Depressing Swordfish fishing program on Foxtel
Has anyone seen that Swordfish fishing show on Foxtel yet? I saw it today for the first time and was pretty sickened by it. They were pulling in huge billfish, harpooning them, some of the fish were already dead before getting them onboard due to suffercation i guess. The point were i turned it off was when a huge 400+ pound Marlin fought for it's life close to the boat for a few minutes until 1 of the fisherman harpooned and killed it. Pretty sad to see such a monster fish killed like that, it took 3 or 4 of them just to pull it on board.
I think it's a bit distasteful of Foxtel to air something like this in Australia. Hopefully it gets crap ratings and they pull it down. I definately won't be tuning in to it and may even write Foxtel about it.
The deadliest catch on the otherhand i can handle.
big john
Posts: 8726
Date Joined: 20/07/06
Swords: Life on the line?
Good show IMO.
Commercial fishing is a way of life, and those boys/girl aren't exactly fishing 5 mile off the coast. Every fish they get they well and truly earn.
WTF should you petition to have it removed from Foxtel, if you don't like it don't watch it, but let the rest of us enjoy it.
WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.
Jigs available online in my web store!
Yewiefish85
Posts: 780
Date Joined: 02/01/11
hey "gibbs", do you go
hey "gibbs", do you go fishing mate?
hlokk
Posts: 4290
Date Joined: 04/04/08
Havent seen it myself, but is
Havent seen it myself, but is it the Swords on the Line show? I would be curious what you would think as a better method to kill a swordfish though? Perhaps theres just no other safe way? (again, I havent seen the show, nor know how they usual dispatch swordfish on commercial boats)
smash
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 01/12/10
killing swords
here for us was generally one or two shots with a .22 to slow it down, pull it onboard then with a butchers bone saw cut straight down and remove the head. Not pretty but quite quick (30 seconds?).
Incidentally-in the course of fishing for these, you see the most incredible scarring on some of them from encounters past that have healed up.
The most memorable was one that had had the entire area at the back of the gut/poohole bitten away by a shark, and healed up with its exhaust pipe coming out at 45 degrees out the side.
Faulkner Family
Posts: 17868
Date Joined: 11/03/08
each to their own. i havnt
each to their own.
i havnt seen this show but i presume its along the same line as Deadliest catch, lobstermen and others the same line, they all have killing of some sort.
As BJ said, if you dont like it , dont watch it. thats the magic of TV, always something else to watch
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Goodz
Posts: 2332
Date Joined: 20/07/09
The Swordfish that they're
The Swordfish that they're catching are a different species than the Marlin that get caught over here (tho we do get Swordfish off the coast too) and theres a big market for them as food over there in America so I dont see anything wrong with it either. Enjoy watching the show and if you've ever worked on any type of commercial fishing boat before you'd probably enjoy it too. :)
NightWolf
Posts: 641
Date Joined: 11/06/10
swords is a good show
swords is a good show nothing wrong with it they dont take what they dont need they do lots of shark tagging as well to help out
deadiest catch rocks to the size of them crabs is insain
the female captain Greenlaw she went through the perfect storm thats what insired the movie
poddyfish
Posts: 986
Date Joined: 01/05/07
commercial
if it is Swords : Life on the Line i think its not a bad show as is deadliest catch. Both programs show some unreal footage of massive seas and guys going to extremes to earn a living - as stated its commercial fishing , yes the worlds oceans would be a better fisherie for all if there wasnt commercial fishing but its there way of life.
you say you can handle deadliest catch??? wat is the difference?? you'd rather see pots chock full of 300+ crabs x 200 pot strings etc get pulled up again and again then half the catch dieing from the cold?crabs - fish ? still both harvested in massive numbers on both programs to make a buck
Fear The Spear............!
deepwater
Posts: 1921
Date Joined: 09/05/07
Depressing Swordfish fishing program on Foxtel
hi ,if it is life on the line it is a great show ,this shows how commercial fishing really is done,i have lone line out of freo {300 miles off freo} lots of big fish and weather,and we did this exactal same fishing ,we long lined tuna and got sword fish as a
if you dont like the truth DONT WATCH IT ,i have to agree with BIG JOHN
jeff
smash
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 01/12/10
I was expecting a pro fish bashing here...
I fished for swordfish off the WA coast for 5 years-and wish I had kept more footage. But you couldnt buy HD cameras like the Gopro etc back then and Ive only got about 5 hours of rough video tape to show for it.
I havent seen the show mentioned, but I can vouch that it is hard, dirty, tiring, frustrating, sometimes unrewarding, game that involves lots of money moving in one of 2 directions. Coupled with the usual crew dramas etc.
Also though one of lifes experiences that I'll never forget (or repeat!)
Jeff (Deepwater) most likely we have crossed paths somewhere along the line!
Can I add also-what is the difference between harpooning/gaffing a big fish and a smaller fish? If you believe they feel pain then why any difference?
Lastly some people dont seem to realize that in nature there is no "peaceful death" ala in a Disney movie or Bambi etc.
In nature EVERY death is violent and primal. A fish/buck/bird/shark/ant whatever eats its way as far up the foodchain as it can, and when it slows down/gets old/sick/blind/senile, it gets torn apart alive by either something bigger/smarter/faster and/or smaller and numerous like sealice and other parasites.
hemi
Posts: 349
Date Joined: 17/01/10
Watching it now and think
Watching it now and think it's a one of the betta shows on fox ....I don't think there dead when they get to the boat ....from wat I've seen anyway ...but man do they make some $$$$ off em $1000-$1200 per fish wow
big john
Posts: 8726
Date Joined: 20/07/06
Ch Ching
How's the excitement when a big tuna comes onboard hemi.
WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.
Jigs available online in my web store!
hemi
Posts: 349
Date Joined: 17/01/10
Yeh man they say tuna is
Yeh man they say tuna is worth 5 times swordfish rates .....and shark is worth half the rate but feeds em on board
gibbs
Posts: 158
Date Joined: 20/04/11
Well i guess im on my own here. haha
I think i might be turning into a bit of softy as i get older. I will stick to my word and say im not a fan of the show but obviously it has an audience, which i didn't expect to see here. Thought i would have seen a few more conservational comments.
You guys don't have to tell me that this occurs because it does and it has to happen just to sustain our way of life but personally i think it makes bad television. Not sure i would have said that 10 - 20 years ago when i wouldn't hesitate killing up to 100's Kangaroo's in a night. These days a stick to shooting rabbit's and foxes. Obviously i have a soft spot for large great animals, rather set them free then kill them these days.
Yes i fish, crab, prawn, marron, squid etc
Enjoy the killing
kane
Posts: 1752
Date Joined: 07/12/08
Have to admit I don't like the show
Another foxtel show I wouldn't watch was longliners based out of Sydney, h similar idea to swordfish.
Obviously it happens but doesn't mean it's right that it happens.
Gooooone Fishin!
mannablue
Posts: 106
Date Joined: 24/02/11
Not my cup of tea either
Not my cup of tea either mate, can't stand seeing them big billy's killed en masse like that.
Not forming any opinions on pro's, coz what the hell would I know...just don't like watching it.
Wonder how many people would 'love the show' if it was a Japanese crew? I seen a fella from some foreign country get slaughtered on here a while back for catching and keeping a sailfish to eat...but this show, no probs...go figure.
Altho just coz I don't like it, I wouldn't write a complaint about it. Turning it off is a way more sensible option.
Not all who wander are lost...
grayzeee
Posts: 2283
Date Joined: 09/07/09
interesting point manna
interesting point manna
If I spent half as long fishing , as I do reading this bloody forum , I'd be twice the fisherman I am.
hemi
Posts: 349
Date Joined: 17/01/10
Eh your probably right about
Eh your probably right about that
NightWolf
Posts: 641
Date Joined: 11/06/10
but with the show they get 2
but with the show they get 2 months a year to fish for them and that is it
carnarvonite
Posts: 8627
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Series
Bought the series a while back and love it.
Like son Jeff[ deepwater]Russ Faulkner and Smash ,I worked as a pro for many years, though not in tuna industry, find it fascinating viewing and can relate to it in many ways.
Comes down to personal choice, if you don't like it, don't watch it and don't try to push your preferences on to others who may like it.
tangles
Posts: 1367
Date Joined: 17/12/06
awsome show
i watched this show when i was in america they are outa the NE coast of the usa. and if you notice the some of the boats these guys are on and how far they go out these guys go hard! not like the cray boats we used to go out from gero on, the business class first class amazon! and when you are 220miles out off sharks bay watching 40ft breakers in 5000m of water you know you are in gods hands but shit its fun! we never killed a sword under a certain size and looked after them when we caught them! commercial fishing is a job like any other job some of us are made for the hard yakka and some you wouldnt even dream of putting on a boat like that cos theyd go over the side and all over! what an awsome experience and i would put it to some of you if you have the nuts to go out for 14 days and see how you go 21 hrs work a day! its a job that you can look back on in years gone and smile!!!! fluck i did
smash
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 01/12/10
business class first class amazon
"business class first class amazon"
been on all of them at one time or another
beau
Posts: 4104
Date Joined: 24/01/10
ive only seen a couple
ive only seen a couple episodes and thought it was great
STEVE231
Posts: 1443
Date Joined: 05/01/10
Nothing wrong with the show,
Nothing wrong with the show, it is an education if anything to those that don't know the workings of a long line boat. Sure there is plenty of fish that would be a catch of a lifetime to most on a rod and reel, but these trophy fish and other species are being hauled aboard many long line boats all around the world at any given time, unfortunately that is just the way it is.
JIM1
Posts: 318
Date Joined: 08/05/11
3 or so gaffs in one fish..
3 or so gaffs in one fish.. im thinking it is fairly humain, would kill the fish pretty quickly.
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