Does the Hillbilly Retard look a bit like Carlos Mencia? I think so. We LOVE the Chum Slick. Keep on Keepin' it Real!

How do you know that this photo was taken during a mako mania tournament? The truth is you don't. So maybe you should try a different approach and get actual facts before trying to make a point. By the way the photos of the sharks in all of the catch pictures look to be over 54 inches which mean that according to the national marine fisheries laws they are legal fish. Which means that maybe you should direct you energy towards trying to change the laws rather they pointlessly bashing fisherman and tournaments.

Marsha: Thanks...Yeah, he does look a bit like Carlos Mencia...lol...but even whiter.

Tom: The truth, Tom, is that I do know that these photos were from this year's Mako Mania tournament because they were sent to me by relatives of the particular fisherman.

It isn't pointless for me to bash fishermen because it makes me laugh my ass off. And how do you know I don't also spend my time trying to get bad fishing laws changed? The truth is you don't.



--Sharky

Well Sharky,
"It isn't pointless for me to bash fishermen because it makes me laugh my ass off"
I appreciate your honesty most adults wont admit to such childlike behavior.
See I am an avid fisherman and can understand the need to conserve the species. But there a lot better ways us fisherman know this because we auctually do usefull things to help the fish population.
You could contribute money to the artificial fund.
You could try tagging and releasing fish
Try fighting to keep bunker boats out of state waters.
Lets face it NMFS makes the laws on fishing and I beleive that they know alot more on our fish stocks then any of us. Lets look how well they rebuilt the striped bass population. 10 years you couldnt find a striper anywhere and now there are more 40 and 50 lb fish they anyone can ask for. 10 years ago to catch a 3 lb fluke was unheard of and now 7 and 8 lb fish are common.
By the way I think you should check the dates of your pictures I am willing to bet anything that they werent taken during the mako mania tournament.
Just my 2 cents
Tom

Hey Tom, just wanted to let you know that I was the one who sent the pics of the fisherman with the dusky shark in, and I can assure you that picture is from the mako mania tournament. I can also assure you that the fisherman in the picture knew exactly what he was in for when he sent those pictures to me; because he was warned of The Chum Slick before the tournament. He is a friend and a good guy, and we have been debating this subject for quite some time now. Just had to show him I meant business! He is being a good sport about it though, and I'm sure he will challenge me again very soon! Hey Sharky, we loved what you did with the pictures! Keep it up!

Thanks for the show of support, JS, and for verifying the authenticity of the pictures.

Tom, I don't think we really disagree; I just think we disagree about methods. I generally support everything you are saying....especially about the bunker boats. I honestly think the U.S. should take military action against foreign fishing vessels in U.S. fishing grounds.

However, there is a big difference between Fluke and Striped Bass, and large apex predators like Sharks. Sharks have extremely long reproductive cycles and reproduce slower than most other fish species. Hundred pound plus fish take longer to bounce back from overfishing than smaller fish. This is a sad truth. Sharks need extreme protections now or many of the species will disappear forever.

Are Shark tournaments responsible for most of the decline in Shark populations? No...of course most Shark depletion is from large scale commercial fishing, bycatch, habitat loss, and targeted Shark finning. However, when people glorify Macho Shark killing, even on a small scale, and then pose like jackasses next to their trophy kill, it sends the wrong message, and these people deserve to be mocked.


--Sharky