InTheBite

Captain Sam Crutchfield—Singer, Songwriter, Angler

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By Dale Wills

Singer, songwriter, newspaper columnist, book author, duck hunter and longtime captain, Sam Crutchfield can catch most anything that swims in fresh or salt water. Were that not enough, Capt. Sam is also proficient in Morse code and was bitten by an alligator while wade fishing for bass in a Florida lake. Captain Sam Crutchfield is an outdoorsman in every sense of the word. When speaking with Sam you could hear about most anything—a play by play story of a big blue off Walker’s Cay or about any number of adventures in Florida or the Caribbean. Today you can still find Capt. Sam at his local boat ramp fishing in the Indian River Lagoon and along the Treasure Coast beaches almost every morning. “You can never get a missed day of fishing back,” he says gently.

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In The Weeds—Dealing with Sargassum

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Seaweed-2

ITB Staff

It’s become an recurring theme each year to hear about the best parts of the Caribbean and Gulf being overrun with weed. Not the “puff puff give” kind, but the pain in the butt kind. Sargassum. It can be everywhere. And not just in neat lines along the rips but in mats and globs and clumps as far as the eye can see. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that since 2011, large accumulations of Sargassum have become a remerging problem in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and tropical Atlantic.

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Competitive Nature: Back at it in the Gulf

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By Captain Kevin Deerman

With our Texas tournament season upon us, I believe everyone will be more than happy to get back to attending the normal events with all of the festivities, dinners and award ceremonies that come along with them. Unfortunately, last year with all of the uncertainties and regulations surrounding large gatherings and social distancing we weren’t allowed to have these functions that many considered a significant part of the big game tournament experience.

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July 26: Champion’s Cup & COTY Weekend Updates

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July 26, 2021—First off on the tournament circuit for the weekend was the Sea Horse Anglers Club Billfish Tournament with team Wolverine, a 60’ Winter based out of Atlantic Beach, North Carolina led by Captain Rocky Hardison and mate Andy Cranford winning the event. Team Quantified with Capt. Justin Drummond took first at the Lone Star Shootout, followed by Tenacious with Capt. Vincent Campia and Vamanos with Capt. Monte Love.

The Dare County Boat Builders Tournament saw team Tarheel come in first, Carolina Girl come in second and Point Runner in third. Team Home Run with Capt. Grant Bentley came in first at the Edisto Invitational Billfish Tournament followed by Sportin’ Life with Capt. Mike Glaesner in second and Inappropriate with Capt. Andy Crews in third. Finally, the weekend wrapped up with the Huk Big Fish Classic (results coming soon).

Upcoming Tournaments

  • Texas International Fishing Tournament July 28-August 1
  • MBGFC Ladies Tournament July 30-August 1
  • 61st Annual Hawaiian International Tournament July 31-August 8

Think you’re ready to bring in a white marlin? We’ve still got spots open within our East Coast White Marlin Division. Register now before a team boats the winning fish.

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What’s New at ICAST 2021

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It’s been two years since the last ICAST brought industry professionals together to get a firsthand look at the advancements in the sportfishing world. From July 20 to July 23, companies and brands showcased the latest and greatest products for both fresh and saltwater anglers. We’ve highlighted some new, innovative and just plain interesting products that were on display at this year’s event.

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The Man Who Saw Boats: Remembering Ricky Scarborough Sr.

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By Mitchell Bateman

If you’ve been involved in the world of offshore sportfishing for more than a week, chances are good that you have heard of Scarborough Boatworks and the man behind some of the finest boats ever built, Ricky Scarborough, Sr. From his first 18- to 25-foot hunting skiffs and work boats, to his last 60- to 85-foot custom-built luxury sportfishing yachts, Ricky’s reputation for quality craftsmanship and ingenuity is well known. The actual number of boats he built is a little fuzzy considering he didn’t keep written records of all the crab boats and hunting skiffs he built for his neighbors and family. With the incorporation of Scarborough Boatworks in 1977, along with better record-keeping, it is probable that the grand total of boats Ricky built was north of 100.

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Lazy Ain’t Learning—Lessons from the Mechanic

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By Captain Scott “Fraz” Murie

I’ve participated in many major engine rebuilds over the years. In the process, I’ve developed great relationships with groups of elite mechanics. Working with these guys has taught me how to save thousands of dollars in labor. Recently, I’ve witnessed some super lazy crews just hanging out on the dock doing nothing while the mechanics are in the engine room. They could literally be saving the owner thousands of dollars helping the mechanics.

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Confessions of a Charter Boat Captain

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The Excel heading out of Kailua Kona to fish the Golden Marlin tournament. The team caught a small marlin on day two of the three day tournament and won a little money for the captain and crew. Photo courtesy Jim Callas

By Capt. Jim Callas

Forgive me Father for what I’m about to write. Many people that acquire the honor of driving a boat for a living start out with their dad, or uncle, or their friends dad or uncle and begin by simply messing about in boats as they say. They may be fishing, or water skiing or in some places engaging in some form of trade or commerce to help out with the family’s bottom line. For me, it started out with my dad, and the Nancy J. The Nancy J was a small wooden boat that dad bought for the express purpose of chasing salmon around the Pacific Northwest. He kept it in our carport of our family home, and I would sit in it for hours pretending I was out at sea conquering hordes of invaders or catching monster fish. Next it was a seven-foot plywood pram that I would row all day long in Puget Sound, if the folks would let met.

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Contender 44ST Reel Synergy

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contender 44st

Photo courtesy Endless Imagery

By Steve Dougherty

For more than 35 years, Contender has built boats with a clear focus on performance through innovation, getting tournament anglers offshore faster than anybody else. However, gone are the days when their first 25-footer was the chalk horse. Today, the 44ST with four 425 hp outboards lining the transom delivers all of the advantages top teams need to stay ahead of the fleet.

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