Fish Species of the Month – Spearfish
There were over 80 species of fish turned in on orders last month! The lucky pull was a Spearfish. The lucky Spearfish order was placed for a customer from Missouri. I think it’s probably safe to say not many Missouri natives have seen or heard of a Spearfish! The order turned in was from Kona, Hawaii by Captain Pat Erwin off “Bite-Me 4.” The mate being awarded a new pair of Costa DelMar, Tuna Alley sunglasses is Hector Ubaldo! Getting it done in Hawaii!! Spearfish are pelagic, open-ocean, deep water fish found in most temperate and tropical oceans, along the continental shelf and current lines. 
Spearfish can be distinguished from other billfish species by its lean, lightweight body. They are equipped with the shortest bill of all the billfish, and a dorsal fin that is less than 50 percent of its body height; higher than a Marlins and lower than a Sailfish. The long bill spearfish has a bill about twice as long as its lower jaw, while the short bill has one that is barely longer than its lower jaw, but it is still noticeably short when compared to that in other billfish. The dorsal fin is bright blue and has no spots. The vertical bars on the body are never as prominent as in other billfish and may show only slightly or not at all. The average weight for this species is approximately 20 to 60 pounds with a maximum weight of up to 100 pounds. They mature at two years old, and rarely live past three years old.
The maximum age may be up to five years but is not very common. Even though spearfish exist in many oceans, they are not abundant anywhere, and rarely caught anywhere except Hawaii and the Mediterranean. Spearfish are not targeted gamefish anywhere in the world, their numbers are too low (and catches too sparse) to be considered reliable game, most spearfish catches are considered incidental.
Captain of The Month – Captain Jorge Blanco
The Captain of the Month program is sponsored by REACTOR Watch Company, home of the best performance sport watch on the planet. The lucky order pulled for Captain of the month takes us to the boat “Sea Quester,” found in Quepos, Costa Rica. The fish caught for a customer from Georgia was a 122” Sailfish. Congratulations go to Captain Jorge Blanco. Captain Jorge wins a new REACTOR watch and plaque from Gray Taxidermy naming him Captain of the Month!
Captain Jorge runs a Topaz Sportfish called “Sea Quester” out of Marina Pez Vela. He “loves fishing for billfish and enjoys fly-fishing for sails and teaser fishing.” Captain Jorge has been fishing since he was 6 years old! It is his first season as Captain. Captain Jorge firmly believes in family and was born and raised in Quepos, Costa Rica, 23 years ago. He got started as a mate right in Quepos and soon after set a goal of obtaining his Captain’s license. Through years of hard work and dedication, he is now running his own boat! “Thank God for Gray Taxidermy for helping me, my crew and my family.” Congrats to you Captain Jorge Blanco, from the entire team at Gray Taxidermy.
The DO’s and DO NOT’s of Selling Trophy Mounts
DO tell the customer that mounting a fish is a great way to remember your fishing trip forever and it is an awesome conversation piece. Whenever someone walks into a room with a fish on the wall, the first question is usually, “Wow, where did you catch that one?” The conversation and enjoyment you get from a fish mount lasts forever and the story behind catching the fish usually gets better every time you tell it. DO NOT tell the customer that you need to kill the fish in order to mount it. This is simply not true. Even if you do kill the fish, very little, usually none of the fish is actually used in the taxidermy process. With sharks, barracudas, and other fish with large teeth, the teeth can be incorporated into the mount, but it is still not necessary to kill the fish.
Gray taxidermy has life like teeth and jaws that will be used in the mount, so it is not necessary to kill these fish to get them mounted. Only an approximate measurement is needed for a trophy to be constructed. Tell the customer that the great thing about mounting a fish is that you can get the fish mounted and the fish can still live. People love that. It is not against the law to kill a fish (so long as it meets all the regulations of size, season, etc…). If you do kill a fish, DO NOT tell the customer that their mount will be a skin mount. Skin mounts are outdated and a thing of the past. Skin mounts tarnish and “yellow” over time. Replica mounts look every bit as lifelike and realistic as the best skin mounts, and the fact is that they last a lot longer with little to no maintenance.
Mate of the Month – Mick Ware
This month’s winner for Mate of the Month is Mick Ware from the Florida Keys. The catch was a 44” Bull Dolphin for a customer from Georgia. What Mick wins is a pair of Fisch, Blue Mirror, Costa Sunglasses! “We specialize in kite fishing for Sailfish, and making possibilities realities.” Awesome job Mick Ware and Captain Brice Barr on the “Double Down.” Mike is a local native who absolutely loves fishing in Key West and is more than happy to show his customers what it’s all about and send them home with a fish of a lifetime from Gray Taxidermy.
Region of the Month – Cozumel/Cancun
The region of the month takes us to the Cancun/ Cozumel area in Mexico. The fishing is truly off-the- hook! The winner of our Captain program for Region of the Month is Captain Jose Enrique from “Reel Velocity” with Maroma Adventures, the customer was from South Carolina and the trophy mounted… A Lion Fish! Awesome mount Captain Jose!! For this lucky pull, Captain Jose wins two Okuma High Performance reels sponsored by Hopkins Carter Marine Supplies and Fishing Tackle.
Cancún is a city in southeastern Mexico, located on the southeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It is a major world-renowned tourist destination, as well as being the seat of the municipality of Benito Juárez.
The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, and is one of the easternmost points in Mexico. Cancún is located just north of Mexico's Caribbean coast resort band known as the Riviera Maya. Cozumel is an island about 30 miles long and 9.9 miles wide, and is Mexico's largest Caribbean island. It is Mexico's third largest island, following Tiburón Island and Isla Ángel de la Guarda. It lies some 6.2 miles from the mainland, and 56 miles south of Cancún. When visiting either Cancún or Cozumel, you can enjoy a wide range of water sports, rise to the challenge on our championship golf courses, take the family to one of the world renowned eco-parks, or just lie back and be pampered at one of our luxurious spas.
For the traveler wanting to explore, there are so many sites and parks dedicated to the preservation and study of the ancient Mayan culture. (Visit pyramids and picturesque archaeological sites in the Riviera Maya overlooking the gorgeous Caribbean Sea.) If fishing is what you crave, there is no shortage of Blue Marlin, White Marlin, Sailfish, Mahi-mahi, Barracuda, Wahoo, Tuna, a variety of Grouper and Snapper. You can really have it all in this beautiful part of the world with some of the top Captains and Crews!
