Airmar East Coast Division

Captain of the Year Home

2019 Complete Standings

Capt. Ryan Knapp, Top Dog, 1000 Points

• Hatteras Village Offshore Open, 1st Place, 500 Pts.
• The Big Rock, Heaviest Marlin 914 lbs., 500 Pts.

Capt. Sean Dooley, Jackpot, 850 Points

• Carolina Billfish Classic, 2nd Place, 300 Pts.
• Edisto Invitational Billfish Tournament, 2nd Place, 300 Pts.
• SC Governor’s Cup Series Champion, 250 Pts.

Capt. Brooks Smith, Uno Mas, 800 Points

• White Marlin Open, 2nd Place Release, 300 Pts.
• The MidAtlantic, Most Points Overall, 500 Pts.

Capt. Barry Sawyer, Waste Knot, 800 Points

• Dare County Boat Builders Tournament., 1st Place, 500 Pts.
• Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament, 2nd Place, 300 Pts.

Capt. Dan Woody, Syked Out, 500 Points

• Bohicket Marina Invitational Billfish Tournament, 1st Place, 500 Pts.

Capt. Chris Russell, Piracy, 500 Points

• Hatteras Village Offshore Open, Heaviest Marlin 655.9 lbs., 500 Pts.

Capt. Bobby Garmany, Bench Mark, 500 Points

• Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament, 1st Place, 500 Pts.

Capt. Brad Sutton, Annie O, 500 Points

• The Big Rock, 1st Place, 500 Pts.

Capt. Jay Weaver, Blue Sky, 500 Points

• Carolina Billfish Classic, 1st Place, 500 Pts.

Capt. Shelby Myrick, Trashman, 500 Points

• Edisto Invitational Billfish Tournament, 1st Place, 500 Pts.

Capt. Robbie Brown, Just Right, 500 Points

• Virginia Beach Invitational, 1st Place, 500 Pts.

Capt. Ronnie Fields, Gret Three J’s, 500 Points

• Huk Big Fish Classic, 1st Place, 500 Pts.

Capt. Mike Burt, Pumpin’ Hard, 500 Points

• Huk Big Fish Classic, Heaviest Marlin 455 lbs, 500 Pts.

Capt. Rob Barker, Desperado, 500 Points

• Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament, 1st Place, 500 Pts.

Capt. Paul Spencer, Bangarang, 500 Points

• Alice Kelly Memorial Tournament, 1st Place, 500 Pts.

Capt. Charlie Horning, Fish Whistle, 500 Points

• White Marlin Open, Heaviest White 79.5 lbs, 500 Pts.

Capt. Brian Rabbitt, Big Deal, 500 Points

• White Marlin Open, 1st Place Release, 500 Pts.

Capt. Rhett Bailey, Intents, 500 Points

• MidAtlantic, Heaviest White Marlin, 72 lbs, 500 Pts.

Capt. Rob Skillman, Moore Bills, 500 Points

• MidAtlantic, Heaviest White Marlin, 72 lbs. 500 Pts.

Capt. Howard Lynch, Haulin’ n Ballin’, 500 Points

• MidAtlantic, Heaviest Blue Marlin, 630 lbs. 500 Pts.

Capt. Kevin Pankoke, Evelyn Kennedy, 500 Points

• Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament, 1st Place, 500 Pts.

Capt. Donnie White, Sea Wolff, 500 Points

• Ocean City Marlin Club Labor Day White Marlin Tournament, 1st Place, 500 Pts.

Capt. Butch Cox, DA Sea, 500 Points

• Ocean City Marlin Club Challenge Cup, 1st Place Overall, 500 Pts.

Capt. Mike Glaesner, Sportin’ Life, 300 Points

• Bohicket Marina Invitational Billfish Tournament, 2nd Place, 300 Pts.

Capt. Kenny Midgett, Marlin Gull, 300 Points

• Hatteras Village Offshore Open, 2nd Place, 300 Pts.

Capt. Bubba Simmons, Rare Breed, 300 Points

• Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament, 2nd Place, 300 Pts.

Capt. Lee Martin, Drillin & Billin, 300 Points

• The Big Rock, 2nd Place, 300 Pts.

Capt. Kenny Sexton, Free Style, 300 Points

• Virginia Beach Invitational, 2nd Place, 300 Pts.

Capt. Jimmy Horning, Hog Wild, 300 Points

• Dare County Boat Builders Tournament, 2nd Place, 300 Pts.

Capt. Anthony Materese, Jr. Reel Chaos, 300 Points

• Huk Big Fish Classic, 2nd Place, 300 Pts.

Capt. Wade Fickling, The General, 300 Points

• Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament, 2nd Place, 300 Pts.

Capt. Mike Merritt, Sandra D, 300 Points

• Alice Kelly Memorial Tournament, 2nd Place, 300 Pts.

Capt. Jon Duffie, Billfisher, 300 Points

• Ocean City Marlin Club Labor Day White Marlin Tournament, 2nd Place, 300 Pts.

Capt. Grant Bentley, Home Run, 100 Points

• Bohicket Marina Invitational Billfish Tournament, 3rd Place, 100 Pts.

Capt. Bull Tolson, Sea Toy, 100 Points

• Hatteras Village Offshore Open, 3rd Place, 100 Pts.

Capt. Kevin Overstreet, Tighten Up, 100 Points

• Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament, 3rd Place, 100 Pts.

Capt. Ryan Riggs, Full Pull, 100 Points

• The Big Rock, 3rd Place, 100 Pts.

Capt. Miles Herring, Glazed, 100 Points

• Carolina Billfish Classic, 3rd Place, 100 Pts.

Capt. Stephen Davis, Bench Mark, 100 Points

• Edisto Invitational Billfish Tournament, 3rd Place, 100 Pts.

Capt. Harvey Shiflet, Anticipation, 100 Points

• Virginia Beach Invitational, 3rd Place, 100 Pts.

Capt. Chris Kubik, Point Runner, 100 Points

• Dare County Boat Builders Tournament, 3rd Place, 100 Pts.

Capt. Barry Daniels, Skirt Chaser, 100 Points

• Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament, 3rd Place, 100 Pts.

Capt. Todd Smith, Triple S, 100 Points

• Alice Kelly Memorial Tournament, 3rd Place, 100 Pts.

Capt. Rob Mahoney, Tar Heel, 100 Points

• White Marlin Open, 3rd Place Release, 100 Pts.

Capt. Daniel Davis, Katherine Anne, 100 Points

• Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament, 3rd Place, 100 Pts.

Capt. Zack Adams, Voodoo Child, 100 Points

• Ocean City Marlin Club Labor Day White Marlin Tournament, 3rd Place, 100 Pts.

 

2018 AIRMAR East Coast Division Captain of the Year

 Captain Alan Neiford

Mister Pete, 58-foot C&L

Homeport: Ripley Light Yacht Club, Charleston, South Carolina

1,750 points include: Bohicket Invitational Billfish Tournament, 1st Place; Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament, 1st Place; Edisto Invitational Billfish Tournament, 1st Place; SC Governor’s Cup, 1st Place.

Captain Alan Neiford is no stranger to fishing. Hailing from Leesburg, Florida, he grew up fishing in the Keys at his family’s home in Marathon. “My nickname growing up was Fish,” Alan says with a chuckle. After learning the ropes while charter fishing around Charleston, Neiford was introduced to the pair of brothers who own the Mister Pete when they purchased their first boat. The combination of Neiford and the brothers Rusty and Bob McClam is producing what is quickly becoming a tradition of tournament success.

In many ways, the course of Captain Alan Neiford’s career is best reflected in the growth of the team that he leads. “I had my captain’s license for about three years while learning to fish while mating. Friends from a charter introduced me to Bob and Rusty, who had just bought a 52-foot Buddy Davis. My friend put in a good word for me. We met and they hired me the next week,” Neiford recalls. “I told them, ‘I’ve never run one of these boats before, but I’ll treat it as if it were mine.’ They said, ‘We’ll give it a shot for a year.’ That was six years ago.”

“We’ve all grown together. All of the success is based on the team. We all get along well. If something needs to change, we change it together,” Captain Alan says. “I get a lot of support from the guys on the boat. They let me run the program as I see fit.” Under Captain Alan’s guidance, the team has grown from a newly formed group to setting the all-time record for points in the South Carolina Governor’s Cup. In 2017, the team finished second in the series – behind 2017 Captain of the Year and then SC Governor’s Cup record holder, Captain Chucky Moore.

The Mister Pete is owned by brothers Rusty and Bob McClam. The boat’s name is a tribute to their late father, who was known to everyone as Mister Pete. Joining the McClam brothers are anglers Chad Andrews, Terry Caulder, and South Carolina State Senator Chip Campsen. “We don’t fish tournament with anybody else,” says Neiford. The cockpit is under the direction of first mate (and Governor’s Cup Mate of the Year) George Campsen and Jay Rhode. Mate Emerson Read filled in for a couple of tournaments as well.

Just how did 2018 transpire for Neiford and the team on Mister Pete? “We broke the Governor’s Cup record. We won three of the five tournaments. During the last tournament, Edisto, we went four for five on sails on the last day and caught a blue marlin to win the tournament in the last hour… that’s what put us ahead of Chucky. Before Edisto, we were neck and neck with the Sportin’ Life. We were 200-points, or one fish, ahead of second place – everything came together for us in Edisto,” Neiford recalls. “In the first two tournaments, we fished mainly bait and switch spreads. Half of our fish came on the pitch, the other half came on the lures when fish faded off the teasers. When we’re blue marlin fishing, we pull a four-lure spread.”

“The South Carolina Governor’s Cup is amazing. They really do a good job. They are all very passionate and Amy (Amy Dukes, the tournament coordinator) is great,” Neiford says. As for 2019, the Mister Pete plans a similar course as that of 2018 – the South Carolina Governor’s Cup events followed by the Pirate’s Cove and Virginia Beach tournaments.

On the year, Captain Alan Neiford’s 1,750 points in the AIRMAR East Coast Division topped Captain Bull Tolson’s 1,300 and Captain Harvey Shiflet’s 1,100 for top honors. In addition to the recognition he receives from InTheBite, AIRMAR is awarding an  additional prize of $2,000 because the boat was equipped with an AIRMAR transducer. Congratulations.

Past Winners