A True Whopper Of A Fish Tale
5/22/2005 9:28:47 AM by SUSAN COCKING
For more than a week, the South Florida recreational fishing community was abuzz with the mystical (and perhaps, mythical) story of the sailfish and the ring. This remarkable story weaves together the universal themes of lost love, found fish and seemingly impossible luck. The tale is so fantastic that Ripleys has expressed an interest. The principal characters all volunteered to take polygraphs.
On December 28, 2002, three close friends, Jamie Artzt, Eric Bartos, and Blake Liebeskind, went sailfishing on Liebeskinds boat, Running Barely, off Fort Lauderdale. Bartos was a bit preoccupied because his marriage was breaking up. The three decided that if they caught a sailfish, they would hold an informal ceremony: They would put Bartos gold wedding band around the fishs bill before letting it go.
To mark an end and beginning to chapters in his life, said Artzt. It happened a few hours later. A sailfish ate one of Running Barelys kite baits, and Bartos fought the fish to the boat. Quickly, the men slipped the ring over the bill and let it go.
I put the ring on the bill. It went on a little crooked. Jamie got a bunch of pictures, Bartos recalled. I do remember thinking to myself, The fish was bleeding a little. I hoped someone would catch it [again]. I kind of blew it off and never expected to hear about it again.
Fast-forward more than two years to Jan. 22, 2005. The same three friends, along with Artzts brother-inlaw, Joe Hupp, and friend John Rogers, were fishing in the Miami Beach Rod & Reel Clubs Interclub Sailfish Challenge aboard Artzts boat, Pineapple. It had been a very slow day for the crew a few noneligible fish caught no sails.
Shortly before lines-out, the crew found itself off Fowey Light with one kite holding three baits one of them a goggle-eye on the long bait that Liebeskind had spat on for good luck.
With one minute to go in the tournament, the men saw a sailfish emerge and eat the goggle-eye. Bartos grabbed the rod. They radioed the hookup to tournament official Dan Kipnis and left the other two baits in the water, hoping for a double hookup. The lines tangled, and the crew thought they had lost the fish. But Bartos kept reeling, and pretty soon, the line came tight again with the fish still on. At least they would not end the tournament fishless.
We cleared all the rods and sea anchor and began to chase the fish as it started an aerial show off to the south, Artzt said. He estimated the battle lasted about 10 minutes.
Wearing gloves, Liebeskind grabbed the leader for the release.
As I started pulling the fish in, I yelled, Oh my gosh! Its the ring fish! Liebeskind said.
There was stunned silence for a couple of seconds. Then Artzt yelled for Liebeskind to boat the fish so he could snap some photos. Everyone started asking Bartos whether he wanted his ring back.
I was in shock, Bartos said.
Artzt said the bill had grown around the ring a little not unlike a ring that fit on your hand some years and many pounds ago.
Bartos decided to keep the ring as a trophy. He and Liebeskind managed to pull it off. One of Artzts photos purports to show the indentation of the ring on the bill as they let it go.
The story made the rounds that night at the Rod & Reel Club and the next day online on the Florida Sportsman Forum. Liebeskind stopped to buy lottery tickets his way home to Jupiter from the tournament. Surprisingly, his numbers didnt win.
For the first couple of days after the incident, Bartos now divorced wore the ring on his right hand much to the consternation of his girlfriend, Yanina Lepre.
My girlfriend says its a sign I should marry her, Bartos said. Im still shell-shocked.
The story met with a great deal of wonder and skepticism which the three men took in stride.
We are people of integrity, Liebeskind said. To make up a story, what benefit does it get us? I believe theres fate, but just the odds are crazy. One goggle-eye. One minute left in the tournament. The three of us fishing together. Eric on the rod. What are the odds? People need to tell us what it means because we dont know.
One expert who believed the story was plausible is Dr. Eric Prince, billfish scientist at NOAA Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center on Virginia Key.
Prince, who has been tagging and studying billfish since 1980, said he has heard of rare instances of an angler tagging and releasing a billfish and then recapturing the same fish some time later.
It is very unusual, but not unheard of, Prince said. It doesnt surprise me. You dont hear bull coming out of my mouth.
Prince explained that sailfish are the most abundant of species tagged and released since the Cooperative Gamefish Tagging Program was launched more than 50 years ago at Massachusetts Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Sails tend to frequent coastal waters where almost anyone with a 20-foot boat is capable of catching them.
Still, Prince said, the odds are extremely remote & probably once in a lifetime. This guy won the lottery.
Bartos was overwhelmingly truthful, according to polygraph examiner Doug Reno, who announced the results live Monday morning, Feb. 7, on BIG 105.9s Paul and Young Ron Show.
The announcement also was carried live on NBCs Today Show. Youre Lord of the Ring, Today Show host Anne Curry told Bartos.
Said Bartos: Most people who know me believe the story.
Reno administered the polygraph test to Bartos for more than two hours at the Plantation offices of Leonard Bierman & Associates. Bierman, himself a world-class game fisherman, reviewed the results and concurred with Reno that Bartos told the truth.
BIG 105.9 paid for the test, which cost about $900. Host Paul Castronovo wanted to know what Bartos would do with the ring and whether he would get married to his girlfriend, Yanina Lepre.
Ive got a really good girlfriend, Bartos said. I probably will get married again. Time will tell.
As for the ring, he said he keeps it at home with his fishing trophies.
His friends have suggested he sell it on eBay or perhaps donate it to the International Game Fish Association museum in Dania Beach.
If they approach me, well talk about it, Bartos answered.
One person who never doubted Bartos story is his ex-wife, Susan Bartos.
I believed it from the start, she said. Im really glad for him. Finally, hell get some notoriety for his fishing. Its great. Maybe this is a sign of us not to remarry or get back together but to make peace.