InTheBite

Double Zero: The Importance of Hiring a Crew

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Double zero is the term we have used in this business for as long as I can remember. It stands for owner/operator, or boats with no crews. Having a boat without a dedicated crew doesn’t make sense. The owners of these boats may think they are saving money by hiring a wash down and wax crew to keep their boats shiny two days a month. Some owner/operators think that’s all there is to it!

Some of these owner/operators don’t seem to realize just how much more there is to maintaining a fifty, sixty, or seventy- foot sportfish boat. On numerous occasions, I’ve witnessed double zeros come down to the dock with their friends and guests to use their boat. The boat is clean and shiny, but for some reason it won’t crank. Maybe one engine cranks, but the other one won’t. Or, the AC is not working, and it’s hot as blazes on the inside.

Maybe the pumps have burnt up because the sea strainer has been clogged for days, or the water manifold is leaking because of electrolysis. Maybe the bilge is full of water, bonding wires are broken, or the water maker won’t work for lack of maintenance. The ice maker may be tripping the breaker or the windless is frozen from lack of maintenance. You get the picture! (Turns out that keeping a sportfisher in working order can be a full-time job—or full-time jobs for three people)!

These are just a few of the many systems on the boat that need continual maintenance. The sad part is now the owner and all his friends are standing around on the dock in hopes that a crew from another boat can help him get his boat up and running so they can go have fun. All the money he thought he was saving just goes into repairs that could have been avoided if he had a good crew. Maybe he wants to just drive the boat? I say go ahead and drive the boat, but keep a good crew on so when you come down it’s drivable. Also, remember one of the top customers for prop shops are owner/operators!

In my opinion, at the very least, you should have one full-time captain on the payroll. That said, it sure makes it tough for one man to be left in charge—especially if the boat is being moderately used. Using freelance mates is an option; however, there have been several situations I’ve seen where the owner calls and wants to go fishing or use the boat for business or pleasure, and the captain is left scrambling to find help because everyone is busy. If you are going to operate a boat like this, it is a must to schedule your fishing and boating events well in advance so the captain can book freelance help. Even then that can backfire.

With a good crew on board you will save time and frustration but, of course, that only happens when the crew is “good.” That’s a whole other story. With a hired crew, you’ll catch more fish with less headache for sure. We haven’t even talked about the safety issues being an owner/operator. Bottom line is if you can’t afford a full-time professional crew. you might want to consider putting your boat up for sale and chartering until things improve. From my perspective, the cost of hiring a full-time crew for a sportfish boat should be considered not a
luxury item, but part of the operating cost of the boat itself—like dockage, fuel, and everything else that you need for things to work properly.

– That’s my two-minute warning. Fraz

Excitement is Building for 2019 MidAtlantic Tournament!

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Middle Canyons Hot and Cape May is Ideal Location!

You could run out of adjectives describing the current billfish bite along the canyons off the mid-Atlantic coast but safe to say “it doesn’t get much better then this!”  A combination of cobalt blue water, abundant schools of forage species and ideal weather have produced incredible action with white marlin and blue marlin for those making the run offshore.  And, with the 2019 MidAtlantic tournament just days away, this world-class bite couldn’t happen at a better time!  That’s right!  We’re just a few days away from sportfishing’s “Main Event” on the tournament calendar and preparation for this year’s event has reached a feverish pace.  Canyon Club Resort Marina in Cape May, New Jersey put the Mid in MidAtlantic and, as always, will be “home base” for the tournament which is set for its annual run the week of August 18-23.  At Canyon Club Resort Marina participants are right smack in the middle of the action enjoying the best access to the fish whether running north to the Hudson Canyon or south to the Norfolk Canyon as well as every canyon in between!  In fact, during the recent White Marlin Open, Ed Russo garnered the Top Angler award for the tournament among a field of over 2000 anglers and 400 boats with 17 white marlin released and his boat, Big Deal, won the prestigious Top Boat award for 28 white marlin released during three days of fishing including 15 in one day while sailing from Canyon Club Resort Marina for the event!

Tournament entries have been flowing in at a steady pace and while Canyon Club Resort Marina is filling up, some slips are still available for vessels of various sizes.  Join the tournament fleet at Canyon Club Resort Marina along with many of the MidAtlantic’s previous winners who sail from Cape May each year.  Besides a world class marina that offers all the amenities to pamper tournament participants, family, crew and friends during the best week on the tournament calendar, you’ll also be at the tournament’s epicenter with access to the “Big Top” tent which includes the “Sponsors Midway” where you’ll find the latest in gear and services offered by MidAtlantic exhibiting sponsors.  For dockage information and slip reservations give Paul Hoffman a call at 609-884-0199.

The tournament’s base entry fee of $3000 includes all dockside social activities for up to six people.  Proceeds from ten optional calcuttas with fees ranging from $1000 to $6000 provide the prize money for the tournament.  Last   year well over $3 million was paid out and the MidAtlantic continues to be, boat-for-boat, the richest big gamefishing tournament in the world.  The event’s prize structure provides numerous big payouts each year and last year eight winners walked off the awards podium with checks greater than six figures while eight others won $25,000 or more!

Participants will select three days to fish during the week of August 19-23 with cash prizes awarded in various ways for white marlin, blue marlin, tuna, dolphin and wahoo weighed as well as billfish released.  Minimum weights are 65 pounds for white marlin, 400 pounds for blue marlin and 50 pounds for tuna (big eye, yellowfin or true albacore) to win cash.  All boats must fish within 125 miles of the Cape May Sea Buoy regardless of sailing port.

The MidAtlantic gets underway on Sunday, August 18 when late registration, calcutta entries and a cocktail reception will take place from 1 – 4:30 p.m. at Canyon Club Resort Marina and the event’s only satellite venue, Sunset Marina in Ocean City, Maryland.  For your convenience registration can also be completed online prior to the tournament at www.themidatlantic.com.  You’ll also find complete rules, schedule, calcutta information, points and prize breakdowns and a link to purchase 2019 tournament apparel.  For additional tournament information contact Tournament Director Aaron Hoffman at 609-884-0177.  Be sure to follow the action via the South Jersey Tournaments App which can be downloaded for free on any IOS or Android device from the Apple App and Google Play stores.  Additionally, follow the tournament on Facebook at The MidAtlantic Tournament; on Twitter; @midatl and on Instagram; @themidatlantictournament.

It’s the 2019 MidAtlantic!  It’s only a few days away and it’s gonna be another dandy!  Come join the fun and perhaps you’ll have the opportunity to join the winners on the podium and be in a photo with a big check!

2019 Texas Billfish Classic Final Results

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Texas Billfish Classic
July 17-20, 2019
Freeport, Texas
 
28 boats, 22 blue marlin, 4 white marlin, 7 sailfish 
Release Division:
1st Place: Done Deal, Captain Jason Buck
6 blues, 1 white
2nd Place: Bali Ha’i, Captain Anthony Lopez
4 blues
3rd Place: Amigo, Captain Brad Shoenfeld
3 blues
 
Heaviest Marlin:
Amigo, Captain Brad Shoenfeld
643- pounds

Ritchie Howell’s Boat Building Philosophy

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Ritchie Howell is perhaps one of the most interesting builders in sportfishing. While Ritchie is a pleasure to talk to, his boats speak for themselves. In this Dock Talk, Howell breaks down his boat building philosophy and describes all that goes in to making a Ritchie boat.

Splash Report: First Look At Valhalla Boatworks V-37

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The first Valhalla Boatworks V Series center console – the V-37 – has hit the water. Check out this video to watch the initial sea trial, which comes only six months after Viking announced this revolutionary line of high-performance luxury center consoles.

The Young Guns of Sportfishing: Captain Alex Tallman

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by Charlie Levine

One of Capt. Alex Tallman’s core values is to always be friendly and respectful to clients and other fishermen. This mantra has served him well as the young captain, who just turned 31, recently scored his dream job, on his dream boat. For the past year, the Florida-raised Tallman has been running the 63 Ricky Scarborough, Big Smooth, owned by Steve Johnson. Tallman met Johnson through a mutual acquaintance after Johnson purchased some property at Baker’s Bay in the Bahamas and stationed a 39-foot Nor-Tech center console there.

“Steve showed me the properties and the center console,” Tallman says. “I had spent ten years in that area, so I knew it very well. I told him that I liked the setup, but I wanted to fish on a sportfish boat. He said, ‘OK, why don’t you go find one?’ So, that’s what I did.” They purchased the Waterman a 2015 Ricky Scarborough and took to updating her to meet the needs of Bahamas/East Coast operation. “This is one of my favorite boats that I’ve ever been on,” Tallman says. “She’s quick, not too big, and easy to maintain.”

Growing up in Florida, Tallman always had an affinity for fishing. As a young boy he targeted bass and would hit the local lakes whenever he could. He eventually graduated to salt water fishing and would ride his bike down to Juno Pier to fish for snook. He’d save any money he got his hands on to go out on the Blue Heron drift boat out of Jupiter.

He inherited a desire to work on the water from his family which had many ties to the maritime world. His uncle, mother and grandfather all carved out careers on boats. “I always wanted to pursue a job on the water,” Tallman says. “I worked at Jonathan’s Landing Marina through high school, managing the marina’s fleet of boats. It was maybe 40 boats that I would kind of take care of and show people how to use, everything from center consoles to 50-foot cabin cruisers.”

After high school, Tallman attended the Chapman School of Seamanship, his mom’s alma mater, and graduated with a 100 Ton Master Captain’s License. With his license in hand, Tallman hopped on a 75-foot Hatteras motoryacht and spent a year in the Bahamas. “That was a great experience,” he says. “They had a center console as well. We’d fish and spearfish and that kept me interested. I learned how to deal with higher-end owners and keep a really tight boat. The captain was a real stickler and taught me everything from how to turn down beds to cleaning the interior and exterior. It gave me a good basis on the importance of paying attention to detail.” Tallman, just 19 at the time, also ran the boat on short trips.

From there, Tallman moved into the offshore fishing world when he scored a job on the El Lobo, a 90-foot sportfisher run by Frank Gibbs. “Frank saw me grinding away on the motoryacht in the Bahamas, walked up and said he’d been watching how hard I work, and he’d love to get me on board as a mate.”

With a crew of just two people to run the 90-footer, Tallman took advantage of the opportunity to learn from the experienced captain. “Frank is a super mechanical guy and taught me a lot in the engine room. We spent three months in the yard with multiple systems that had to get redone. We worked together for close to a year before that program changed and I jumped ship.”

His next gig was on the ThomCat, a 68-foot enclosed-bridge Hatteras, run by Capt. Bill Davis. The boat spent six months in Palm Beach fishing live bait for sails and trolling for pelagics and six months targeting billfish and bottomfish in the Abacos. “We did it all,” Tallman says. “Anything that had eyes we caught. Bill Davis is one of best fishermen I’ve worked for. He would wake up thinking about fish and go to bed thinking about fish. I had never seen someone that wanted to fish more, and he really got my drive going. All we talked about and thought about was fishing.”

Tallman spent five years on ThomCat, but the program wasn’t changing, and he was getting an itch to travel and experience more fishing spots. When the opportunity to jump on the 90-foot John Bayliss Singularis came about, Tallman made the move.

“I jumped on Singularis right after it was built,” he says. “That was definitely the most traveling I did on a boat. We went everywhere. As soon as the boat was christened, we left to fish the Big Rock, the White Marlin Open and went as far north as Nantucket.” From there they fished throughout the Caribbean and motored through the Panama Canal to Costa Rica.

Again, Tallman got to learn from an experienced captain. “The captain of Singularis, Jerry Lanzerotti, is a super mechanical guy who can fix anything. I would listen and watch how he did things. Every program I worked on, I’d watch and see what I like and add that to my tool box. I wanted to take everything I learned and bring it to my own program.”

From Costa Rica, Tallman fished with the Fanjul family who own Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic on their 74 Viking. That program ended in the Abacos and that’s when Tallman met Steve Jonson and decided to take the gig. But there was one more adventure the aspiring captain wanted to put on his resume – heavy tackle black marlin fishing on the Great Barrier Reef.

“I met Tim Richardson in the D.R. and I knew his mate Garrett Penley from Costa Rica. I fished with them on Tim’s G&S the Chaser in the D.R. and told him that I’d love to go to Australia and got hired on as a second mate to fish on the Tradition.” Richardson, an Aussie, has fished the Great Barrier Reef since the late 1980s. For the past few years, Richardson has also fished the Caribbean part of the year on the Chaser.

“Australia was a difficult job but it’s by far one of my biggest accomplishments. Garrett’s a complete animal in the cockpit and Tim is so experienced and well known. Every time we backed down on a fish, I was comfortable because I knew Tim would keep up with the fish and I could hang on for dear life. I’d seen a few big ones in the Bahamas, but nothing compares to Australia.” The crew would catch nearly 70 marlin that season and win top tagging mate and boat honors from The Billfish Foundation for Pacific black marlin.

After Australia, Tallman went right to work for Johnson on Big Smooth. The boat’s owner is a commercial real estate developer whose company is based in Tennessee. Johnson actually played pro football for the Patriots and the name “Big Smooth” comes from a nickname he earned during his playing days. “Steve’s a 100-percent team player. He’s very open-minded and truly a great guy to work for,” Tallman says. “He lets me run the program on the fishing aspect, and never questions my motives.”

This past season they spent seven months in the Abacos and ended up going to Ocean City to fish the White Marlin Open. “That was definitely an eye opener for me. That was the first time I’ve run a boat up there and you’re fishing against best crews in the world.” They didn’t land in the money, but for Tallman, experiencing a new fishing area is his favorite part of the job. “I love the travel program, going to new places and fishing new water,” he says. “You see different techniques, different types of baits, and I love that aspect.” He admits that he misses the action in the cockpit but he’s not about to give up his seat at the helm.

“Driving the boat is the easy part, knowing the ins and outs of your boat as well as learning from your mistakes is key,” he says. “At some point in time, something will go wrong. How you approach and overcome those obstacles will truly define you as a pro. Doing your maintenance, looking around, and trusting your intuition could prevent a serious mechanical failure. My mate, Anthony Delgreco, is a huge help in this aspect.” And if he can’t fix it, Tallman’s not afraid to reach out for help and advice. Having a network of other captains that you can bounce things off of has been an invaluable resource to him.

“Any captain that knows me, knows I’m all in,” he says. “There is not a job you can ask me to do that I will not do. I’m always there to give a hand and I never want to burn any bridges. You never know, there may come a day when you’re out in middle ocean and need to call for help. It’s critical that you can make that call and have someone to count on.”

Charlie Levine is the publisher of FishTrack.com and the author of the fishing book, “Sucked Dry: The Struggle is Reel,” available on Amazon.

IGFA Names 2019 Tommy Gifford Award Winners 


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IGFA Announces 2019 Tommy Gifford Award Winners
Honoring the Top Captains, Guides and Crew in Angling History

 DANIA BEACH, Fla. – June 28, 2019 – The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) today announced its 2019 Tommy Gifford Award winners in recognition of their significant contributions to recreational angling as captains, guides or crew.

This year’s recipients include big-game angling pioneer Captain Peter Bristow; renowned billfish champion Captain Bubba Carter;  Australian charter legend and adventurer Captain John Cross;  famed Florida Keys inshore guide Captain Billy Knowles; New Zealand angling great and swordfish pioneer Captain Bruce Smith; and IGFA World Record and light tackle extraordinaire Captain R.T. Trosset. These recreational angling greats will be honored at the IGFA Tommy Gifford Awards Ceremony during the 60th annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show on October 31, 2019, at the iconic Riverside Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

“Named for Tommy Gifford, one of the greatest saltwater charter captains of all time, this prestigious award recognizes incredible personal achievements and innovative contributions to the development of our sport,” said IGFA President Nehl Horton. “For many recreational anglers, charter captains and crews are the key to the angling experience as they open up a world of opportunities not always available to the average angler.”

The 2019 recipients were selected by the IGFA Legendary Captains & Crew Committee, a distinguished panel of internationally renowned captains and mates chaired by Captain Skip Smith. Previous winners include Jose Wejebe, Allen and Buddy Merritt, Ron Hamlin, Charles Perry, Ralph Delph, Laurie Wright, Jimmie Albright, Bouncer Smith, Steve Lassley and more.

“On behalf of the entire Legendary Captains & Crew Committee, it is such an honor to be able to recognize these captains, guides and crew members from around the world every year,” said LC&C Chairman Skip Smith. “We need to keep this history alive and honor the contributions these greats have made to our sport.”

 Captain Peter Bristow

Born in Brisbane, Queensland, in July 1938, Peter Bristow has long been a famous figure in local and international game fishing circles. In 1968, he moved to Cairns, Australia, to begin work on big game fishing vessels. The following year, he built the Avalon, a 38-foot sportfishing boat and operated out of Cairns for 23 years.  He is credited as being one of the early pioneers that established Cairns, Australia, as the world’s epicenter for giant black marlin. In 1996, Peter turned his sights to blue marlin in the Atlantic and began a successful charter operation in Madeira, Portugal, fishing on the Katherine B that continues today.

Captain Bubba Carter

South Carolina native Bubba Carter first fished offshore at the age of six and received his captains license two days after turning 18.  He has been a prominent figure in destinations including Cairns, St. Thomas, Isla Mujeres, Venezuela and Costa Rica.  He has released over 20,000 billfish, caught 11 over 1,000 pounds and has several IGFA World Records to his credit.  Today, Carter is based out of Los Suenos, Costa Rica, where he captains the Tijereta.

Captain John Cross

Born in Australia in 1954, John Cross moved to Cairns and established a charter operation with his brother.  He is credited with pioneering the popper fishery for giant trevally on the Great Barrier Reef.   Cross relocated to Papua New Guinea in 1991 and began exploring its inshore and offshore waters.  He later served as the President of the Game Fishing Association of Papua New Guinea from 1996-1998, where he brought the club into the modern age.

Captain Billy Knowles

Billy Knowles is a fourth-generation captain and one of the best-known names in the Florida Keys.  He received his captain’s license in 1961 and the list of notable people he has fished includes the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Grace Kelly, President George H.W. Bush, President Herbert Hoover and Ted Williams.  Knowles has dozens of tournament victories to his credit including the Gold Cup Invitational Tarpon Tournament, Don Hawley Tarpon Tournament, Spring Fly Bonefish Tournament and Fall All-Tackle Bonefish Tournament.  He still is actively guiding clients in the Florida Keys at the age of 78.

Captain Bruce Smith

Bruce Smith came to the Bay of Islands in New Zealand in 1977 with the idea of working for a few weeks as a deck hand, but never left.  Smith learned his craft under the mentorship of Tommy Gifford Awardee Snooks Fuller on the Lady Doreen, which he later went on to captain himself.  He is well-known as an accomplished billfish captain in New Zealand’s waters and helped pioneer its swordfish fishery.  He later became the President of the prestigious Bay of Islands Swordfish Club.

Captain R.T. Trosset

R.T. Trosset has been guiding anglers to scores IGFA World Record catches in Key West, Florida, for over four decades.  He excels in fishing with conventional and fly tackle and is a master at catching everything from tarpon to tuna.  His client list is impressive and not only consists of notable IGFA record holders such as Dotty Ballantyne and Gene DuVal, but also sports figures including Andy Mill, Don Shula and Dick Butkus.  During the height of his career, he was booked as many as 285 days a year and he still guides anglers to “the fish of their lifetime” 130 days a year.

The namesake of the award, Tommy Gifford (1896-1970) is considered one of the most innovative blue water anglers who ever lived, and one of the greatest charter skippers to guide anglers to the major game fishes of the sea. Over the course of his 50-year career, he developed an encyclopedic knowledge of game fish and techniques to catch them, and he served as guide and consultant to some of the most famous names in saltwater angling, including Ernest Hemingway, Michael Lerner, Charlie Lehman and Van Campen Heilner. He never lost his zest for the sea, or his awe at the creatures beneath the waves. Raymond Camp wrote, “Big game angling has a brief history, but Tommy Gifford’s name is sharply etched on every page.”

Johnson & Towers and Western Branch Diesel Join Business

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MERGER ANNOUNCEMENT – Johnson & Towers with Western Branch Diesel

June 28, 2019

We are pleased to announce that Johnson & Towers, Inc. and Western Branch Diesel, Inc. have closed on a transaction merging the respective organizations. Johnson & Towers, LLC and Western Branch Diesel LLC, along with Johnson Truck Center LLC and Dovell & Williams LLC will all fall under the newly created INDEL POWER GROUP LLC.  We will continue to go to market with our existing and well- known brands.

Johnson & Towers and Western Branch Diesel have 165 years of combined experience as Distributors for Detroit & MTU engines and Allison Transmissions. Additionally, both companies are in the standby Power Generation business and are distributors for Volvo Penta marine diesels

Johnson Truck Center in Landover MD and Manassas, VA are Freightliner, Western Star and Autocar truck dealers. Dovell & Williams is an Isuzu truck dealer in Glen Burnie MD and Frederick MD. Both Johnson Truck Center and Dovell and Williams are Mitsubishi Fuso Truck Dealers in Manassas, VA and Glen Burnie MD respectively

This merger brings together two very strong and successful family organizations sharing the same foundation in the diesel engine business. Our companies have known each other for many years and hold similar values and philosophies including honesty and integrity, excellent customer service, and treating our valued employees with care and respect.

This creates a very exciting opportunity for both companies, our employees, and our customers. It gives us an East Coast marine footprint from NY to South Carolina where we represent MTU and/or Volvo Penta and a seven state, 19 location network to leverage and grow our On-Highway brands and a robust Fleet Management business. Additionally, our MTU Power Generation business will enjoy a 9-state network to service stand-by power generation.

We’re truly excited about this merger of long-standing family businesses and we look forward to being able to service our existing and new customers across an expanded geography with increased resources.

The Young Guns of Sportfishing: Captain Ricky Wheeler

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by Charlie Levine

Captain Ricky Wheeler rose up through the ranks in New Jersey learning how to catch everything from fluke to bigeye tuna to blue marlin. Wheeler credits fishing out of this part of the world with shaping the captain he is today. It was that well-rounded fishing education that helped him become a successful captain and launch his own tackle company.

Wheeler, who just turned 34, grew up in Delaware but spent his summers in Wildwood, New Jersey. When he scored a job at South Jersey Marina, home to the MidAtlantic 500, the door to the offshore fishing world opened.  “I grew up fishing for striped bass and bluefish in the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays,” he says. “My dad and granddad had boats and back then the fishing for weakfish was really good, but we didn’t do much offshore fishing. We didn’t have the means. When I started working at the marina, I met the right people and got invited offshore. I learned a lot really fast.”

He spent a summer working as a mate on the Super Crew, a 54 Monterey, and caught his first white marlin. “That kind of catapulted my love for offshore fishing,” he says. His next big break occurred while fishing the MidAtlantic tournament with Frank Pettisani who had a 45 Hatteras. “We caught fish, but didn’t win,” Wheeler says. “Frank offered me a job on the way home and had me running that boat right away. I got my captain’s license that winter.”

Wheeler fished with Pettisani for five years, till the end of 2010. “For me, it was great because Frank demands a lot, but I don’t think realizes it. He wants perfection every day. He pushes me to go beyond good and get better,” Wheeler says. “He understands the fishing part of it.”

Wheeler fished nine months out of the year in New Jersey, fishing for whatever was biting, then spent the winter months with customization projects on the boat. “It went well, and I learned a lot,” he says. “We totally customized that boat and fished a lot.”

Pettisani took the boat from Cape May to Venezuela in 2010 and also fished in Aruba. Those were tough times to fish in Venezuela, with issues sourcing fuel for US boats. It was just dangerous to be there. “It’s a shame,” Wheeler says. “It’s a beautiful country and really good fishing.”

After Venezuela, Wheeler headed back to New Jersey and started freelancing. He fished with IGFA world-record holder Maureen Klause. The pair set nine records together. He also ran larger boats for various clients over the summer. In 2011, he spent his winter in the southern Bahamas, fishing with Capt. Joe Trainor on the Over/Under. He also began fishing in Trinidad and Grenada with Pettisani who had moved the boat there. “It was a busy, year-round schedule for four or five years,” Wheeler says. But the entire time, Wheeler was learning more about fishing in various areas and taking what he learned in New Jersey and applying it to new waters.

“In New Jersey, we have long runs and you learn how to read sea-surface temperature and chlorophyll charts, how water moves and how to adapt every day,” he says.  “I use what I learned up there and take it everywhere. Fish do the same basic thing anywhere. It may change a bit depending on what they’re eating, but we’ll still target current edges and look for color breaks.”

From Trainor, Wheeler also learned how to keep a boat running in remote settings. There simply aren’t many facilities in the southern Bahamas. If something breaks, you better be able to fix it, and you better have spare parts. “There was no body coming to help us,” Wheeler says. “You’ve got to learn to fix things. I don’t love turning wrenches, I actually dislike it, but I love that I know how to do it. Anything that is broken can be fixed.”

Wheeler started spending time in Grenada in the winter of 2013 with Pettisani and fished the spring months with Joe Trainor in the Bahamas. A self-described computer geek, Wheeler also uses his electronics to the full extent possible. He says that freelancing on different boats really helped him master marine electronics. “Every boat I fished on had different electronics, from the newest to the oldest, so I had to learn all that. It was one of the best things that could’ve happened to me. The same could be said for engines and gensets, they were all different. When you only work on one boat you only learn one system.”

After fishing Grenada for a few seasons, Pettisani decided to go all in. He didn’t want anyone but Wheeler to run the operation. Pettisani stationed the 45 Hatteras on the Spice Island and brought over the Exile (formerly Phat Mann and Soul Candy), a 65 Paul Mann that’s going to fish year-round in Grenada. The operation, Exile Charters (www.exilecharters.com), is ready to make the most of a bite that Wheeler says is quietly home to one of the best fisheries in the Caribbean.

“Nobody there really understands how good the fishing is,” Wheeler says. “It’s just far enough that most American boats don’t go, but you can get direct flights from New York and Miami. Our clientele can be there in a few hours.” According to Wheeler, prime time in Grenada runs from December through April with February standing out as the peak of the action. “We’ll see sails balling bait and you can get 25-plus shots a day. The first three days of February we fished five-hour days and had 15 shots with blues in the mix.” The yellowfin bite is also strong, offering some variety and the action is just five miles offshore.

Tackle Innovator                

When fishing remote locations, you sometimes need to get a little creative with the spread. Wheeler had been using what he calls a Party Hat, which added some flash to an O-ring circle hook ballyhoo rig. “I wanted to be able to add some color to the ballyhoo, especially for tuna,” he says. His Party Hat accomplished that goal and didn’t impede the circle hook hookup ratio on the drop back.

He met his future business partner on a liveaboard charter and they started Fish Downsea (www.fishdownsea.com), offering a line of Party Hats, Dredge Shads, Mojo rigs and more. “I would make my own tackle as a hobby,” Wheeler says. “We kept expanding on it and we’re about to start a line of trolling lures. This season I’m going to try a good array of shapes I like. We made some molds, and we’re going to try them. If I’m going to pull something, why not make it mine? If I can pull it, I can promote it.”

Charlie Levine is the publisher of FishTrack.com and the author of the fishing book, “Sucked Dry: The Struggle is Reel,” available on Amazon.

“Don’t Be That Guy!” – Captain’s Edition

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by Winslow Taylor

The relationships dynamics involving captain, crew, angler, charterer and owner combine to create complex sportfishing personality web. Combining the fact that all personalities have their quirks and the long hours (and weeks and months) spent living and working together on a boat and you have a recipe for interesting situations – of the good and bad varieties. Some folks do things that they think are “normal” but to another person these things could be strange or make them look like a total jerk. Simply stated a bit of consideration goes a long way.

The following is a top ten list of weird or annoying character traits that can be found in fishing. Fishing is a serious thing, but remember it’s also supposed to be fun. Do you know anybody who fits the bill for any of these “Don’t Be That Guy” varieties?

The Tournament Mahi Captain

Ok, we get it, we want to catch every single fish – especially when the fishing is slow. Of course everyone is going to get fired up about a billfish. That said, the “tournament mahi captain” shows an excessive eagerness not to screw up an average fish on a charter or fun fishing day. I’ve seen folks cuss up a storm when they missed a gaff shot on the twentieth mahi of the day or replay a certain scenario 100 times after the fact. Of course, in this situation, you are certainly able to make fun of your mate back at the dock, or give the angler grief over a beer, but there is no need to make an awkward situation while underway! Not every day of fishing should be treated like the final day of the Big Rock with an 800-pounder hooked up.

Everyone loves to catch a nice mahi, but this is usually no excuse for yelling (especially on a fun day or with charters).

Everything/Everywhere Guy

Whether you like it or not, running a sportfisher is a service business and a good attitude goes a long way. It’s not that hard to be nice (or at least fake it for a few hours). The “everything/everywhere” guy can be found appearing to have no fun at all, scoffing at what others are doing, and getting mad when they don’t catch any billfish (even when they were in the meat and had a good day). Maybe you have spent multiple seasons on the Great Barrier Reef or wired a thousand blue marlin, that doesn’t give you a license to be a jerk.

I have actually found that the folks who truly have been around the block are some of the nicest, most knowledgeable captains and mates. It’s the ones who want you to think they have done it all, are the ones who really haven’t. So for the guy who always looks like he has seen everything and been everywhere, lighten up. If you aren’t having fun doing your job then maybe you should be looking for employment elsewhere.

“When you’ve hung your sticker in as many places as I have, you know a thing or two…”

The Mate-Captain

The mate-captain can be found in the cockpit, second guessing all of the captain’s knowledge, while low-key bad mouthing the captain about what he is doing wrong. Again, this creates an awkward situation for the guests and anglers. Whatever your thoughts may be, the captain’s word is usually the most important. I’m not saying that the captain telling you to pull a spreader bar through heavy grass while mahi fishing is smart or fun, but you can at least run up the bridge and privately give him your thoughts. Offshore fishing is all about controlled chaos. It’s important to keep the lines of communications clear so everyone can have a good/productive time.

Don’t Be Weird

If you are an owner, captain, or mate, don’t be weird. I asked Jay Blount, one of the captains I used to fish with (who now lives and freelances in Hawaii), about the weirdest or most off-putting trait he remembers dealing with. He told about an owner (not the owner we worked for) who asked about installing a check valve into the gray water tank. That’s all good, and nothing out of the ordinary, until the owner came down into the hallway butt naked trying to maintain a conversation about the state of repairs. I understand that it’s the owner’s boat, but it doesn’t mean it’s the YMCA locker room. Have some decency, if it seems strange it probably is!

I don’t care if we are “underway,” that’s still weird!

The Rich Cheap Guy

Boats are expensive, no question about it. Anyone who owns a sportfish has probably been successful, except for the guy who hired me a few times that is in federal prison for bank fraud (I’ll save that for another story). While I think being paid real wages in the sport fishing industry is a problem, I am not advocating that owners just throw money at their crew. That being said, don’t skimp on your captain and mate’s wages while you brag about spending $25,000 + at Teasers during the WMO week.

I spoke to a captain whose owner invited him, the mate, and the guests out to a nice dinner. When the check came the owner asked to divide it two ways, he would take himself and the guests and the captain/mate were on their own. If you invite your crew out to dinner and pick up the tab for everyone BUT your crew, that’s poor form. I’d be willing to bet your crew would have rather chilled out and eaten a frozen pizza on the boat instead of spending $75 each on dinner with the guests. Even when it’s not fishing, as long as the crew is entertaining or hanging out on the boat, it’s still work.

Dumb Stuff is Ok if They Pay

Even if your boss’s wife and kids or your charter are doing the dumbest thing possible, it’s their money and time on the water. We once had a guy that only wanted to fly-fish for mahi. The problem was that he couldn’t fly fish and was extremely uncoordinated. The only thing accomplished was fly-line in the rigger and a tangled up squid chain teaser.

We trolled a way back dink, but he refused to reel in every mahi we caught. It was pretty frustrating, especially when you are offshore and it feel like you are wasting time (or you are wasting your time). Sometimes you just have to sit back and have a laugh – after all it’s their money and they bought the boat time. If the charter wants to jig for AJ’s until their arms fall off or fly-fish for sharks, that’s their right. Moral of the story, be nice and if something stupid happens just bite your tongue (unless it puts you or the boat in danger)!

The Captain Who is Never Wrong

The captain runs the operation and is the boss of the crew, but that doesn’t give him a license to discount what anyone else thinks. Everyone comes to the table with different experiences, which can be helpful to round out a program. Whether it’s mates networking about where the fish were or knowing how to perform a repair (that the captain may not know how to do), it’s important to listen to those around you.

One example comes from the time we were provisioning the boat to head to the Abacos. After buying as much beer as we could stow aboard, the captain grabbed some baby wipes. On another boat I had recently had the glorious job of disassembling the head due to someone’s “operator error.” I knew that baby wipes weren’t going to make it past the macerator pump and told the captain the baby wipers should be a no-go. Well, he didn’t listen, and (you guessed it) we got another crash course in head assembly right before dinner…. I still don’t let that person forget about that incident! Although the captain usually has the experience, don’t discount other folks’ knowledge just because they may not have been fishing or cruising as long as you.

Anyone can catch a blue marlin on a ballyhoo. I only use bonefish!

The Full House Charter

We all know these folks, they jump on the boat and throughout the day they use every head and somehow lay down in every bed. They leave handprints everywhere and eat random food – even the stuff that probably expired a few years ago. Again, in a charter situation, they “paid” for the boat, but it’s when these folks don’t listen to any of the ground rules that it becomes problematic. Most guests never realize the amount of cleanup time it takes for the interior alone – especially on a yacht or semi-yacht finish vessel. It’s the little things that that are noticed and appreciated by the crew – such as applying spray sun tan lotion (if allowed onboard) with the wind going off the boat or eating fried chicken or potato chips off the side of and not over the teak. A cognizant guest is an appreciated entity who will be welcome back anytime. It also helps if they bring some good food and drinks!

The Unfriendly Bridge

Fishing can be stressful – especially when it’s your profession. The term that always comes to mind is “you are only as good as your next day.” Being successful on the water takes skill, concentration, finesse, and luck. Apart from the fishing, it also takes compatible personalities. If everyone cannot get along, it’s going to be a long day and a short job.

Having fished with various folks through the years, the one variable among different boats is the approachability of the captain. I think the approachability of the captain and their “bridge accessibility” goes a long way. Many folks charter certain boats based on the captain. These guests hope to glean some information, often with the intent to book more charter days in the future.

There was a guy around North Carolina who was notorious for being a curmudgeon and having a crappy attitude, but he was a good fisherman. He usually had a job for bit, but was the consummate job jumper. After a couple of trips, most owners tired quickly of that sort of behavior. One day he took out the owner and his wife, only to yell at the wife while she was fighting an average wahoo. He didn’t have a job much longer after that. The best fisherman, with the worst attitude is going to be looking for a job more often than not. Whether it’s a fishing tip, a funny story, or a just a different view of the spread, I think it benefits captains to be approachable and give folks the option of hanging out on the bridge.

The Do Everything Mate

Again, there is no doubt that the captain is in charge, but (usually) the mate has control over the tackle and the captain has responsibilities over the vessel and the vessel’s systems. Of course the mate aids in maintenance and issues while underway, but I think it’s important for the captain to take personal responsibility over “boat stuff.” Take getting an entanglement in the running gear, for example. Most people don’t enjoy jumping off a perfectly good boat in god-knows-where, but I think it’s a bad look when the captain tells the mate to jump in the water first. Leadership is an important trait. If you never take ownership of situations and rather delegate everything away, it may foster a sense of entitlement or laziness. These situations, if lingering long enough, can create a toxic crew environment which, inevitably, leads to crew turnover and resentment.

Conclusion

Team work, like that needed on a sportfishing boat, requires give and take. Successful fishing over the long haul is all about playing hard and working hard. I think a well-tuned crew appears to be having a good time while enjoying their time on the water. While everyone wants to be good at their jobs, taking yourself too seriously or being the embodiment of one of these “Don’t Be That Guy” stereotypes is not good for anybody. I hope this article can aid in some personnel traits and remember, don’t be too weird!