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. Ronnie Riebe and the HT Hook

July 6, 2020 By InTheBite Editor

Photo courtesy ©Los Sueños Resort and Marina • Photographer: PepperAilor

Capt. Ronnie Riebe Scandalous (fishing on HT Hook)

Homeport: Jupiter, Florida
Boat: 2015 62’ Viking
Power: C32 Caterpillars/1925 per side
Los Sueños Signature Billfish Series, Leg 1, 1st Place, 500 Pts.

Capt. Ronnie Riebe had not planned to fish in the 2020 Los Sueños Signature Triple Crown. But when he got a call the Wednesday before the tournament saying the crew of the Scandalous needed a boat, he knew what was going to happen.

It’s this kind of situation that makes the HT Hook an outlier in the fishing world. While the boat’s owner, Harry Shufflebarger, may not fish tournaments anymore, Riebe says he always tries to keep the boat available for a team in need of a boat and a captain. The HT Hook, is named for the boss, a man who was known as “Harry the Hook” for many years.

That was how at the start of Leg I, Riebe—who has worked for the Shufflebarger family for almost 21 years—along with his first mate, Wailyn Vargas, and second mate, Jacob Provo, combined with the Scandalous team, took to the water.

“I have to give credit to the crew, it was a team effort and for never fishing together before and on such short notice, we all just came together,” Riebe says. “Everyone worked so well together, I was really impressed. It almost felt like we’d been fishing together for years.”

Along with Wailyn, who has been fishing with Riebe for 10-plus years, and Provo, who started fishing with him last January, the Scandalous team included Capt. Brian Shepard, anglers Rusty Little, Bradley Goodrich, Alan Latham, Keith Henry, Randy Gregory, and Corbin Plumlee.

Photo courtesy ©Los Sueños Resort and Marina • Photographer: PepperAilor

Three or four guys were on binoculars, spotting boats, watching for birds and making sure they knew exactly where everyone was. When they tried out an area where there had been a marlin bite, the pace picked up. The team went 9 for 9 on marlin and according to Riebe, “had the right bites and made them count.”

The hybrid team’s total of 5200 points—seven sailfish and nine marlin releases—was good enough to take Leg 1.“At the very end, we knew that we were only one marlin out of winning the daily and then here comes this striped marlin,” Riebe says. “We fed the fish and were like ‘holy cow’ when we realized we had a shot of sweeping it and that was pretty special.”

As a captain, Riebe says his approach to tournaments comes down to tapping into all your resources. From talking to other captains and to trying different areas, to simply burning up fuel to find the right spot to settle in, Riebe uses all available information and tactics come tournament time. “Make all your shots count,” Riebe says.

When it comes to marlin, Riebe favors ballyhoos for hook baits, mullets for dredges and the occasional mackerel or bonita, depending on the size or species of the marlin.

And what’s next for Riebe and the HT Hook? At the moment it could be anything. The original plan was to continue fishing with the Scandalous team in Leg 3 of the Triple Crown, however, because of the coronavirus outbreak, the tournament was canceled. In the meantime, Riebe and the HT Hook will fish the blue marlin in Los Sueños and be ready to head out if there’s another team in need.

“We’ve just been trying to help out all the boats, we’re here to give them a hand if needed,” Riebe says. “We’ll just have to see what happens and try to help if a team’s boat breaks down. We want to help people out and try to contribute to the industry however we can.”

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: Captain, ht hook, Los Sueños Resort and Marina, Los Sueños Tournaments

    Recent News

    Weathering the Storm

    While nasty conditions offshore are generally unpleasant for anyone on any vessel, offshore fishing on an outboard-powered center console typically means that the captain and crew will be more exposed to the wind and seas than the crew of a larger … [Read More...]

    Massive Sargassum Weed Line Approaches Florida

    If you’ve ever headed offshore in search of dolphin under patches or lines of sargassum weed, you know the weed can be difficult to find at times. That seems to happen every time I fish a dolphin tournament at least! But all that may soon change. … [Read More...]

    Old Salt: Capt. Brian Phillips

    By Carol M. Bareuther, RD Some people dream their whole life of catching a billfish. Others dedicate their lives to the pursuit of these magnificent creatures, with the best boat and tackle money can buy. Still, others happen into it by accident. … [Read More...]

    How To Find the Right Topcoat

    Manufacturers of professional yacht coatings offer various solutions for the "final finish." But which choice is ideal—a PU (Polyurethane) topcoat, an acrylic system or a polyurethane high-solid base coat/clear coat layer structure? … [Read More...]

    IGFA Bestows 2023 Awards

    Dania Beach, Fla. — The International Game Fish Association (IGFA), a global nonprofit organization committed to the conservation of game fish and the promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices today announced the 2023 recipients of its p … [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

    • Massive Sargassum Weed Line Approaches Florida

      Massive Sargassum Weed Line Approaches Florida

      If you’ve ever headed offshore in search of dolphin under patches or lines of sargassum weed, you know the weed can be difficult to find at times. That seems to happen every time I fish a dolphin tournament at least! But all that may soon change. Sargassum, an algae that’s commonly mislabeled as a “weed,” is headed toward the U.S.... [Read More...]

    • InTheBite Hires Industry Veteran John Brownlee as Editor-in-Chief

      InTheBite Hires Industry Veteran John Brownlee as Editor-in-Chief

      Dale Wills, Founder and President of InTheBite, has announced the hiring of marine industry veteran, John Brownlee, as ITB’s new Editor-in-Chief. “Under Brownlee’s leadership in editorial and digital media, his intelligent perspectives and vast industry knowledge will move the brand forward with his long list of proven skill sets,” Wills said. “It’s only fitting as we move past our 20th... [Read More...]

    • 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...]

    Search InTheBite

    Copyright © 2023 InTheBite, LLC · All Rights Reserved.