InTheBite

  • Home
  • News
    • All News
    • Featured Stories
    • General News
    • Captain of the Year
    • Tournament Results
    • First Builds
    • Splash Reports
    • Old Salts Rule
    • Tackle Tips
    • Dock Talk
    • Crew Records
    • Conservation
  • Tournaments
    • Calendar
    • Captain of the Year
    • Champion’s Cup
  • Shop
    • All Products
    • Subscriptions
    • Back Issues
    • Shirts
    • Hats & Visors
    • Miscellaneous
    • Release Rulers
  • Classifieds
  • Job Board
  • Contact
    • Contact InTheBite
    • InTheBite Media Kit
  • Log in

Dock Walk: Los Suenos Leg III

April 4, 2017 By InTheBite Editor

Text and Photos By Elliott Stark

“You want some cervezas for the ride?”  This was the message I received from Juan Francisco Barquero, or Tuti as he is known. He runs the Smoke, out of Los Suenos, and a transport company to and from the airport. As I wouldn’t be driving and the authorities in Costa Rica don’t frown on open containers, it seemed like a pretty reasonable approach. Sure, please I said. Tuti’s driver would transport me from the airport in San Jose to Los Suenos and the condo that Darryl Shroeder, owner of the 80′ Bayliss Dream Time, was generous enough to offer up. The situation was about as hospitable a start to a trip as you can get.

Then there was Los Suenos itself.

official-score

Day one of fishing produced something pretty fascinating. Captain John LaGrone was running the Pelese. A blue marlin came up and attached the teaser. LaGrone held on the line coming out of the teaser reel and dug in. This fish attacked the teaser forcefully and pulled quite a bit harder than most. Ultimately the fish switched and the boat released a 200-pound blue. As the crew redeployed the teaser, it swam strangely. Pulling it back in, they discovered the reason for the odd swimming of the teaser and why the fish pulled the teaser with such force.

Embedded in the teaser was a custom made four-pronged hook. It was fashioned by welding two fang hooks together. LaGrone know that Captain Devin Silas aboard the Shoe pulled a greenstick. At the dock, the guys compared notes and sure enough two days prior the Shoe released a 200-pound blue marlin that ate a rubber squid on the greenstick. The fish went nuts by the boat so retrieving the hook the first time was not safe.

greenstick

Fast forward a couple of days, to day one of the tournament, one the exposed hooks lodged itself in the Pelese’s teaser. When LaGrone wrapped up on the fish, the force pulled the teaser out of the fish’s mouth, snatching out the greenstick hook as it went. Andy Moyes, who was working the cockpit on the Pelese, described the situation accurately, “He traded a treble hook for a circle hook.”

We had scheduled to present the International Division of the Captain of the Year Cup award to Capt. Victor Julio Lopez at the dock after day one. The Tranquilo team made great arrangements, inviting the families of Lopez and mates Daniel Arrieta and Hanzel Mendez. They also bought a daily platter from Jimmy T.

tranquilo-award-boat

Photo courtesy Pepper Ailor.

tranquilo-boat-award-2

Photo courtesy Pepper Ailor

A tournament at Los Suenos is nearly as much about who is there as what is caught. This round was no different.

Captain John Bayliss at the helm of the Tarheel.

Captain John Bayliss at the helm of the Tarheel.

Tournament juggernaut, the Duffie family. Repeat Los Suenos Triple Crown Champions

Tournament juggernaut, the Duffie family. Repeat Los Suenos Triple Crown Champions

agitator

Renowned Marine Artist, and the man behind the new InTheBite Captain of the Year Logo, Steve Goione.

Renowned Marine Artist, and the man behind the new InTheBite Captain of the Year Logo, Steve Goione. Photo courtesy Pepper Ailor.

The guys behind the awesome and hilarious videos produced on the Singularis.

The guys behind the awesome and hilarious videos produced on the Singularis.

Paul Spencer and the crew of the Shoe, a 62’ Spencer, were nice enough to invite me to be the tower man on days two and three of the tournament.

Paul Spencer and the crew of the Shoe, a 62’ Spencer, were nice enough to invite me to be the tower man on days two and three of the tournament. Pictured are: Mario, Brad Wachowiak, Paul Spencer, Dale Miles, Don Schumacher, and Johnny Fuentes.

Capt. Ian Wichers getting after them on the Outlaw.

Capt. Ian Wichers getting after them on the Outlaw.

The Sea Angel went on to win the tournament.  The Angel family’s awards speeches highlighted many of the great reasons why fishing is such a great family activity. A couple of days after celebrating his birthday at Los Suenos, Greg Angel, the family’s patriarch, found himself surrounded by his wife and sons describing how winning the tournament with his sons was a longtime dream of his.

Capt. BC Angel led the Sea Angel to a come from behind victory in Leg III.

Capt. BC Angel led the Sea Angel to a come from behind victory in Leg III. Photo courtesy Pepper Ailor.

The Sea Angel in full celebration at the awards.

The Sea Angel in full celebration at the awards. Photo courtesy Pepper Ailor.

During the tournament’s awards ceremony, Los Suenos was gracious enough to have us officially present the Captain of the Year Award to Victor. The bright lights and large stage provided a well-deserved platform for Lopez. As the first ever Costa Rican captain to win a Captain of the Year Award, it was the perfect platform to showcase his achievements.

The Tranquilo recognized at the awards ceremony

The Tranquilo recognized at the awards ceremony. Photo courtesy of Pepper Ailor.

After the tournament, we had the chance to visit the Maverick Yachts facility. It was a fascinating experience. In addition to building boats, Maverick operates an active charter fleet and is now the Central American distributor for BaitMasters. Larry Drivon provided a thorough run through of the new Maverick 50’ and explained how they can take a prospective boat owner to the forests of Limon and actually select the trees to use on the boat. The forestry service then harvest the tree, mills it and ships rough cut lumber to the factory. It is an interesting operation.

The Maverick 50 and a bright hulled travel yacht

The Maverick 50 and a bright hulled travel yacht

The bright hulled travel yacht is finished without mechanical fasteners.

The bright hulled travel yacht is finished without mechanical fasteners.

The Maverick yard

The Maverick yard

Pick your tree, have it cut and shipped to Maverick for final processing.

Pick your tree, have it cut and shipped to Maverick for final processing.

As the world usually works, before long the trip is over. Catching up with Tuti again, stopping to see the crocs in the Tarcoles River. Flying back with a mind full of fresh perspective.  Wondrous.

Sorry fellas, no chicken here...

Sorry fellas, no chicken here…

 

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Do you have any comments or questions for us? We’d love to hear from you.

    Filed Under: Dock Talk, Featured Stories, News

    Recent News

    Last Day Marlin Wins World Record Payout … Again

    For the second year in a row, the last white marlin weighed netted a world record purse. In 2021, Sushi out of Ocean City, MD, took the top white marlin at the last minute and at the time collected (a then world record payout) of $3,200,000 for … [Read More...]

    The CY55 on the water.

    CY55 Debuts From Composite Yacht

    The new Composite Yacht CY55 reaches a top speed of 54.9 knots, a speed potentially not yet seen by conventionally driven diesel sportfishing boats. Lou Codega and Associates had this goal in mind when they designed this high-performance hull. To … [Read More...]

    A dock at night lit by the light from a ship's tower.

    The 24-Hour First Mate: Boat Monitoring Technology

    By Steve Katz Don’t you wish you had a mate who could work 24 hours a day without tiring, in all conditions, checking on the boat and all its systems, for little pay? Well, with today’s advanced electronic remote boat monitoring and managing sys … [Read More...]

    Scania-Powered Blackwell Boatworks’ New 50 XL

    Blackwell Boatworks' new 50 XL features a pair of Scania DI13 304M 900 HP engines, to be commissioned by Scania Dealer, Down Jersey Marine Services in Greenwich, New Jersey.  UNPARALLELED OWNERSHIP EXPERIENCE 98% PARTS AVAILABILITY 98% parts … [Read More...]

    The unfinished hull of the Lunatico.

    Splash Report: Lunatico

    Titan Yachts’ latest endeavor, the 63-foot Lunatico, charged straight out of the marina like a blue marlin chasing a livey from the moment it touched the water. Jokingly referred to as the “Splash and Go,” the Lunatico set out for the Bahamas two days … [Read More...]

    Leave a Reply

    Connect With InTheBite

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Subscribe to InTheBite Magazine Today!

    InTheBite Magazine Current Issue Cover

    Our latest issue is hitting the docks now! Be sure to subscribe to the hottest bluewater mag on the market. Purchase or Subscribe »

    InTheBite Champion’s Cup

    InTheBite Champions Cup Logo

    New for 2022, the Champion’s Cup is an optional paid entry with a winner-takes-all prize format for teams who want to up the stakes in each division utilizing our longstanding tournament scoring formula.

    Captain of the Year Cup Standings

    COTY / ITB Cup Logo

    News

    • Last Day Marlin Wins World Record Payout … Again

      Last Day Marlin Wins World Record Payout … Again

      For the second year in a row, the last white marlin weighed netted a world record purse. In 2021, Sushi out of Ocean City, MD, took the top white marlin at the last minute and at the time collected (a then world record payout) of $3,200,000 for catching a fish. That record payout lasted just 10 months when angler Matthew... [Read More...]

    • CY55 Debuts From Composite Yacht

      CY55 Debuts From Composite Yacht

      The new Composite Yacht CY55 reaches a top speed of 54.9 knots, a speed potentially not yet seen by conventionally driven diesel sportfishing boats. Lou Codega and Associates had this goal in mind when they designed this high-performance hull. To endure the loads a boat of this size and weight must support at these speeds, the vessel has a carbon... [Read More...]

    • The 24-Hour First Mate: Boat Monitoring Technology

      The 24-Hour First Mate: Boat Monitoring Technology

      By Steve Katz Don’t you wish you had a mate who could work 24 hours a day without tiring, in all conditions, checking on the boat and all its systems, for little pay? Well, with today’s advanced electronic remote boat monitoring and managing systems, you can have all of this and more, and let your mate get back to rigging... [Read More...]

    • Splash Report: Lunatico

      Splash Report: Lunatico

      Titan Yachts’ latest endeavor, the 63-foot Lunatico, charged straight out of the marina like a blue marlin chasing a livey from the moment it touched the water. Jokingly referred to as the “Splash and Go,” the Lunatico set out for the Bahamas two days after it splashed. In a hurry to make it to Marsh Harbour to participate in Skip’s... [Read More...]

    • Tackle Tips: DIY Outrigger Tune Up

      Tackle Tips: DIY Outrigger Tune Up

      By Dale Wills Coastal Riggings President Brendon Ziemba, along with his brother Preston, have been specializing in outrigger installation, repair and maintenance for 25 years. Before watching Brendon get into his work, I had no idea an outrigger could be broken down into so many different parts. Watching them disassemble, service and reassemble a pair of 3-spreader outriggers was an... [Read More...]

    Search InTheBite

    Copyright © 2022 InTheBite, LLC · All Rights Reserved.