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

Capt. Art Sapp, Native Son: No Stranger to Victory

June 22, 2020 By InTheBite Editor

Photo courtesy Endless Imagery

Contender Florida Division 

Capt. Art Sapp

Native SonHomeport: Hillsboro Inlet, Florida

Boat: 39 Sea Vee

Power: Quad 350 Mercury Verados

Silver Sailfish Derby, 2nd Place; Sailfish Challenge, 1st Place. 800 points in total.

Captain Art Sapp is no stranger to victory in south Florida sailfish tournaments. Year in, year out Sapp has found himself among the leaders of the pack. What has changed for Sapp is his ownership stake in the boat that he runs.

Sapp and Mike Lamb, the lead angler in the Native Son’s tournament line up, are 50/50 partners in the boat. When it’s not tournament fishing, Sapp runs charters out of the well-appointed 39 Sea Vee (www.NativeSonFishing.com).

Sapp’s team for the 2019 Sailfish Challenge is a familiar one. “Ninety-five percent of the time we have the same team for tournaments. It’s a bunch of buddies that are really into it,” he explains.

The tournament line up included first mate Jim DeMarco, second mate Chris Kniskern, lead angler and owner Mike Lamb and anglers Jim Steel, Rob Degnian, Mike Gula, Chad Troncali, Bernard Paul-Haus, Keith McDonald, and Jay Jones. “We have more guys than rods, but we make it work,” Sapp says with a laugh.

Like most everyone fishing the Quest for the Crest series, the Native Son is highly proficient with the kites. The prevailing conditions for the tournament included lots of sargassum. “The key to this tournament was that we didn’t freak out over the weed. It’s been awful. We were shaking weed constantly,” Sapp explains.

Weed on kite baits can be particularly troublesome, as removing it often involves alternatively raising the bait out of the water and allowing leaders to enter the water in the hopes that the weed will float off. Leaders in the water while kite fishing often means one thing. “We had a lot of fish get wrapped up (in the leader)…lots of line in the water shaking weed.

We got a lot of bites in the weed, and the guys really worked hard. We could have gotten down on ourselves from missing fish that we wrapped up, but the guys didn’t. They worked really hard.”

“Mike Lamb had a walk-off. He hooked the winning fish with two minutes left in the tournament. He had just missed the winning fish 20 minutes earlier in a wrap-up scenario,” Sapp describes. The Sailfish Challenge was a closely contested affair for much of the event. The Native Son would need every one of their 20 sailfish to win.

“We were back and forth since mid-day of day one with Good Call. We retook the lead in the last two minutes. They are good guys, we’re good friends. That makes the rivalry great. We finished the tournament a half-mile apart and had a meet up offshore before we headed in. It was a special moment.”

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

 

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

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

    Filed Under: Featured Stories, General News, News Tagged With: Art Sapp, native son, Quest for the Crest, sailfish tournament

    Recent News

    International Game Fish Association Announces 2023 Tommy Gifford Award Winners

    Dania Beach, FL—The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) today announced its 2023 Tommy Gifford Award winners, an annually bestowed accolade that recognizes captains, guides or crew members who have made extraordinary contributions to r … [Read More...]

    Costa Rica’s Largest and Richest Fishing Tournament

    Quepos, Costa Rica—The 7th Annual Pelagic Rockstar Offshore Tournament makes Costa Rican and Central American sportfishing history two years running! With a record-setting 94 teams and 553 anglers catching and releasing 1,131 billfish for more than $ … [Read More...]

    A Taste of Sportfishing: Blue Crab Claw Rolls

    By Holly Hearn of Game Girl Gourmet Blue water and blue crabs. These two things pair beautifully in the case of this blue crab claw roll. The rolls are light, sweet, savory and just a little bit spicy. This makes them the perfect lunchtime … [Read More...]

    The Masters Celebrate 60 Years in Style

    Costa Rica never disappoints; calm seas, a world class fleet and fast billfishing for 30 Master Anglers who gathered together at Los Suenos on January 24th for the annual boat draw. Veteran anglers welcomed five "freshmen" into the club and after … [Read More...]

    Pelagic’s Vaportek Fishing Shirt

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B32l2Wwscak Check out the video to see why Pelagic’s Vaportek is the lightest and most breathable fishing shirt. The Vaportek Fishing Shirt features full-length fine-mesh vented panels that allow for optimal airflow … [Read More...]

    Leave a Reply

    Connect With InTheBite

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Subscribe to InTheBite Magazine Today!

    InTheBite current cover image

    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

    • Proposed 10-Knot Restrictions

      Proposed 10-Knot Restrictions

      It’s Not Over! The Viking Yacht Company and the marine industry’s grassroots campaign to stop the advancement of a proposed 10-knot restriction along the Eastern Seaboard continues into 2023. And now, thanks to the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), we have a tool at our disposal that makes it super easy to make your voice heard. In one click, send a pre-written letter... [Read More...]

    • Old Salt: Capt. Eddie Herbert

      Old Salt: Capt. Eddie Herbert

      By Carol M. Bareuther, RD The moon and stars shone brightly in the pre-dawn night as Capt. Eddie Herbert started the engines on the 80-foot Merritt Reel Tight. His destination, the Virgin Islands’ North Drop. Reel Tight owner Jim Lambert Sr. took his passion for fishing seriously. He wanted to be first off the dock so he could catch and... [Read More...]

    • Splash Report: Bayliss Boatworks' Overtime

      Splash Report: Bayliss Boatworks' Overtime

      Every boat built by Bayliss Boatworks is a truly custom project. In the case of Overtime, the newest 67’ 6’’ build to hit the water, the sportfisher is the weapon of choice for a Cabo-San-Lucas-based program. With the help of the experienced captain and owner team, Bayliss Boatworks designed a sportfishing yacht unique enough to meet the demands of conquering... [Read More...]

    • First Build: Jarrett Bay's Sensation

      First Build: Jarrett Bay's Sensation

      By Nichole Osinski "If you’d asked me when I was 16 years old if I was going to build a boat, I would have told you you’re crazy," says Jarrett Bay Founder and President Randy Ramsey when recalling his 30-plus year career in the boat building industry. But to understand how the company has risen to where it is today,... [Read More...]

    • InTheBite Christmas Gift Offers

      InTheBite Christmas Gift Offers

      In addition to the other products listed below, InTheBite is offering two amazing holiday gift deals: a free gift subscription and a hat, shirt and sticker bundle. Act now before the offer ends on December 24th at midnight! Christmas Special: Hat, Shirt & Sticker Bundle (While Supplies Last) Looking for the perfect holiday gift for the fisherman in your life?... [Read More...]

    Search InTheBite

    Copyright © 2023 InTheBite, LLC · All Rights Reserved.