The captain of a fishing boat who was denied the $3.5 million prize for reeling in the biggest fish at a North Carolina tournament has insisted organizers were wrong to disqualify them, and vowed to fight the prize.
Greg McCoy’s boat, Sensation, received an enthusiastic reception on Saturday when it returned to the marina in Morehead City, North Carolina.
The marlin, which took fisherman Bailey Gore more than six hours to reel in, weighed 619 pounds, making them – or so they believed – the winner of the contest to be the first to take home a fish over 500 pounds .
But the organizers announced after the weigh-in that the Sensation crew had been disqualified because the marlin had a large bite mark on its flank.
Greg McCoy, 56, the captain of the Sensation, said he and his crew believe they won $3.5 million fair and square
Sensation’s crew and their 619lb blue marlin were photographed with their catch before being disqualified from the tournament after it was noticed that the fish had been mutilated
McCoy is pictured on a previous fishing trip
The rules of the International Game Fish Association state: ‘Mutilation of the fish, prior to landing or sailing the catch, caused by sharks, other fish, mammals or propellers that remove or enter the flesh. Injuries caused by leader of line, scrapes, old healed scars or regeneration defects are not considered disqualifying injuries.”
McCoy and his crew insist they were robbed and legitimately won the match. They appealed and hired a lawyer. A jury decides on their appeal in five days.
“We worked hard, we felt like what we did was incredible with this fish, we knew we had won the tournament,” he said CNN.
“I knew the fish would destroy the other fish on the scoreboard by weight, and that’s exactly what it did.
“We followed all the rules. There was nothing shameful or cheating or anything like that on our part.
“We feel like it’s been taken from us.”
The huge fish was seen being brought ashore – ready to be weighed
The board details the capture of the Sensation weighing in at a whopping 619.4 lbs
The prize money went to Sushi’s crew, who brought in a 484.5 pound blue marlin: they got $2,769,438.
The organizers of the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament – the 65th annual event – insist they have followed the rules.
“This decision is consistent with previous decisions the tournament has made in similar circumstances over the past 65 years,” the tournament said.
But McCoy said they feel cheated and are convinced they are the legitimate winners.
‘The tournament is about catching the biggest fish. We caught the biggest fish.
‘I’m not a sour grape person. I’m not a sore loser. We won the tournament. We caught the biggest fish,” he said.
“As they say, put that in your pipe and smoke it.”
One of Sensation’s devastated crew members was comforted after their disqualification from the tournament and the loss of $3.5 million in prize money
A statement from the organizers explained why Sensation’s catch was disqualified from the tournament and lost its $3.5 million payout
McCoy, 56, said Saturday was a rollercoaster of emotions.
“We went from the highest highs to the lowest lows. It’s a tough pill to swallow,” he said.
“We don’t know if that fish bit before, earlier in the year, this week or our hook. We do not know that.’
The ship’s owner, Ashley Bleau, said he was not convinced the wounds were even from a shark.
He said the line was wrapped around the marlin’s tail when they brought it up and that there may have been injuries to the line when they retrieved it.
“It was a lot like skinning your knee. It’s not like it was missing a tail or fin, or organs had been moved or a stomach ripped out, or anything that would have been detrimental to killing the fish,” Bleau said.
“I do believe it was more something that possibly happened during the winching process than during the fight.”
Blau says the damage from the huge catch was so small it was almost insignificant.
“The mutilation was smaller than the size of my hand,” Blau said Pirate radio during a discussion about the tournament on Monday.
Ashley Bleau, North Carolina fishing boat owner who reeled in a 619-pound marlin, says rules about ‘mutilation’ are outdated and unclear after his winning catch was disqualified
Had they won, McCoy himself would have received 10 percent of the $3.5 million, which he said was “life-changing.”
‘I’m getting old. I have to think about my future,” he said.
‘I have young children, an 18 and 20 year old son, I could have arranged them quite well.
“I am a hard-working working-class boy. I pay my bills and this money would have been set aside to go to my children,” he said.
“I feel like we’ve earned it.”
North Carolina’s Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament has exploded in popularity in recent years, with over 270 boats competing in this final competition.
The competition is serious business with several fishing lines thrown out in hopes of catching something big
A total of 271 ships entered the open water off the coast of North Carolina on Saturday
Those aboard the Sensation can be seen in a blurry but dramatic action shot from Saturday
Blau said he knew something was wrong shortly after his boat landed and the huge marlin was examined as a crowd of hundreds shouted, “Weigh the fish!”
“I saw two jurors whispering to each other and asked what was going on. They pointed out the shark bite on the side of the fish. There was no disqualification at that time. We weighed the fish and we were over the moon.’
When the total weight of their marlin was announced, there was cheering from the crew and the public, but Bleau was told that his catch would likely be disqualified from competing.
A shark bite near the fish’s head was noticed by the tournament’s weigh masters and brought to the attention of the boat’s crew.
“I think the mutilation rule is outdated,” Bleau said.
“We have a more abundant shark population, but in a nutshell, the rule should be abolished, period.
This rule has come into effect twice in the past three years.
‘There are different interpretations. It’s as clear as mud. Everyone thinks it’s black and white and it’s not.’