A few years back I was producing a fishing show, It had a Small budget. So producing means I was directing doing Audio and running the underwater camera as well. The show was called Fishin' with the Good ol' Boys. We were in Mazatlan fishing for Marlin. Our host John Shaw and Jerinmo Jergens were fishing.  It was a three Day trip and we were catching a lot of Marlin and Sail Fish. For example the first Day 10 minutes into fishing we hooked three striped Marlin at the same time! (a triple hook up every fishing shows dream) The host of our show was not used to catching anything bigger that 30lb cat fish or 6 lb Bass. This was very hard work for him to fight a 150-350lb marlin. It's more like an average of 150lb but that does not make a very good fishing story. So my hosts are working hard to catch these fish. But in their exhaustion they were not talking very much.  So it was my job to get a fishing show so I had to ride them to talk and not just huff and puff.  I became the bad guy. To get even with me, after the first day of fishing they searched the fleet for the biggest fishing pole with 300 lb line and a lead bucket. That's right as we like to call it, the  Ol' Bucket trick. So they instructed the crew and waited to make their play. Now remember, I had given them a hard time about not talking enough.

It was not until the last day in the afternoon when we had caught more bill fish than we could use in 5 shows, did they spring their trap. I was taking pictures at the front of the boat when the captain yelled, "Fish On!"

So I ran to the back of the boat to start working when Jerinmo suggested, "why not give Dave a chance to fight a fish?" As planned John quickly agreed and also suggested, "let's see how much talking you can do while you are landing a fish." Being Male and a fisherman  I quickly suggested a lot more than you. The game was on!

Boy did I talk, but my biggest mistake was stating they don't call me "Big Fish Jones" for nothing!

The fight went on for over a 3/4 of an hour, and every time the bucket would get close the Captain would gun the motor and I would loss all the line I had just gained. But with camera's rolling and newspaper writers on deck, not to mention the hosts' tossing challenges my way. I had super human strength!...... I had no idea who was being reeled in.

 I kept fighting and declaring how good a fisherman I was. I did not know what happening, I do not know what toke place first, I lost my strength or they just couldn't keep a straight face any longer. They moved to the back of the boat so they could "gaff the fish." Jerinmo gaffed the bucket in all it's glory. I was in shock, I had seen lot's of Marlin caught, but I still had not caught one myself. In that split second before the shock had worn off,  the whole crew had climbed to the upper decks of the boat. It saved all of their lives. Did I mention that I am 6'5 250 pounds? Yea they would have been toast. My arms were so tired I could not climb the ladder to the upper decks. Needless to say I calmed down, and no blood was shed.

I must state for the record it was a great joke. I personally am not mean enough to do it to someone else, but it was a great joke. I did how ever get the last laugh. I was able to edit it into a show that got the best rating of the entire 10 years of the series every time it aired. Their was one side effect every time I went into a tackle shop for the years to come, everyone in the store would yell, " Hey it's Big fish Jones!"

  The show is now on YouTUBE: use key words Fishing Bucket Show