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- 8-YEAR OLD BOY CATCHES 365 POUND MARLIN
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- What may very well be the heaviest blue marlin ever to be caught anywhere
in the world weighed in at Marina Cay, British Virgin Islands on August
19.
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- The 365.2 pounder was caught in the North Drop by 8-year old angler
Jeffrey Wettengel of Southern Maryland USA, who is a regular visitor to
the territory.
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- Jeffrey has been coming to the BVI to visit his grandparents Eddie
and Conniee Wettengel on Great Camanoe since he was an infant. His grandfather
Eddie has been fishing for blue marlin for many years. Jeffrey is a member
of the International Game Fishing Association (IGFA), which has been promoting
the education of all fishermen and in particular recreational fishermen
as well as the public, to pursue this in a manner consistent with sound
sporting and conservation practices. Most of the marlin caught are tagged
and released.
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- The IGFA established guidelines for record fish and has included an
area for young adults and small
- children known as juniors (ages 11-16) and small fry (ages 0-10). Jeffrey
is in the small fry division.
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- The world record blue marlin that he had to beat was a 327lb marlin
caught in Black River, Mauritius on
- 14 April 1998. He first tried last fall but was unable to succeed.
He made two trips to the BVI this year and on his second trip, it happened.
Jeffrey caught and released four fish in July as they were not big enough
for the record, but on August 19, he caught a large blue marlin which was
brought on board the boat 'Salt Shaker', killed and taken to Marina Cay
for official weigh-in. And it weighed a whopping 365.2lbs!
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- The marlin was hooked by Jeffrey at 8:42am and it took until 9:10am,
a total fight time of 28 minutes, for him to bring it to the boat, with
the assistance of his father Tommy Wettengel.
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- Eddie Wettengel, owner and captain of the boat 'Salt Shaker', is not
only the proud grandfather of a pending world record holder, but already
had his boat mentioned in the world record book for a blue marlin caught
by Cari Loveland in October of 1997 on the North Drop, BVI. Cari was in
the female junior division.
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- Jeffrey's grandmother, an uncle and a first cousin all had the pleasure
of also witnessing him accomplish
- this feat and are all very proud and happy.
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