Ouch!!

From USA Today, 6/21:

"A one-year fishing license for North Carolina residents costs $15. For out-of-staters, it's $30. And because a crew member didn't have one in the Big Rock Blue Marlin Fishing Tournament it apparently will cost the winning boat $912,825 in prize money.

"It hurts," said Andy Thomossan, whose Citation boat caught an 883-pound blue marlin. "We didn't do anything wrong. But one of our people did. He failed to get a fishing license, but we didn't know it. He told us he had it. He didn't. So you take a man for his word, you know?"

Thomossan declined to identify the crew member, according to the Jacksonville Daily News, said there would be no leeway granted by officials of the $1.66 million tournament.

"They're taking it away, everything," Thomossan said. "The fish is disqualified. We're disqualified. So that's the end of it."

Under tournament rules, anyone fishing aboard a vessel must have a North Carolina fishing license, including the captain, the mate and anglers."