InTheBite

Top Shelf Marine Products Manufacturing Face Shields for Anyone Fighting the War on COVID-19

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Photo courtesy Top Shelf Marine

Top Shelf Marine — Top Shelf Marine Products is humbled and thankful to all of the medical professionals, first responders, and everyone involved in the COVID19 war. Your selfless commitment is awe-inspiring.

We would also like to give a huge shout out to everyone still working to keep everyone safe, fed and comfortable. Too many to mention, but thank you all.
Top Shelf Marine Products is doing its part as well.

Photo courtesy Top Shelf Marine

We converted some of our tooling and production capability to manufacture Face Shields for anyone fighting the war on COVID19 that may need one. We are selling these at our cost and donating to anyone with a legitimate need that can’t afford one.

Anyone that needs a face shield please call 386-410-6410.

Please be safe, follow the CDC Guidelines and we’ll all be boating, fishing and diving before you know it.

Top Shelf Marine Products |386-410-6410 | info@topshelfmarine.com |www.topshelfmarine.com |

Strange Creatures Come Out at Night

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Juvenile blue marlin caught off of Charleston by Capt. Richard Brackett

By Captain Kevin Deerman

It’s always been amazing to me to see what kind of creatures show up in the lights around the boat at night when tuna fishing off the Texas coast. Over the years we’ve encountered many different types of fish. These nocturnal visitors are welcome entertainment for the crew on the long nights in the Gulf of Mexico. We are always on the lookout for flying fish to use for live bait.

Over the years, we have also scooped up our share of juvenile dorado, wahoo and even different billfish species. Hanging around a lit-up spar rig in 5,000 feet of water is not a very safe environment for these smaller fish when the tuna start feeding at night.

A few years back, Captain Kirk Elliott told me about a juvenile sail that his mate had dipped up in his net and had swimming around in a five-gallon bucket on deck. After watching the little sailfish swim around the bucket for a few minutes, Kirk asked his mate if he would dump the baby sail back overboard and let it free before they hurt the little thing. The mate had no sooner complied with Kirk’s request, than the sailfish was gobbled up by a big tuna as it slowly swam away from the boat.

As we tuna fished for a few hours on a July night a few years ago, we netted and released a couple of juvenile sails and spotted around a half dozen more swimming around in the lights. I’m sure most of the boats that frequent the deepwater spar rigs have experienced similar sightings of juveniles while tuna fishing also. The Billfish Foundation recently announced a pretty cool new program called the Juvenile Billfish Project. TBF is asking for help from all of us to get more information on these young billfish to get a better understanding of their habitats and distribution.

This information not only helps provide data on juvenile billfish, but is useful in determining where the big ones spawn. To help out, all anglers need to do is email a photo of a juvenile billfish that they have caught with as much information as they can provide. Pertinent facts include the approximate location, date, time of day, weather conditions, size of fish, and the like. Snap the picture, jot down the details and email them to tag@billfish.org.

While it might not seem like a few photos with information would accomplish too much, widespread participation in the program can provide scientists with a wealth of data through time. Not only could this help to more understand the habits of juvenile billfish (and the species as a whole), but it makes netting up all the small marlin and sailfish that swim into your lights even that much more fun… Just try not to feed them to the tuna!

– That’s the report from Texas!

Garmin introduces quatix 6 Marine GPS Smartwatch

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Photo courtesy Garmin

OLATHE, Kan./April 2, 2020/Business Wire — Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the world’s leading marine electronics manufacturer1, today announced the quatix 6, its next-generation marine GPS smartwatch series designed specifically for life on the water.

More than a watch, the quatix 6 combines all of the best features of Garmin’s flagship fēnix® 6 GPS smartwatch with specialized boating, fishing, cruising and sailing capabilities, including comprehensive connectivity with compatible Garmin chartplotters and other marine electronics to offer autopilot control, data streaming, sail race assistance, Fusion-LinkTM entertainment control and more.

With a rugged yet refined design, the quatix 6 is preloaded with activity profiles for nearly every sport and adventure at sea and on land, including paddle boarding, golf, hiking, rowing, skiing, kayaking, just to name a few.

“The quatix series has made a name for itself as the most sophisticated and connected general-purpose marine smartwatch series on the market today,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of global consumer sales. “Whether you’re chasing bass or billfish, cruising or sailing, canoeing or kayaking, the quatix 6 has everything you’ll need on the water. With the addition of some of our most sought-after features, like built-in music, contactless payments and preloaded topographic and ski maps, we’ve redefined marine smartwatch standards once again.”

With daily activity tracking2 and a host of connectivity features, the quatix 6 doubles as a stylish smartwatch that can be worn 24/7 and easily transitioned from water to land. Stay connected with the quatix 6 that allows users to receive alerts on their wrist for incoming calls, texts, emails and more by enabling smart notifications3. And thanks to the Garmin PayTM contactless payment solution4, it’s easy to make purchases quickly on the go with nothing needed but the watch.

Photo courtesy Garmin

The quatix 6 series also features on-device music storage of up to 2,000 songs, so users can sync playlists from several of the most popular music services5 to their watch for phone-free listening. Thanks to its full marine-centric toolset, the quatix 6 acts as a wearable instrument that, when paired with onboard Garmin electronics, can stream NMEA® 2000 boat data to give users access to important sensor information like speed, depth, temperature, wind data and more – right from their wrist, no matter where they are on the boat.

Like previous models, when the quatix 6 is paired with an onboard autopilot, it can also be used to control the autopilot to change heading, engage pattern steering, and follow a GPS route.

With a quatix 6, it’s easy to mark and save a waypoint from anywhere on the boat without having to return to the helm. It can also be used to control an onboard entertainment system thanks to the built-in Fusion-Link Lite app. The quatix 6 also adds support for optional BlueChart® g3 coastal charts and LakeVü inland maps with integrated Navionics® data, so it can be utilized as both a dedicated or back-up navigation tool.

Specifically designed for the water, the quatix 6 gives mariners up-to-date tide data downloaded for their chosen area through a smartphone, and will have access to that data for seven days. It’s also equipped with an anchor alarm to warn users of drift and an anchor rode calculator that tells the user the proper length of anchor line to put out.

For fishing, a competition timer and fish catch log are available to help users keep track of the fish they’ve caught and the time remaining before getting back to weigh-in. When it comes to sailing, the quatix 6 is loaded with SailAssistTM capabilities with improved sail racing features like virtual starting line, distance to start line, race countdown timer and tack assist.

The quatix 6 also features wrist-based heart rate2 for all-day stress tracking, underwater wrist-based heart rate for swimming and Pulse Ox6 blood oxygen saturation to support advanced sleeping monitoring and acclamation. Plus, the innovative Body BatteryTM energy monitoring feature lets users see their body’s energy levels at any given moment, which can help with scheduling workouts, rest times and sleep.

Measuring at 47mm, the quatix 6 features a bigger, always-on 1.3-inch color display with an LED backlight so data is easily visible in any light. Water rated to 100 meters7, the quatix 6 was built to withstand the elements and boasts up to 14 days of battery life in smartwatch mode, 24 hours in GPS mode and up to 60 hours in UltraTracTM battery saver mode. Thanks to the new customizable Power Manager, users can also see and control how various settings and sensors impact battery life, and even adjust their battery saving modes to extend battery life on the fly.

The quatix 6 is available now in two versions: the quatix 6 and the quatix 6 Titanium. The quatix 6 Titanium has a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal lens, titanium bezel, buttons and rear case and includes a titanium watch band as well as a cirrus blue silicone QuickFitTM band with a suggested retail price of $999.99. The quatix 6 has a stainless steel bezel, buttons and rear case and includes a captain blue silicone band with a suggested retail price of $699.99.

Compatible marine products include: GPSMAP® 7×2/9×2/12×2 Plus, GPSMAP 10×2/12×2, GPSMAP 74/7600, GPSMAP 84/8600, GHCTM 20, GNXTM Wind and the GNT 10. Garmin was recently named Manufacturer of the Year for the fifth consecutive year by the National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA), an honor given to the most recognized marine electronics company for support of products in the field.

 
For more information on Garmin, please e-mail info@inthebite.com or fill out the form below and our InTheBite concierge service will be happy to assist you.

1 Based on 2018 reported sales
2 See Garmin.com/ataccuracy for more details
3 When paired with compatible smartphone. See Garmin.com/ble for more details
4 View current supported country, payment network and issuing bank information at Garmin.com/GarminPay/banks
5 Requires premium subscription with a third-party music provider
6 This is not a medical device and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or monitoring of any medical condition; see Garmin.com/ataccuracy. Pulse Ox not available in all countries
7 See Garmin.com/waterrating for more details

Viking to Reassess Current Suspension of Manufacturing Operations

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Photo courtesy of Viking Yachts

April 1, 2020 New Gretna, New Jersey — In a special letter on the 56th anniversary of the company, Viking President and CEO Pat Healey updated customers, dealers, vendors and the general public about the boatbuilder’s operating status and strategy going forward during the Coronavirus pandemic.

“Our 56 th anniversary serves as a fitting reminder of our resilience,” Healey said in a statement distributed through the Viking and Valhalla Boatworks e-newsletters. “We have endured many hardships (recessions, storms and the Luxury Tax) since my father Bill and Uncle Bob founded the company in 1964. We build boats – and nothing is going to stop us from doing what we love to do. There is no question. We’ll get through this and come out stronger.”

To mitigate the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), protect the health and safety of its employees and adhere to state and federal guidelines, Viking effective March 19 suspended manufacturing operations for a 14-day period at its New Gretna and Mullica facilities. Viking planned to call its workers back on April 6, but recent developments in the fight against the Coronavirus (particularly President Trump’s extension of the social-distancing) prompted the company to reassess its date to begin manufacturing operations again.

The issue will be discussed on Monday, April 6.

Photo courtesy of Viking Yachts

“Our commitment to our customers, dealers and vendors is stronger than ever,” Healey said. During this period, Viking has been carrying out day-to-day operations as Viking staff attend to the needs of
customers, dealers and vendors. Design and Engineering, Sales and Marketing, Customer Service and other key departments continue to build a better boat every day remotely. The company’s operations in Florida remain operational. This includes the Viking Yacht Service Center in Riviera Beach, Florida, as well as the southern arms of the Viking subsidiaries Atlantic Marine Electronics and Palm Beach Towers.

Throughout its history, Viking has prided itself on its commitment to the health, safety and general well-being of its employees. Viking has for many years operated an in-house medical services facility for all employees, which has been on call every day to attend to the needs of employees and their families in this unprecedented time.

The Viking family extends beyond its boatbuilding operations into the communities of southern New Jersey. To support regional medical institutions, Viking has donated a total of 2,650 of the 3M N95 respirator masks as well as 100 Tyvek suits, boots and hoods. “We’re all in this together,” said Healey. “We must do our part to ‘flatten the curve’ so we can return to the boating and fishing lifestyle we all love.”

About the Viking Yacht Company: Founded by brothers Bill and Bob Healey in 1964 on the banks of the Bass River in New Gretna, New Jersey, Viking has become the leading semi-custom production builder of sportfishing and motor yachts in the worlds, with roughly 5,000 boats delivered. The Viking fleet consists of yachts from 38 to 93 feet, and the company recently launched a lineup of outboard-powered center consoles.

A vertically integrated company where 90 percent of every boat is built in-house, Viking operates several subsidiaries, including Palm Beach Towers and Atlantic Marine Electronics. Viking, driven by the mantra “to build a better boat every day,” looks forward to continuing to serve the Viking family with industry-leading products, dealers and customer service.

For more information visit vikingyachts.com and valhallaboatworks.com.

How to: Rupp’s New Boltless Rod Holder Cap

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Ron Karpanty, president of Rupp Marine, shows us the new rod holder line, an all stainless steel product that’s boltless, meaning there are no bolt heads on the actual face of the rod holder. What’s makes this product unique is the cap—check out the video to see why and to get the release date.

For more information on Rupp Marine, please e-mail info@inthebite.com or fill out the form below and our InTheBite concierge service will be happy to assist you.

The First Place I’m Headed…. A Virus-Free Web Series

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The First Place I’m Headed” is a virus-free web series published exclusively on InTheBite.com. It profiles the first places that we’re headed to fish as soon as normalcy once again returns to this world of ours…

By Elliott Stark

Every year in the middle of May, no matter where I am or what I’m doing, I get the itch to go to Panama. The yellowfin tuna and black marlin fishing surrounding the Coiba region of Panama that time of year is wonderful. The sight of big tuna stacking up bait on a floating tree, mashing as many blue runners as they can binge as fast as possible ranks among the most amazing thing you can see on the water.

I first became aware of the great fishing around Coiba Island in Panama while I was working at The Billfish Foundation. Of course, the great fishing here has been known to others for much longer than this, but things have a way of becoming important to you once you hear about them for yourself… My good buddies Captain Wade Richardson and his father John would take their operation—the Hooker, a 42’ Merritt the Picaflor and mothership to Coiba in April and May. That must have been 2010. Their stories– and pictures of the big ass blacks they turned loose– made quite an impression.

The Richardsons’ fleet– the Hooker, the Mama Nido and the Picaflor.

In March 2012 I left The Billfish Foundation to take a job running a mothership operation in Panama. It was a pretty big leap that came with a giant learning curve, but the next thing you know, Alex (we’re married now, but were engaged at the time) and I were living and working on a 164’ ship with four sportfishers and a panga in tow. While our base of operations was in the Pearl Islands for most of the year, we’d take the boats to Coiba to fish April and May. Once there, we’d anchor in a cove on the island that was about eight miles removed from the Hannibal Bank.

We’d take out mostly Canadian and American charter guests, who on the whole generally had little to moderate offshore fishing experience—even less if you excluded salmon fishing in British Columbia. We’d introduce clients to tropical ocean fishing by tying them into big tuna and if they were lucky, a marlin or two. Most of them would leave with the same feeling about Coiba that I had.

Big yellowfin tuna from Coiba Islands, Panama

A nice yellowfin, with Coiba Island in the background. It’s easy to see why people like coming to this part of the world.

The first year the bosses brought down a film crew from Canada to document a trip fishing here. In three days’ fishing—a trip that spanned May 14, 15, and 16– we caught two blacks in the neighborhood of 600, a 500 or so pound blue, and pulled up to more than a couple frothing masses of tuna frenzying on the surface. Our other lodge boats caught a bunch of other fish too. Carlo Wein and his crew from Alterna Films had a front-row seat to just how incredible the place can be.

Our second year fishing in Coiba, Dale Wills came down with the 2012 Captain of the Year Rob Moore and Frank Rodriguez—owner of the Fa-La-Me. They had a captain of the year party on the boat and caught some really quality fish too. It was highlighted by Frank’s 700 or so pound black marlin.

During our second go-around in Coiba, I had the privilege of meeting Captain Shane Jarvis. We had a maintenance issue with one of the boats and Shane was nice enough to fill in and take a pair of clients fishing for us. It was a father and his son. The son was probably around 20 or so.

Captain Shane Jarvis with big tuna

Captain Shane Jarvis has a handle on the big tuna fishing in this part of the world.

How well did Captain Shane produce? Upon returning to the ship for the evening after their first day of fishing, the father was quite mad at me. He claimed that because Shane had put them on so many big tuna, that he thought his son had torn his biceps.  His son didn’t actually injure himself and by the end of their time the father was no longer mad (and the son had a bit better form fighting tuna).

And so it has been since returning to the states, Shane and I have remained friends. We see each other once or twice each year usually at ICAST or somewhere. Sometimes he comes to the house for dinner while in town for a boat show. We frequently talk about fishing and have been planning a trip for some time.

Shane and his father own a private island from which they have built their lodge from the ground up (www.fishpanamatoday.com). They host charter clients for most of the year. In January they took delivery of their third 33’ World Cat. A while back we published an article about the lodge and the story of its growth. Shane shared his story and about how the lodge came about.

He also told us about his favorite day fishing… Try this one for size, “There have been a lot over the years,” he says, “but if I had to pick one, I’d say the day we got a 50-pound dorado, a 50-pound cubera snapper, caught a bunch of tunas up to 100-pounds or so and released two black marlin.” Yes, that was all in the same day.

Shane put a trip together last year with our good buddy, and former contributor, Charlie Levine. Charlie went down in the middle of May. Shane put Charlie and his buddies on the meat—they mugged the tuna… mashed ‘em. Looking at Charlie’s nightly pictures from the trip made me a little sick that I wasn’t there (the guys invited me down, but I couldn’t make the dates work).

Charlie Levine right) and his buddies fished with Shane. Try to tell me hes not having a good time.

2020 was going to be different. Shane called me up and said he was putting together a trip in May… the 19th to the 23rd. The plan was to fly into Panama City, spend the night—enough time to grab a giant super colita (20 ounce tri-tip steak) and a half pitcher of Sangria from Gaucho’s Steakhouse—before heading to Shane’s island for a few days of tuna slaying.

I’m not exactly sure of the timing at this point, but there you have it. What’s the first thing I’m going to do once things open up? I’m going to kill some tuna… a bunch of them with Captain Shane Jarvis. We’ll spend a few days racing around between Jicaron, Montuosa, Ladrones and the many other small and fishy islands that dot this very special, uniquely wonderful part of the world. It’ll be a few days of fishing with a good buddy or two, telling stories of trips past and those to come, eating as much sashimi and yellowfin sushi as Shane’s chefs can make, and trying to remember which type of Panamanian domestic beer I like best.

Did I mention that I cant wait to head to Panama as soon as this deal clears up?

Where’s the first place you’re headed? Send us a note you might see it on InTheBite.com. For more information on Shane’s Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge, please e-mail info@inthebite.com or fill out the form below and our InTheBite concierge service will be happy to assist you.

World Cat boats

Shanes fleet of World Cats. Fast, maneuverable and walkaround.

Beachfront dining on Isla Parides, Panama at the Sport Fish Panama Island Lodge.

Ritchie Howell Custom Carolina Yachts – TFB

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The Sea Fix, a Ritchie boat splashed in 2019, exemplifies Howell’s modern creations—the heritage of which can be traced to a conversation between two North Carolina charter captains. Photo courtesy Pepper Ailor

There seems to be no end to the boat building talent in Wanchese, North Carolina. Ritchie Howell stands as a fine example of a man that has mastered the fine art of crafting custom, sportfishing machines. Like many others in this area, he learned about boats by using them every day as a hook and line commercial tuna fisherman.

“I fished alongside Paul Spencer and we would always push each other to make the day. We would joke around about quitting all this one day and building boats,” says Howell. “One day, Paul said, ‘I’m going to do it. I’ve got a contract on my boat; I’m going to sell it and put up a boat shop and build a boat.’ So that’s what we did, we built him a boat.”

“We got about three-quarters of the way through the build and the boat sold. That was the Biopsy. Well, since I had put some money into the jig and the building with Paul, the next boat was mine…so we started my boat. I was still charter fishing at the time and my motor blew up. So, I sold that boat rather quickly. That was the Anticipation.”

“After that Paul was all-in and wanted to big,” says Howell. “But I wasn’t ready for that yet. To build one or two at a time was one thing, but I wasn’t ready for 15 at time. Paul offered to buy my piece of the jig and the building and I agreed. He bought me out and we went our separate ways.” But of course, that wasn’t the end of the story.

“I had a trip one day in the Fall, and as I backed into my slip, I saw Paul sitting there in his truck,” says Howell. “As soon as my people hopped off, Paul hopped on. He said ‘I’ve got about five people ready to build a boat right now. I know you have the money to put up a building because I just bought you out. You need to put up a building and do this. You know what you are going to get if you stay here charter fishing…you are going to starve to death.’ He was right. He really talked me into doing my own thing. That’s when I put up the building.”

With a building going up, but no boat on the horizon, Howell continued fishing and on one tournament trip up to New Jersey, he got lucky.

“On the ferry ride home, I met a guy who said he always wanted a Carolina boat, and we just started to talking,” says Howell. “I told him how I just started building a boat shop without a boat to build… and that’s how it all went down. Crazy, right?” “We started in 2000 and the boat was originally called the TFB, a 65-footer,” says Howell. “I’ve got a list of all the things those letters could possibly stand for…but I think I’ll just leave it up to everybody’s imagination. Most of them you probably couldn’t put into a magazine article anyway.”

“I remember on that first one I would lose sleep at night, worry about what was coming down the pike and what we had to do. I used to sweat it big time,” says Howell. “Not anymore…I sleep like a baby. I like to look at the plans and figure out how we are going to attack certain aspects of the build. I’m much more relaxed about it than I used to be.”

Ritchie Howell’s boats are a reflection of his life spent on the water.

With his 32nd boat, a 61-footer, about to come out of the shed, Howell says that there are pretty dramatic differences between hull number 1 and the boats he puts out today. “Our shape has actually changed drastically. It’s pretty much night and day from what we build now compared to back then…there’s nothing remotely similar between the two. Now, everything is computer generated and engineered to the nines. Our first one was a hand-drawn…we cut it by hand.

“That’s a great way to learn about boat building, but you can’t compete with a computer. We have lofted our own boats in the past, if we didn’t have time to get a jig cut or somebody was looking for a bargain basement deal, but you have to use a computer-generated jig now. What we do is a lot more exacting than it used to be. I used to think, ‘If someone would just give me a million dollars, oh man the boat I could build!’ Nowadays a million doesn’t even scratch the surface…it’s just way it’s gotten to be.”

“When I think, and look back at the first boat, I want to look at it with a critical eye…and see how I’d want to change it. If I had to do it over again today it would be a different animal! Those old boats are beautiful with their classic lines and all that stuff, but you have to be a bit more progressive nowadays.”

When asked about what makes Ritchie Howell boats stand out from the crowd, Howell says that,

“I know it sounds weird, but I’m more of a boutique boat builder. I’m not trying to build a bunch of boats at one time. I just want to build one or two boats. The biggest difference here is, if someone calls and wants to know if their oil change pump is installed, I know. I don’t have to call a foreman or whatever. There is a one-on-one relationship with the people I’m building the boat for.” “I also believe that for the quality of product we put out, we are very value-based. I’m not saying I’m cheap, because I’m not…Nothing in this business is cheap. But you do get a lot of bang for your buck here. We don’t have a real fancy facility but it’s really all you need for boatbuilding. I also don’t have a lot of the overhead that other guys have.”

For more information on Ritchie Howell Custom Carolina Yachts, please e-mail info@inthebite.com or fill out the form below and our InTheBite concierge service will be happy to assist you.

Quest for the Crest Final Sail tournament Rescheduled for May 8 – 9

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From Bluewater Movements — update to Leg 3 of the Quest for the Crest, the 8th annual Final Sail tournament.
Based on the current marina closures and “shelter in place” policies that remain in place across South Florida, Leg 3 Crest for the Crest 8th annual Final Sail has been moved from April 3 – 4 and rescheduled for May 8 – 9.
The sailfish bite off Miami has been off the charts over the past few years in Miami during May and the meat-fish action is red hot at that time of year in Miami as well. Below is an outline of important updates.
  • Final Sail Fishing dates have been rescheduled for May 8 & 9
  • We are still maintaining a “fishing only” format at this time
  • Registration will remain open until Wednesday, May 6th. Link to register – https://fish.bluewatermovements.com/Login.aspx
  • Boat numbers, color cards, release cards, etc, will be mailed to registered teams
  • If you have already registered, and are unable to fish on the rescheduled dates, please contact the office for a refund

The Billfish Foundation Announces Award Winners

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From The Billfish Foundation — The Billfish Foundation’s (TBF) staff proudly announces the winners of its most prestigious awards for 2020.  This year’s winners include three distinguished gentlemen, who made exemplary contributions to advancing billfish research, conservation and sportfishing throughout their lives.

THE WINTHROP P. ROCKEFELLER LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD honors TBF’s Founding Member, a well-known angler, philanthropist and owner, at the time, of Allied Marine in Miami, who established billfish science and youth education as the organization’s cornerstones.

This year’s winner is Roy Merritt of Merritt’s Boat and Engine Works in Pompano Beach, Florida, whose family’s contributions to building fine sportfishing yachts began in 1955.  Merritt’s built, and continues to build today, some of the finest large high-performance sportfishing yachts in the industry. In the early days, Merritt included comfortable mezzanines, thought unusual at the time, but essential today and transformed custom yacht construction from cold-molded plank on frame to using advanced composite and fiberglass materials. Today, Merritt’s provides “cradle to grave” services from design, construction, sales, service, insurance, supply and resale! Keep the legacy going!

Photo courtesy The Billfish Foundation

THE JOHN RYBOVICH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD honors a former member of The Billfish Foundation’s board of directors, John Rybovich, who pioneered billfish conservation, responsible sportfishing and introduced towers, outriggers, fighting chairs, transom doors and big engines to sportfishing.

This year’s winner is Captain Chris Sheeder from Hawaii and Costa Rica, who was bitten by the offshore fishing bug at age 11 during his first trip, a treat for making good grades. He was recently described in InTheBite magazine as “a man whose humility and selflessness belies the fact that he’s caught over 35,000 billfish and refined many of the most common techniques used in the sport today, including many of today’s bluewater fly fishing techniques.” Chris’s outstanding career includes fishing in Hawaii, Midway, Costa Rica, Guatemala and back to Costa Rica, and includes not only sportfishing, but some of the most spectacular action billfish photos!

Photo courtesy The Billfish Foundation

THE PAXSON H. OFFIELD LIFETIME SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT WARD honors a former member of Billfish Foundation’s board of directors, Paxson H. “Packy” Offield, who believed passionately in the value of science and funded it to support responsible conservation of billfish and countless other species.

This year’s winner is port sampler and statistician, Joe Yurt of Covington, LA, who began his “big fish” journey as a college student and transitioned to contract services with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), which continues today, fifty-four years later.  He meticulously collected and recorded data on landed billfish and tuna taken in waters off Louisiana. His work was pivotal in what became the most comprehensive billfish science data resource in the Gulf of Mexico, estimated to have provided 90% coverage of billfish landings and effort in the region. Yurt also collects landed fish data for New Orleans Big Game Fishing Club’s tournaments, where he is family.

Photo courtesy The Billfish Foundation

Award presentations will be made during TBF’s annual gala on Friday, October 30, 2020 at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort on Ft. Lauderdale Beach, Florida.  Please join the fun and honor these three lifetime achievement award winners.

Focusing on Health, Paul Mann Custom Boats Closes Shop Doors For First Time in 32 Years   

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Photo courtesy Paul Mann

Manns Harbor, NC — For 32 years, Paul Mann has stood at the helm of Paul Mann Custom Boats (PMCB) with his wife, Robin, by his side. Together, with their exceptionally talented employees, they’ve built magnificent custom sportfishing boats. Throughout the years, Paul has poured his blood, sweat and passion along with his heart and soul into every boat he’s built. He doesn’t know any other way. And now, looking at the possibility of multiple surgeries to correct painful neck issues, Paul and Robin have decided to put boat building on hold and direct their focus on Paul’s health.

“This has been an agonizing decision for me and Robin,” noted Paul. “We’ve got current builds to begin and great prospects for the future, we’ve got wonderful employees, some I’ve worked with more than 20 years–but right now, I have to focus on my health.”

Once Hull 140 and several refurbish jobs are complete, PMCB will take a few weeks to get their facilities cleaned up, organized and looking good before they close the doors for an undisclosed amount of time. They anticipate this happening around the first of June.

“I have all the confidence in the world in my people and their ability to build boats, but I manage the shop and that’s what my customers expect,” says Paul. “I’ve always been a hands-on builder and when they contract for a Paul Mann custom boat, they expect Paul Mann to be at the helm on a day-to-day-basis.”

Recognized throughout the marine and woodworking industry for award winning craftsmanship, Paul Mann Custom Boats, in Manns Harbor NC, has built more than 40 yachts from 52 to 80+ feet LOA. The first hull launched more than 30 years ago, is still active in sportfishing today and serves as a testament to Paul Mann’s “hands-on” dedication to every aspect of the design build process.

Paul’s decision was heavily swayed by the fact that at some point he just wasn’t going to be able to continue working at the level he is accustomed to without this surgery. Instead of working until he was forced to stop, he wanted the decision to be on his own terms and in a way that is respectable to his employees and customers.

The fate of their employees was most important to Paul and Robin as they debated the future. “They’re good people and we truly care about their future,” said Robin. “We know they will be in high demand. The economy will bounce back after this virus and that’s what we’re counting on.”

Paul Mann has not only built custom sportfishing boats for thirty-two plus years – he has built a legacy. If the saying is right, and home really is where your heart is, then Paul has made a home out of every yacht he’s built. As Paul recuperates, he and Robin look forward to keeping up with his customers through e-mail and posts on social media. “We want to hear from you and look forward to reading about your sportfishing adventures,” notes Paul, who closes with, “And when I’m ready to go–I’ll go again!”