InTheBite

Blue Moon Wins the 21st Annual Pompano Beach Saltwater Shootout

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Pompano Beach, Fla. (May 13, 2019) –The competition was tight and the bite was hot for the 21st Annual Mercury/SeaVee Pompano Beach Saltwater Shootout on May 11th.  113 boats and over 700 anglers turned out for the record setting tournament. The kickoff party was a blast with a live performance from Mr. Stix & the Spurience and DJ Select hosted the party inside while anglers won great prizes from tournament sponsors on the Spin-to-Win wheel, Blue Moon Fish Company delivered a decadent food experience and Hooter’s kept the free drinks flowing from Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Bacardi, Hillbilly Bourbon, Landshark Lager & Seven Daughter’s Wine.  The IGFA continued their mission to teach 100,000 kids to fish in 2019 with a classroom full of kids and hands on instruction that included a free fishing rod courtesy of Fish Florida Tag Agency plus a gift certificate for a fishing trip aboard Fish City Pride drift boat in Pompano Beach.

Pre-fishing reports in advance of the Shootout had teams prepared for a hot day of fishing in the first leg of the PBSC summer series.  Bryce Statham and his Blue Moon fishing team posted a great catch with 221.4 pounds of fish on board their Mercury powered 34’ SeaVee. They popped the champagne on stage in celebration of the first place win and their $25,336 payday! Pierce Statham was also the top male angler with 127.6 points.  Team Digger Rich was the only other team to break the two hundred pound threshold with four kings and four tuna that weighed in at 214.1 pounds to secure the second place spot overall and a check for $10,840. Big fish have a reputation for big payouts in the PBSC tournaments and the 2019 Shootout was no exception.  Angela Davis landed a 44.6 pound cobia with her teammates on team Reel Synergy.  The cobia turned out to be the heaviest fish of the tournament and the second largest payout with a check for $20,598 to the team.

As the fish continued to hit the scales on the Bass Pro Shops weigh stage, records were bound to be broken.  That is exactly what happened when pee wee angler, Daniel Accardi of team Sir’ Reel, weighed his catch that included two huge African Pompano plus three bonito for a total of 115.3 pounds and a new pee wee record in the Shootout!  The top junior angler title went to Benjamin Dixion of team Fish Scales with 62.2 pounds.  In association with tournament charity, Perry J. Cohen Foundation, and Bass Pro Shops, Benjamin also won the safety first award and received a complete safety kit including an epirb, handheld GPS and other life-saving boating equipment.  Melanie Chojnacki, team High Gear, was the top female angler with 128.3 pounds.

The top 5 in the Shootout were rounded out with Slob City in 3rd with 192.4 pounds, Young Guns in 4th with 190.7 pounds and High Gear in 5th with 187.2 pounds.  Young Guns was the top SKA team with a 40 pound king and a bonus $1,890.  The big king also won them the Angler Armory pound for pound contest and an additional $4,000.  The 2019 Shootout touted some impressive stats that included a 100 pound average for the fleet, over 150 pounds weighed in by each of the top 15 teams and over 9,000 pounds of fish in total to hit the scales!

A $200,000 purse made for a great turnout at the awards ceremony hosted by Bonefish Mac’s at the Pompano Beach Civic Center.  In honor of Mother’s Day, Bonefish Mac’s presented each mom with a rose and champagne mimosas and they also had the opportunity to win some great prizes in a Mother’s Day raffle.  Both the KDW Jackpot and Pick 3 calcuttas did not have a winner at the Shootout, which means they will roll over into the Saltwater Slam on June 8th where the KDW is expected to exceed $30,000 and the Pick 3 will eclipse $50,000!

For a complete list of Saltwater Shootout results, visit: https://www.bluewatermovements.com/tournaments/summer-series/shootout/results/

Next up in the Pompano Beach Saltwater Circuit is the Mercury/SeaVee Pompano Beach Saltwater Slam.  Early registration remains open for the Saltwater Slam until May 23rd at midnight.  To register online visit: https://fish.bluewatermovements.com/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fHTMLClient%2f

New Power For 2015

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CAT-Hi-ResCaterpillar Ships First C8.7 Diesels

Caterpillar Marine has announced the first shipments of the new Cat C8.7 supercharged diesel engines. The electronically-controlled C8.7 is capable of delivering 650mhp at 2300 RPMs while meeting updated EPA standards.

The C8.7’s sophisticated fuel delivery system allows the use of a radial belt-driven supercharger in addition to a conventional turbocharger; this feature eliminates smoke and reduces lugging while delivering phenomenal low-end torque and impressive fuel economy. Once the supercharger is no longer needed as the turbo takes over the boost function, an electromagnetic clutch disengages the supercharger and allows the turbo to provide the maximum boost pressure. This renders the new engine impervious to turbocharger lag and allows rapid transient response throughout the engine’s operating range. Along with traditional shaft installations, the C8.7 is also designed to be integrated with the Cat Three60 Pod 650. For more information, visit www.caterpillar.com.

Mercury-400hpMercury Unveils 400hp Verado

At a staggering 153 horsepower per liter, the all-new Mercury Racing Verado 400R outboard is the most powerful consumer outboard ever produced by Mercury. This incredible achievement in power and efficiency was achieved through a number of advancements to the proven 2.6L Verado platform, including a custom cold air induction system and an all-new water-cooled supercharger that’s designed to reduce intake temperatures and significantly increase air density. This enables the engine to generate unprecedented torque and unmatched acceleration all the way from the lower end of the power band up to the 7,000 RPM maximum engine speed. Electronic knock control enables the engine to safely run on 89 octane fuel when the recommended premium 91-octane fuel is not available. The 400R is the first Verado to feature the race-proven Sport Master gearcase with low-water pickups for added performance and is also the first Mercury Racing outboard to feature Joystick Piloting for Outboards (JPO) technology. For more information, visit www.mercurymarine.com.

Seven-MarineEven Higher Horses: Seven Marine’s 627

Seven Marine was founded in 2010 by a team of proven innovators with decades of experience in the marine marketplace. Every engineer and technician has been hand-picked for their expertise, ingenuity and accomplishements, and the entire team is focused only on making the most powerful and technologically advanced, highest-performing outboard motors on the planet. With their 557hp model they claimed the title as the most powerful outboard but now the team has unveiled an even larger one: the stunning 627. Loaded with technical features, as well as aesthetic innovation such as integral LED lighting that provides a dramatic look, the 627 claims the record as the world’s highest-horsepower outboard motor and should prove to be a great alterative for today’s ever-larger center consoles. For more information visit www.seven-marine.com.

Mann-Hi-ResMore from MAN

In keeping with their motto of ‘reliable and efficient,’ MAN has introduced a newly developed 12-cylinder V-engine. The German engine manufacturer will extend the power range of its high-speed marine engines for heavy-duty operation up to 1,000 hp. By adapting the turbocharger and the valve timing, MAN was able to raise the mean pressure and increase the power rating compared to the most powerful engines available. The new, efficient MAN offers an excellent power density for heavy-duty applications. Individually mounted cylinder heads also ensure ease of service, which allows MAN’s solid power unit to shine when it comes to cost-effectiveness calculations. All MAN marine engines also available in EPA Tier 3. For more information visit www.man.eu.