Piñas Bay, Pana m a Primary Species: Black marlin, blue marlin Golden Era: 1960s to present The History: First discovered by the Schmidt family in the early 1940s, the
famous Zane Grey Reef off Piñas Bay has stood the test of time as one of the planet’s great marlin fisheries. Thousands of blues and blacks in the 300- to 500-pound range have been caught over the years, with occasional fish (mostly blacks) pushing grander status. Tropic Star Lodge, constructed in 1961, ranks as one of the world’s premier big-game lodges, and fishing has remained excellent — for example, a record-breaking 96 marlin were caught in one week in August 2011. Memorable Moment: Tropic Star, then known as Club de Pesca, was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated in April 1963, which proclaimed Zane Grey Reef as “the world’s best marlin grounds.” More Information: Tropic Star Lodge (tropicstarlodge.com; 800-682-3424) sportFishingmag.com
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