Gray Taxidermy Newsletter - Issue 34 - October 2013

Captain of the Month, Jamie Bruce

www.peibluefintunacharters.com

It was a 1,000 lb Bluefin Tuna from Canada!!! The customer is from Florida, the Captain that wins Captain of the Month is Captain Jamie Bruce, from North Lake, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Captain Jamie is, of course, the now proud owner of a GRAVITON II watch from REACTOR Watch Company. (Give us a call for special pricing just for Gray Taxidermy Captains and Mates from REACTOR. These watches are spectacular and are truly coveted by all who see them)

When we contacted Captain Jamie, he told us a little about his love for fishing…. ”Back in 1982 when I was a young boy I was out one day for a pleasure boat ride with my father, family and friends. Our commercial Tuna season was over that year as our quota was full and there were fish everywhere!! We pulled up to a gill net boat as did other boats and noticed there were a lot of tuna around, dad pulled out a hook, a pan of rope, and my uncle who was with us, asked the boys in the gillnet boat to put some bait on the hook for us. He threw the hook towards them and the hook missed, fell in the water, and a Giant Tuna grabbed it!! After awhile we pulled the Tuna up beside the boat, the fish was huge; we let him go and watched him swim away!! That was the start of my passion for Giant Bluefin Tuna!!!”

“Fast forward to 2013 and my fire and passion is as strong now as it was way back then!! I've been Tuna fishing on my own now for 19 years. We have landed and released Tuna up to 1350lbs and one day we hope to break the world record held by our good friend Captain Ken Fraser at 1496 lbs!!”

“In the last few years since we started Bruce Brothers Fishing Charters, I have had the pleasure to meet anglers from all over the world. Just this season I have had anglers from the UK, Philippines, Japan, South Africa, USA and of course Canada. We always enjoy experiencing the excitement that goes with each angler’s amazement when they see the size of our fish! We truly do have a special thing here in PEI, Canada, with the best Giant Bluefin Tuna Fishing there is to be found.

With our great relationship we have with Gray Taxidermy, we have had the pleasure to show case our Giant Tuna through their professional craftsmanship, to charters from Cleveland, Ohio, all the way to the Philippines this year!!! Thanks Gray Taxidermy!!”

The determination of Captain of the month comes from a random drawing. Each month, every order placed with Gray Taxidermy is entered in a drawing. At the end of the month, one name is randomly pulled from all entries. Along with the new watch, the captain will also be awarded a Trophy plaque with an engraved plate from Gray Taxidermy. The more orders turned in, the better your chances.

Winner of Costa, Corbina 580 Blue Mirror Sunglasses. Mate of the Month, Bobby Diaz

The order pulled was for a 39” King Mackeral for a customer from Missouri. Congratulations to October’s Mate of Month, Bobby Diaz.

Bobby is a mate for Fishing Headquarters out of Fort Lauderdale on “Out of the Blue.” Bobby was born and raised in South Florida and according to Bobby, “I have been holding a fishing rod since the day I could walk.”

“Fishing has been an addictive passion of mine my whole life. I remember as a kid casting my lures into the swimming pool to check out the action. All through high school I would work on the headboats on the weekend and even now as an adult I’m still fishing like crazy. On my days off, I’m fishing instead of relaxing. I always knew my future would be on the water. I love what I do and wouldn’t trade it for anything in this world.”

The determination of Mate of the Month comes from a random drawing of all orders turned in during the previous month’s time

Region of the Month, once again takes us to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

One of the most famous fishing destinations in the world! Also known as the “Charter Boat Capital of the World,” the marina has over 500 boats, and roughly 75% of the boats are for charter. Vessels range from multi-million dollar Sportfishing Yachts to pangas that fish right in the surf. There is a boat for everyone’s taste and budget.

The lucky pull for this area was a 51” Roosterfish for a customer from Tennessee! The Gray Taxidermy captain that turned in the order. Captain Luis Olascoaga Hernandez from “The Blue Marlin.” Congratulations Captain Luis from Gray Taxidermy and Hopkins Carter Marine Supplies and Fishing Tackle. Captain Luis is being awarded (2) Battel BTL 8000, Penn reels from Hopkins Carter.

Although there has always been a fishing community in Southern Baja, Cabo was first to bring attention of the fishing community in 1917 with the introduction of commercial fishing. It wasn’t long after that Sportfishing became the main attraction to the Baja Peninsula.

There is great fishing all year long in Cabo which is why it is home to some of the largest tournaments in the Sportfishing community.

Throughout the year there is always a popular sport fish in season; dorado, striped, marlin, yellow fin tuna, rooster fish, yellow tail, wahoo, snapper and grouper. The slow season is determined not by lack of fish, but by the rainy season in late summer and fall and when the customers return to work and the kids head back to school.

The deep, ocean bottom is greatly responsible for Cabo’s prevalent billfish fishery. As the depth of the ocean exceeds 10K ft, in many areas the banks rise up offshore and create schools of bait (bait balls) enticing many pelagic species and record numbers are achieved almost daily.

Trolling the surface with lures or live bait using light tackle and even fly fishing is very popular. Live bait is purchased everyday as the boats leave the marina and head past the famous Cabo Arch. The lures are trolled to peak the fish’s attention while live bait (mainly scad, look downs, and mackerel) are cast at the fish for the actual bite. Fishing tactics also include bottom fishing and jigging for yellowtail, grouper and snapper. The captains and mates also use kite fishing for tuna and other top water fish.

The vessels are well cared for and rigged to catch fish. Fishermen in Cabo take great pride in their boats and their tackle. The crews of experienced captains and mates come from 2nd or 3rd generations of local, knowledgeable, fishermen with an incredible work ethic. Even on a slow day, you will see countless flags flying in the marina. There are “no bad days in Cabo.”

Species of the Month – Swordfish

The Swordfish order pulled for this month’s lucky Mate was 98” long and caught in the Florida Panhandle on
the “Anastasia” for a customer from Mississippi. Well Done Captain and Crew and congratulations to Mate
Richard Moore from Gray Taxidermy and Costa Del Mar sunglasses. Richard will be receiving a brand new
pair of Tuna Alley, blue mirror sunglasses from Costa Del Mar.

Now for some info on one of our favorite mounts.

The Swordfish also known as broadbill are large, highly migratory, predatory fish characterized by a long, flat bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. The Swordfish is named after its bill resembling a sword. This makes it superficially similar to other billfish such as Marlin, but upon examination their physiology is quite different and they are members of different families.

Swordfish are elongated, round-bodied, and lose all teeth and scales by adulthood. These fish are found widely in tropical and temperate parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, and can typically be found from near the surface to a depth of 1,800 ft. They commonly reach 9.8 ft in length, and the maximum reported is 14.9 ft in length and 1,430 lbs in weight. They reach maturity at 4–5 years of age and the maximum age is believed to be at least 9 years.

Swordfish, along with some species of shark, have special organs next to their eyes to heat their eyes and brain. Temperatures of 10 to 15 °C above the surrounding water temperature have been measured. The heating of the eyes greatly improves their vision, and consequently improves their ability to catch prey.

Swordfish are not schooling fish. They swim alone or in very loose aggregations, separated by as much as 33 ft from a neighboring Swordfish. They are frequently found basking at the surface, airing their first dorsal fin. Contrary to popular belief, the "sword" is not used to spear, but instead may be used to slash at its prey in order to injure the prey animal, to make for an easier catch. Mainly the Swordfish relies on its great speed and agility in the water to catch its prey. It is undoubtedly among the fastest fish.

Except for humans, fully adult Swordfish have few enemies. Among marine mammals, Killer Whales sometimes prey on adult Swordfish. The Shortfin Mako, an exceptionally fast species of shark, sometimes take on swordfish; dead or dying Shortfin Makos have been found with broken off swords in their head, revealing the potential danger of this type of prey.

Swordfish are vigorous, powerful fighters. When hooked or harpooned, they have been known to dive so quickly that they have impaled their swords into the ocean bottom up to their eyes. Although there are no reports of unprovoked attacks on humans, Swordfish can be very dangerous when harpooned. They have run their swords through the planking of small boats when hurt.

Gray Taxidermy welcomes a new team member

The Gray Team welcomes Mike Souther to our organization. Mike is the son of legendary boat captain, Captain Steve Souther of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Mike attended Broward College and graduated from Broward Fire Academy. We are so excited to have him as part of the Gray team!

Mike grew up fishing with his dad and knows the ins and outs of a charter boat business. He also has worked years in the field as an experienced mate, a top mounter and is an expert in customer relations.

Mike joins the in-house team lead by Craig Fitschen to assist your customers with any and all questions about their trophy purchase. He is also here to help any and all captains and mates with questions or assistance on the dock. Mike can do it all! We are very excited to include him in our team!

Tip of the month

As the typical slow down of charters hits home and we all visit the yard, re-rig rods and go hunting, remember the few trips that we get this time of the year are so important. The Largest Gift Giving Holiday of the YEAR is right around the corner. Talk to your people at the dock, identify the need and plant the mount seed early. Christmas is the busiest holiday for the sales of our product. Kids, Dads, Grand dads all love a trophy for Christmas! Mention it and you’ll be surprised!

The vision becomes reality!

Gray Taxidermy is proud to announce the re-location of Ashlee Fuller to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Ash has spent the last few years at the front lines of the Gray Taxidermy transformation here in the US. She has helped with the direction and advancement of our business model here in Florida and has accepted a position in Cabo.

With Ashlee’s assistance to our great team in Cabo, she will help in bringing the updated Gray models established in the US to an incredibly strong mounting area. Ashlee understands the role of Gray Taxidermy and the core model which is – Help the Captains and crews hands on and results will follow. She believes the largest fishing market in the world can always be improved upon by a basic offer of support on the dock in the marina at all times.

Ashlee has spent 3 months in Cabo this year and has fallen in love with the Mexican culture, people and area. The project appeals to her true pride in helping others prosper. We are truly blessed that she feels this way. This addition to our great team in Cabo and the Baja Peninsula will surely impact Gray Taxidermy.

Look for Ashlee on the docks in the morning, noon and night. She too is always there to offer help and support to any and all of you.

Beam me up Scotty!

No, we haven’t developed the technology to transport people across the country; however, you may be asking yourself after talking to Scotty from Gray Taxidermy. Didn’t I just see him in another part of the county? Scott Thomas. has spent the better part of a year in Texas, the Pan Handle, The Carolinas, Georgia and Venice, Louisiana, as well as countless other areas.

Scotty believes that to get new business, we need to earn it with 100% support to the guys and gals fishing every day. His cell phone is never off; his lifestyle is about supporting the crews with 24 hour service, support and training. Got a question, Call him up! The areas Scott has worked are all doing great thanks to all of you and the support he offers back.

If you haven’t seen him in your area yet, keep an eye out. Chances are he’s headed your way. Scotty is on a mission to meet you all and offer his devoted help towards your mount goals and needs.

Just give us a call for more info regarding multiple fish orders, we are here to help.

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