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x18Worldx19soldestsailfshtournamentx1917TorrentialrainsweredrenchingthetownofStuartFloridawhenCaptainJohnsonWhiticarpilotedhischarterboatMermaidIIoutofitsmooringsandheadedtowardtheblueGulfStream.ClearingtheSt.LucieInletthecraftbegantorollandpitchwhenhischartershoutedfromthecockpitx1cItdoesnx19tlooklikefishingweathertome.x1dCaptainWhiticarrepliedx1cItx19sonlyalocalsquall.x1dTogetherwithhiswifeDottieJimBobTinsleyhadarrangedtheirfirsteveroffshoreoceanfishingtripandhewantedconditionstoberight.Theywerenx19tdisappointed.Afteraboutafortyminuteruntothefishinggroundsthemateputoutriggeddebonedmulletbaitsonfourseparaterodstwooutriggersandtwoflatlines.Withinminutestheyraisedaquadrupleheaderofsailfishandcaughttwo.BynoonJimandDottielandedthreeandreleasedsixofthebilledtribealongwithtwodolphin.Exhaustedtheycalledanendtotheactionafterfourhours.CaptainJohnsonturnedhisboatandheadedtheMermaidIIbacktowardSt.LucieInlet.Abovethebridgenineflagswereflyingtodenotetheircatch.Anothercharterboatcaughtnineteensailsandranoutofbait.ItwasoneofthebestsailfishingdaystheStuartskippershadexperiencedinovereightyears.ThedatewasDecember221949.AccordingtoauthorJimTinsleythesailfishisoneofthemostglamorousofallsaltwatergamesters.Inhis1964bookentitledx1cTheSailfishSwashbuckleroftheOpenSeasx1dTinsleycarefullyrelatedthisfirsteversailfishencounter.Duringhisreturnbacktothedockhethoughttohimselfx1cThisishowfanaticsaremade.x1dHeneverforgotSixty-plusyearslaterthissamekindofsuccessoccursatleastseason-allywithsailfishermensomewhereinthewesternNorthAtlanticoffFloridax19seastcoastorupofftheCarolinax19sandintotheCaribbeanorGulfofMexico.HotspotsincludeVenezuelaandIsladeMujeresnearCancunMexico.Catchratesintheseareascanescalateupto10or20sailfishperdayandsome-SAILFISHPASTPRESENTbyJohnJolleyThex18SailAhoyx19withCapt.FrankArdineonthebridgeandJackieMorrowinthecockpitreturnstoPalmBeachafteratremendousdayx19s5shinginthe1957SilverSail5shDerby.Theyreleasedatotaloftwenty-nine29sailsthatdaywith19ofthemcreditedtoMrs.RoseHampp.Inthe2004SilverSailifshDerbyteamx18GetLitx19ledbyCapt.RayRoshertook5rstplacewithanimpressiveforty-5ve45sail5shreleasesinthe3dayevent.Twoyearslatertheteamwouldreleasearecordsetting59sail5shinthetournament.timesexceed30ormore.Theone-dayrecordinFloridaoccurredoffthePalmBeachesin1980aboardLouisBoskix19s53footsportfishermanElbow7withCaptainAlJohnstonandcrewcapturingandreleasing83sails.ThisfeatwashighlyunusualbutthecrewhadheardreportsfromCaptainJackieMorrowontheNoProblemwhohadfoundsailfishx1cballingthebaitx1d.ItwaswildMorrowandcompanyreleasedanother54thatsamedaywhensailfishinghistorywasmade.Sincethenvoluminousarticleshavedepictedepisodesofanglersandcrewschasingtheseacrobaticgamestersallovertheworldintropi-calandsubtropicalseas.YetsomeofthemostexcitingadventureshavecontinuedrightinFloridax19sbackyardwhereitallstartedbackinthe1930x19sinaspecialplacecalledx1cTheSailfishSectoroftheGulfStreamx1dandlateronsimplyx1cSailfishAlley.x1dItisatestamenttotherestorativepowersofsailfishthatithasbeenabletowithstanddecadesofincreasingrecreationalandcom-mercialfishingpressuresthroughoutthewesternNorthAtlantic.Itx19saphenomenalstorywhenoneconsiderswhatishappeninginotherareasoftheworldandtootherstocksofpelagicfishes.Ix19mparticularlycomparingwithbluefintunawhiteandbluemarlinsandintherecentpastswordfishalthoughthelatterhasseensomerecoverysincethelate1980x19s.Allhavebeenseriouslyimpactedatonetimeoranother.FordecadesIhavebeenfascinatedbyhowwellstocksofsailfishhavebehavedinthewesternNorthAtlantic.Despitedramaticallyincreasingfishingactivitiessailfishhaveshownfewifanyobvioussignsofbiologicalstress.Sizeandageclassstructureseemtobeholdingupwellandaveragesizeoffishcaughtremainsthesameafter60yearscloseto7feettotallengthTLand40lb.Recreationalcatchratesoverlargegeographicalareasstillvaryfromyeartoyearreflectingchangesinlocalavailabilitybutsimilarlyshownoevidenceofsustainedde-cline.ResultsfromjusttwoprominentSouthFloridatour-namentshighlightjusthowgoodsail-fishinghasbeen.