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Bizarre Story of How ‘One of the World’s Rarest Fish’ Was Stolen From Its Rightful Anglers

Nov. 12, 2012 11:46am Liz Klimas

A species of fish unseen for two decades in the waters near Cabo San Lucas in Mexico was caught at the beginning of the month. But just as the fish itself is rare, so too is the unusual story of how it was stolen from the men who purportedly caught it.

Here’s how the tale played out, according to Sport Fishing magazine. On Nov. 1, Joe Estrada of San Antonio, Texas, Wayne Tauer and Greg Graham set out on the “Dr. Pescado II” when they saw a fish acting strangely at the surface. Pulling up next to it, they saw how unusual the fish was but also that it was missing half of its tail, meaning it probably wouldn’t survive in nature. Gaffing the creature, they brought it on board.

How Fishermen Spotting a Rare Louvar Fish in Cabo Missed Out on Its Prized Meat After It Was Stolen

The fish was eventually identified as a louvar, a type known for being very good to eat. (Photo: Joe Estrada via Sport Fishing magazine)

“The fish was up on the surface and swimming in circles, it was missing a part of it’s tail and there was obviously something wrong with it,” Estrada said according to the blog Pisces Fleet Sportfishing. The blog has more pictures of the fish here.

Although they didn’t initially know what the red-orange, Mahi-shaped fish was, the captain of the boat reportedly said it was good eating.

Given that the boat wasn’t carrying ice, Estrada said he and his friends wanted to bring it back immediately, but the captain suggested they pass of the fish to another boat heading in to shore and that they stay out longer. This is what they did.

But when the group headed back to the docks after successfully bringing in other fish, going in search for their prior unusual catch, they found a person on the Marina II had claimed the catch.

This photo shows the captain of the Marina II posing next to the Louvar, which was actually found by another boat. (Photo via Pisces Fleet Sportfishing)

Here’s how it went down according to Sport Fishing magazine:

A photo quickly began circulating that showed the fish and next to it (considerably smaller) a man holding a chalk brag board listing the fish by its Latin name, slightly misspelled, with a weight as 300 pounds, and the angler as Josue Moreno (also listed as captain).

[...]

A while after that, Estrada and his group returned to the dock, anxious to see their mystery fish, get photos and start packaging up fillets. They were shown the photo I mention above — and that was all that remained of the louvar.

“They had filleted the fish and divided it up among everyone at the marina! The crew of the Marina II claimed they had caught the fish, so it was theirs to give away.

“But what could we do?” laments Estrada. “We were in another country. The fish was gone.”

Estrada took footage showing the fish being connected to a buoy and sent to the boat that would take it in. In the footage, he says “Let it be known that we caught this fish”:

It turns out the fish was a Louvar imperialis, which Sport Fishing magazine calls “one of the world’s rarest fish.” It hasn’t been caught in Cabo since the 1990s. The California Department of Fish and Game described it in a 2001 handout as a solitary fish, which would mean few would be caught at one time. The handout says the flesh of the fish is a delicate, white meat with a mild flavor considered one of the most tasty fishes. Due to its rarity, it is generally not seen in fish markets.

To Pisces Fleet Sportfishing, Estrada said that he’s glad the fish didn’t go to waste and that many were fed by its 300 pounds, but he wishes he had trusted his instinct in the situation.

“I knew we should have headed back straight away with that fish and insisted upon it,” Estrada said. “All these guys work hard for a living and you can’t put everybody in same category, just because of one bad apple.”

(H/T: Grind TV)

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Comments (38)

grayling646
Posted on November 13, 2012 at 12:10am
That’s nothing. You should have seen the fish I caught last weekend. It was thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat long.

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- Miami
  Posted on November 14, 2012 at 1:17am
  You do see the pic. on the boat…? Right…?
  
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biffo
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 10:15pm
Mexicans are fundamentally dishonest. They prove it as they steal all our resources without a blink of an eye. They claim to be a religious country except for the thou shall not steal part. They are liars and thieves, they hate America for it’s success, and strive to take as much as possible from the good taxpaying Americans. For every good Pedro you hear about there are ten thieves. Just because they are old, illiterate, and helpless looking doesn’t mean that they aren’t taking everything they can from the good taxpayers. Anyone who goes to Mexico deserves what they get. Anyone who spends a dime in Mexico is a traitor, aka democrat.

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- captured sailor
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 10:21am
  America is pretty good at stealing other country’s resources as well, and as for anyone going to Mexico is a traitor, aka Democrat, do you really believe that only democrats go to Mexico. You are a typical Beck/Fox fool who thinks that all Dems are bad and all Repubs are wonderful.
  
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- SILAS
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 1:56pm
  @Capturedsailor While I disagree with the post that you are attempting to disparage, you yourself should look in the mirror for awhile in regards to your idiotic statement about who you “imagine yourself believing” are Fox News Watchers………you and he BELONG IN THAT SAME BOAT. Wake up and smell that stinky bait you are using.
  
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- SILAS
  Posted on November 13, 2012 at 1:59pm
  @Capturedsailor While I also disagree with the post that you are attempting to disparage, you yourself should look in the mirror for awhile in regards to your idiotic statement about who you “imagine yourself believing” are Fox News Watchers………you and he BELONG IN THAT SAME BOAT. Wake up and smell that stinky bait you are using.
  
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stinkydroolface
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 7:50pm
You didnt catch that!! Someone had to put them fish in the water. Someone else provided you with those waterways. And a boat. I dont know why you’re against amnesty for those fish. Those fish didnt do anything wrong. They are there legally. What about all those baby fish. Guppys. You going to catch them too.

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IMaTELLaU
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 6:47pm
Why do Americans bother going south of the border?

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Arnold_Ziffel
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 6:12pm
Fair trade: One rare fish worth lots o cash for 2 mexican nads…

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Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 2:52pm
It was not just floating on the surface without a tail fin.It was waiting for its legs to evolve.

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Mr.Fitnah
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 2:47pm
Ice don’t leave home without it.

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g56
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 1:38pm
Its a stretch to say they “caught” the fish when it was floating on the surface in obvious distress, catching a fish involves using bait and a hook, not netting a fish on the surface that can’t even swim away. They did get to it first, so they have a claim on it, they found it, but they didn’t catch it using normal sport fishing methods.

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- Despiser25
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 2:44pm
  Liberalspeak…
  
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- sillyfreshness
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 2:49pm
  Boy those Mexicans sure are honest. Glad we’re letting them flood into the US to bring their honest culture up here.
  
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- RRFlyer
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 5:18pm
  You didn’t write that comment. You may think you did, but you didn’t. Someone else wrote it and published it, you are just a pawn
  
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chucksue351
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 12:38pm
i sent a email to the wheel of fortune game show to stop sending quests to mexico a year ago, they finally did haven’t seen one mexico vacation prize in a long time, adios narco state

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- muffythetuffy
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 12:47pm
  THAT FISH MAY HAVE LIVED IN MEXICAN WATERS
  
  That angler is lucky, that fish may be poisonous and will make sick those Mexicans. Everything from Mexico is dangerous to your health.
  
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Old Ogre
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 12:28pm
Got what they deserved, Support the Mexican tourist economy you get what you pay for. I guess what goes on in Mexico stays in Mexico!

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Old Ogre
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 12:25pm
Got what they deserved for taking their money south of the boarder and supporting the Mexican economy. I think its funnier than hell!

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- DadRocked
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 12:40pm
  I read this and watched the video yesterday – I too thought the same.
  
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do_in_it_2
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 12:24pm
He’s gonna have halibut of a time catching the piano tuna who ran off with his carp he is such a bass….At least he didn’t steal his wife’s perch.

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nonofmybiznez
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 12:21pm
Redistribution…

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Polarized America
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 12:10pm
.
…>=))))-*> * * * >=))))-*> * * * >=))))-*> * * * >=))))-*> * * * >=))))-*> * * * >=))))-*> * * * gulp

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turbo
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 12:05pm
Do Mexican fishing charters accept EBT cards?

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- DadRocked
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 12:44pm
  Who doesn’t ? ♪ ♫ EBT Cards – Don’t leave the country without one. ♪ ♫
  
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- DadRocked
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 12:47pm
  With Alec Baldwin doing the commercial
  
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- starview
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 2:17pm
  I don;t think the boat charters take the EBT card, but I do know the bars, and brothels do. ;-)
  
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banjarmon
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 12:02pm
South of the Border….Honest People….YEeeAaaH right!!

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RANGER1965
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 12:02pm
Smells fishy to me.

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- SUNTZU
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 12:19pm
  May belong to state dept.
  The video could start a war.
  
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- chips1
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 12:58pm
  Just a small war. It will be scaled down.
  
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Lesterp
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 12:01pm
Sounds fishy!

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Big Media Bias
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 11:59am
Mexican fishing charters are a joke. You pay big bucks to fish for everything and anything. You do NOT get to keep your catch. The captain of the boat keeps it, then sells it to the local restaurants and sometimes markets in Japan. You are suppose to get a specific number of pounds of that fish, frozen, shipped back to your home. What you get is NOT the fish you caught. It’s always some garbage fish that restaurants would never buy. Just remember, you are going there to catch a fish. Don’t ever expect anything more than that. It’s all fraud down there.

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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 11:58am
Incredible – just shows how far some people will go to claim credit for a catch that is not theirs by right (the second skipper)

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- Despiser25
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 2:46pm
  Not surprising at all. Its what Liberals do everyday.
  
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BlackCrow
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 11:57am
Stay out of Mexico.

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- SPIN_MD
  Posted on November 12, 2012 at 5:29pm
  You don’t need to go to Mexico any more. Just go to southern California or Mexifornia as I like to call it.
  
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marvlus
Posted on November 12, 2012 at 11:54am
Whale of a story!

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