By Zachary Granat
Last year, on Sept. 6, 2021, Capt. Patrick Price passed away after a battle with COVID-19. This month, the MCAC Artificial Reef Fund honored him by sinking two artificial reefs off the coast of St. Lucie County.
Two boats, the 65-foot Spirit of Palm Beach—renamed the Daymaker—and the 98-foot Last One—renamed the Capt. Patrick Price Reef—are now underwater. After about six months of planning and a delay in February, the organizers settled on the days of May 15 and May 16.
On May 2, the Supreme Court of Colombia ruled that recreational fishing was unconstitutional. As a result, Colombians expect a ban on recreational fishing to take effect within one year.
The decision comes after the Court’s 2019 ban on recreational hunting. Then, the Court held that recreational hunting was animal cruelty and a threat to the environment. It has made the same decision about recreational fishing.
Photo: EFSA European Championship Big Game Fishing Tournament
By Toine van Ierland, Tournament Director
In both 2020 and 2021, we were forced to postpone the tournament thanks to COVID-19, but on the night of April 24, 2022, we finally kicked off the 2022 EFSA European Championship Big Game Fishing Tournament, AKA The PENN Challenge.
And what a tournament it was.
James Roberts of Midway landed the 68-pound, 1.6-ounce dolphin on April 26. He was fishing over Deli Ledge approximately 80 miles east of St. Catherines Island, according to DNR’s Coastal Resources Division, which administers the Georgia Saltwater Game Fish Records Program.
By Dave Powell, Captain Patrick Price Reef Project Manager
On Sept. 6, 2021, Capt. Patrick Price passed away from COVID-19. Soon thereafter, a group of about 100 boat owners, captains, and fishermen, all friends of Pat’s, got together for afternoon beer in front of Fish Heads Tackle Shop. Their goal was to come up with a memorial to honor their good friend.
An artificial reef project was at the top of their list in addition to a boat parade. A couple of these friends of Pat contacted me, knowing I have a long history of managing artificial reef projects and am Vice President of the Mac Reef Fund.
Bluewater Movements, April 14—Record Breaking. That’s the best way to describe the 2022 Final Sail tournament weekend in Miami on April 6-9, 2022. 479 releases across a 41 boat fleet and the top 5 teams combined released 121 fish! Going into Final Sail, all eyes were on the five teams in contention to win the coveted burgundy jacket and this year Michael Jordan’s Catch 23 team was in the mix, going neck and neck with Contender One/Costa. Throughout the two day long competition, stakes and tensions ran high with a $600,000 purse and burgundy jackets on the line, two teams would emerge victorious at Miami Beach Marina on Saturday.
March 24 – 27, 2022 – Quepos, Costa Rica—Hosted by world class Marina Pez Vela, in Quepos Costa Rica, International anglers from Australia, Costa Rica, Italy, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and South Africa joined those from across the United States including Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, and Texas, to participate in the first Bluewater fishing tournament of its kind.
Chub Cay Invitational
©Los Sueños Resort and Marina | Photographers: Pepper Ailor or Ronald Rojas
Los Sueños Resort and Marina, April 12, 2022—There were thirty five teams that ended up participating in all three legs of the 2022 Signature Triple Crown and which were therefore eligible for the title of Series Champion. In the end though, there can only be one Champion and that honor was earned by Team Sea Angel on Rum Runner. They earned 14,100 points over the three legs of the series and ended up winning on time. Max Bet released four marlin on Day 3 of the third and final leg alone to tie on points, but released their last fish four hours and 23 minutes after Sea Angel on Rum Runner.
