InTheBite

  • Home
  • News
    • All News
    • Featured Stories
    • General News
    • Captain of the Year
    • Tournament Results
    • First Builds
    • Splash Reports
    • Old Salts Rule
    • Tackle Tips
    • Dock Talk
    • Crew Records
    • Conservation
  • Tournaments
    • Calendar
    • Captain of the Year
    • Champion’s Cup
  • Shop
    • All Products
    • Subscriptions
    • Back Issues
    • Shirts
    • Hats & Visors
    • Miscellaneous
    • Release Rulers
  • Classifieds
  • Job Board
  • Contact
    • Contact InTheBite
    • InTheBite Media Kit
  • Log in

Tagged Sailfish Recaptured on Same Day

January 14, 2022 By InTheBite Digital Editor

sailfish release

NOAA Southeast Fisheries, Jan. 14, 2022—Anyone involved in a tagging program is excited when they get a report of a recapture since these are the lynchpin of a volunteer, constituent based program. So when scientists with NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center were notified just after Thanksgiving that a few tagged sailfish had been recaptured, they were thrilled.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Featured Stories, Fishing, General News Tagged With: billfishing, catch and release, Sailfish, tagging

Tournament Kite Fishing for Sailfish—The X-Factor

January 7, 2022 By InTheBite Editor

By Captain Nick Gonzalez

Kite fishing has been met by a number of innovations over the last 10 years. Electric kite reels have gotten faster, more reliable, and easier to use. To compliment these kite reels and increase efficiency, light, high-speed conventional reels with smooth drags and high gear ratios came into the market. A number of different rod manufacturers began making excellent rods with soft tips and moderate backbones that are ideal for kite fishing. In addition, circle hooks became mainstream and a number of different manufacturers make chemically sharpened circle hooks that are tournament legal and very affordable.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Featured Stories, Fishing, Techniques Tagged With: double threat fishing charters, Sailfish, sportfishing, Tournament Kite Fishing

Silver Sailfish Derby Celebrates 85 Years with Sold Out Fleet

December 20, 2021 By InTheBite Digital Editor

Derby Fleet headed out Palm Beach Inlet, circa 1950

Derby Fleet headed out Palm Beach Inlet, circa 1950

Monday, Dec. 20, 2021—The West Palm Beach Fishing Club will again host the ‘World’s Oldest Sailfish Tournament’ on January 6th and 7th, 2022. In its 85th year, the Silver Sailfish Derby is rich in history with a lot of prestige on the line for participants. The tournament fleet is limited to 50 boats and already sold out headed into the new year.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: General News, News, Press Releases Tagged With: fishing tournament, Sailfish, sailfishing, Silver Sailfish Derby

Captain Brad Philipps Breaks Down the Guatemala Billfish

October 20, 2021 By InTheBite Editor

guatemala billfish

Photo courtesy Mark B. Hatter

By Mark B. Hatter

“We know more about the moon than we know about the habits of billfish.”

Brad Philipps, captain, owner and operator of the charter boat Decisive and Guatemala Billfishing Adventures, introspectively remarked as we sipped whisky and smoked Cuban cigars on the rooftop of his Casa Philipps in Antigua, in January of 2020. It had been a VERY slow week, yet under the uncharacteristic circumstances, we raised and released more sailfish using fly tackle than any other boat in the fleet.

So, I am not so sure about Philipp’s moon and billfish remark.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Adventures, Central America, Crew, Featured Stories, Fishing, News, People, Places, South America Tagged With: billfish, brad phillips, Captain, decisive, Guatemala Fishing, Sailfish

Florida’s unDOCKumented Dock Records & Notable Catches

April 30, 2020 By InTheBite Editor

 

sailfish thrashing around the surface

In light of the recent dock records in the Florida Keys, we’ve dug up some material of notable catches we’ve published through the years.*

map of florida

Florida

NEW SMYRNA

Heavy Hitter caught 41 sailfish trolling in a single day out of Ponce Inlet.

  • David Grubbs was the owner/operator at the time.

FT PIERCE

January 10, 2019, Grand Slam released 38 sailfish trolling dead baits during the Pelican Yacht Club Tournament

  • Capt: David Grubbs

Floridian caught 32 sailfish trolling on dead baits in January 2004.

  • Capt: Glenn Cameron
  • Mate: Kevin Paul

STUART

December 1997

Boneshaker caught 22 sailfish trolling.

  • Capt: VJ Bell
  • Angler: Joe Lahner
  • Mate: Scott Fawcett

WEST PALM BEACH 

2006

Get Lit caught 35 sailfish in the Silver Sailfish Derby.

  • Capt: Ray Rosher
  • Anglers: Kitt Toomey
  • Mates: Charmain Rosher and Jon Cooper

Wrenegade caught 26 sails live baiting.

  • Capt: Jimmy Fields
  • Anglers: Charlie Scippola and Tony Cummings
  • Mate: Winston Wren

Feb 3, 1980 Elbow 7 caught 83 sailfish on live bait.

  • Capt: Albert Johnston
  • Angler: Louis Boski
  • Mate: Unknown

No Problem that same day caught 54 in three hours on live bait, the boat had to head in early in order to get someone to the airport.

  • Capt: Jack Morrow
  • Angler: Dave Dickenson
  • Mate: Tim Sperling

FT LAUDERDALE

April 9, 2009 Vitamin Sea Too caught 50 sailfish on live bait.

  • Captain: Tim Maddock,
  • Anglers/Crew: Mike Dinnen, Mike Reisert, Jon Krieg, Chris Meeks, Chris Zidar

MIAMI

May 1, 2019 Sandman, captained by John Dudas, caught 43 sailfish and one white marlin off Miami.

  • Crew: Diomedes Adames, Jeffrey Liederman, Steven Stallings, Sandra MacMillan

Owls Nest, captained by Matt Tambor, caught 36 sailfish on live bait out of Government Cut, a host of local quality mates were the anglers and they believe they would have caught more if they didn’t run out of bait.

March 6, 2019

L&H, captained by Jimmy David, caught 41 sailfish off Miami.

  • Mates: James David, Troy Hall
  • Anglers: Rick Smith, Matt Bowman

ISLAMORADA

Vice Versa boat crew with 76 release flags

April 23, 2020 Vice Versa, captained by Scott Martin, hold the record with 76 sailfish released in a day on live bait.

April 24, 2020 Shaka, captained by Tim Maddock, released 64 sails on April 24.

Was caught 38 sailfish on live mullet back in the 60’s.

  • Capt: Buck Stark

Kalex caught 20 sailfish live baiting (unverified if single-day record).

  • Capt: Alex Alder
  • Mate: James Allen

January of 2007 Catch 22 caught 7 swordfish without the use of electric reels.

  • Capt: Scott Stanczyk,
  • Angler: Richard Stanczyk,
  • Mate: Kristian Zeher

Marathon (Middle Keys)

April 12, 2020 Captain Marty Lewis and the crew of the Main One, out of Marathon’s Main Attraction charters, broke the record with 70 releases.

May 10, 2005 Main Attraction, captained by Marty Lewis, caught 36 sails on live bait.

April 15, 2003 Main Attraction, captained by Marty Lewis, also caught 25 sailfish on live baits.

Key West (Lower Keys)

2004

Tim Greene was an angler onboard the Beachcomber when it caught 3 blues in one day.

  • Capt: Daryl Simeon
  • Anglers: Tim Greene and Kurt Kirvan
  • Mate: Unknown

The biggest blue marlin caught out of Key West weighs 784 lbs. and is hanging at the Key West airport.

1999

Petticoat II caught 6 blue marlin in a single day.

  • Capt: Norman Wood and Wayne Hunt
  • Angler: Jim Hardy
  • Mate: Unknown

Outside the State

Born2run released 10 blue marlin during the two-and-a-half-day Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic

  • Capt. Myles Colley
  • Mates: Tyler Maxwell, Robert Bonifay, Doug Franklin, Alex Pinney and Brian “Beaver” Paul.
  • Owners, Dana and Lisa Foster

March 11 & 12, 2021 the Vaquero crew established a new proclaimed one day Pacific Sailfish release record totaling 164.

  • Captain Lance Hightower
  • Boneshaker
    Capt. VJ Bell, Angler Joe Lahner, Mate Scott Fawcett on the Boneshaker.
  • pic_boneshaker_ex
    Boneshaker, which caught 22 sailfish trolling.

  • Floridian
    The Floridian , which caught 32 sailfish trolling on dead baits in January 2004.
  • Get Lit Siver Sailfish Dervy
    Get Lit caught 35 sailfish in the Silver Sailfish Derby.
  • Wrenegade Pic 2
    Wrenegade caught 26 sails live baiting.
  • Vitamin Sea Too TR
    Vitamin Sea Too caught 50 sailfish on live bait.
  • Owls Nest
    Owls Nest, captained by Matt Tambor, caught 36 sailfish on live bait out of Government Cut.
  • Kalex
    Kalex caught 20 sailfish live baiting
  • Catch 22
    Catch 22 caught 7 swordfish without the use of electric reels.
  • AF6A73CC-98AF-4AFF-9280-ABEA6B5A9C08
    Shaka, captained by Tim Maddock, released 64 sails on April 24.
  • main attraction TR
    On May 10, 2005, Main Attraction, captained by Marty Lewis, caught 36 sails on live bait.
    On April 15, 2003, the team caught 25 sailfish on live baits.
  • AF7A9470-6AC5-42E3-8212-BC029228E24B
    Sandman, captained by John Dudas, caught 43 sailfish and one white marlin off Miami on May 1, 2019.

So that’s what we have so far! We are still working on this eastern region. If any information needs to be corrected, please let us know. Also we really want to give everybody onboard the recognition they deserve so if you see any unknowns or listings that have the captain, angler or mates name missing please fill us in. Once again amy@inthebite.com.

*Records are only used if they can be verified by reputable captains.

Do you have any comments or questions for us? We’d love to hear from you.

 

Filed Under: Featured Stories, Fishing, General News, News, Records Tagged With: fishing records, florida keys sailfish record, florida sailfish record, notable catches, Sailfish

Florida Keys 70 Sailfish Day

April 16, 2020 By InTheBite Editor

Main One with 70 sailfish flags By Elliott Stark

Captain Marty Lewis and his wife Katie own and operate Main Attraction Charters out of Key Colony Beach, Florida. With five working charter boats, the Lewises are no stranger to the waters of the Lower Keys. It was this experience and familiarity that led to a hunch that turned into what may have been the best day of sailfishing in the history of the Florida Keys. On Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020, Captain Marty Lewis and the crew of the Main One, a 49’ Cape Fear, released a Keys’ record 70 sails.

Here’s how it happened.

“I took my wife and daughter out tuna fishing on Saturday off of Marathon. It was a slick calm day but I could see that the Gulf Stream was running in close. I knew that the next day might be a good day to go sailfishing but it was Easter Sunday. I asked my wife if I could go and she gave me hall pass to go fishing,” Lewis explains with a bit of a laugh.

girl holding blackfin tuna

Katie Lewis with a nice, day-before-Easter blackfin

Upon returning to the dock after fishing Lewis’ mate, Digger Rodamer, sent out a group text to round up a crew for the following day. The next day, Digger, Shelby Bentley, Aaron “Nautical” Sutcliffe, Steve Fitzgerald and Joe Marino joined Marty to head offshore. Loaded up with 800 or 1,000 live pilchards the crew departed the dock at Key Colony Beach Marina at 7:00.

keys sailfish on leader

They started fishing about 25 miles west of Marathon. Captain Marty found what he was looking for—the spot where the Gulf Stream tucked in—off of the American Shoal near Big Pine Key.  “Every fish we caught was tailing. We cast live pilchards to them. There was no kite fishing or trolling. We probably saw 100 fish on the day, but we couldn’t get to all of them. Almost all of those that we cast a bait to ate—only two or three turned away. There was no pressure on them, we only saw two or three other boats out,” Lewis describes.

sailfish flipping on leader

Lewis and company caught their first fish at 10:00. Forty minutes later the tally was up to six. “We had a steady stream of groups of fish passing through most of the day. There were two rallies when we’d have a guy hooked up on the bow and a guy fighting one at the stern and then we’d hook others. One time we had a guy fighting a fish for an hour. We must have caught eight or ten fish while he was fighting his.”

By 3:15 pm the tally eclipsed 40. By 5:00 the total was 60 and the crew realized they had a shot a breaking the Keys’ record of 65 sailfish releases in a day.  Lewis kept a running tally with his wife Katie over text message. The final text came through at 6:35—“70 and done.”

It was a record breaking day for the veteran charter captain and a group of his buddies. Captain Marty spent the day in the tower directing his guys where to cast as sailfish tailed into range. The fish were caught on Mustad ultra point 6/0 circle hooks using 30 and 40 pound leader.  All of the fish were caught slinging live pilchards to tailers on Penn spinning outfits.

News of the epic day brought led 30 or 40 boats to fish the area the next day. While Capt. Marty decided to take Monday off (after all he wasn’t going to catch 70 again) the bite continued for the next couple of days. Monday produced 46 releases followed by 30 on Tuesday. The hot streak produced an incredible 146 sails over three consecutive days for Main Attraction Sportfishing Charters.

Captain Marty Lewis and the crew of the Main One– and all the a whole pile of sailfish flags! 70 of them.

To book a day with Marty and the Main Attraction Charters, visit them at: www.mainattraction.org or give them a call at: 305.289.0071

Filed Under: Featured Stories, Fishing, News, North America, Records Tagged With: florida keys, florida keys sailfish record, main attraction charters, Sailfish, sailfish records

Outage Hooks 3 Blues and 42 Sails Over Two Days

April 7, 2020 By InTheBite Editor

A trip offshore on the Outage, a 60′ Jim Smith owned by Hans Kraas out of Los Sueños, brought in a nice haul that included sailfish and blue marlin.

The highlight was when a blue came in on the left teaser, with 13-year-old Cole, Kraas’ son, throwing the left pitch only for it to then fade off before Cole’s mom, Nikki Bates, on the rod, fed it perfectly on the right long, and hooked it, making it the first blue she hooked herself.

This was Cole’s second blue on the wire, handling it like a pro.

In total, the group hooked two blues and 11 sails the first day and 31 sails and another blue the next. Not a bad couple of days at all.

https://assets.inthebite.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/IMG_7624.mp4

Filed Under: General News, News Tagged With: Blue Marlin, family fishing, outage, Sailfish

The Numbers Game: Tournament Fishing

December 16, 2019 By InTheBite Editor

By Katie Coeckelenbergh

If it is your goal to fish and place consistently in any of the world’s best release tournaments, there is a certain set of practices that you’ll need to follow. Teams that place consistently do so not just with skill, but by adhering to a strenuous set of standards…one that doesn’t often include rod holders or cold beer during fishing hours. Here’s an insider’s look. (If you are a captain, this might be a good read for your tournament team as well). — ITB

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Fishing, News, Techniques Tagged With: catch and release, Offshore Fishing, Sailfish, tournament fishing

Caribsea wins 56th Annual Islamorada Sailfish Tournament

December 11, 2019 By InTheBite Editor

Photo courtesy Tim Rahn Photography

The 56th Annual Islamorada Sailfish Tournament kicked off at Whale Harbor hosting 80 anglers, plus friends and family with a grand buffet. Great Sailfish action started on Friday morning and continued over the next three days concluding on December 8th.  Captain KC Spaulding of the Caribsea led anglers Kenny Spaulding, Sam Milazzo, Phillip Bryan and Lee Gahagen all from Islamorada, FL to the winner’s circle with a total of 19 sailfish releases. The team took home beautiful sailfish sculptures sponsored by Caribee Boat Sales and Yamaha Outboards.  141 Sailfish were released out of the 154 called in hook ups with nearly $55,000.00 going to the winners. 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: News, Tournaments Tagged With: Caribsea, Islamorada Sailfish Tournament, Sailfish, sailfishing

Angler John Cole Led to Rare Grand Slam on the Fly

December 2, 2019 By InTheBite Editor

Captain Brad Philipps led angler John Cole to the rare grand slam on the fly. This included sailfish, blue marlin and striped marlin on fly tackle in the same day. Extremely rare, extremely difficult. What a feat by captain, crew and angler.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Crew, People Tagged With: Blue Marlin, Grand Slam, Offshore Fishing, Sailfish, striped marlin

Next Page »

Connect With InTheBite

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe to InTheBite Magazine Today!

InTheBite current cover image

Our latest issue is hitting the docks now! Be sure to subscribe to the hottest bluewater mag on the market. Purchase or Subscribe »

InTheBite Champion’s Cup

InTheBite Champions Cup Logo

New for 2022, the Champion’s Cup is an optional paid entry with a winner-takes-all prize format for teams who want to up the stakes in each division utilizing our longstanding tournament scoring formula.

Captain of the Year Cup Standings

COTY / ITB Cup Logo

News

  • Old Salt: Capt. Eddie Herbert

    Old Salt: Capt. Eddie Herbert

    By Carol M. Bareuther, RD The moon and stars shone brightly in the pre-dawn night as Capt. Eddie Herbert started the engines on the 80-foot Merritt Reel Tight. His destination, the Virgin Islands’ North Drop. Reel Tight owner Jim Lambert Sr. took his passion for fishing seriously. He wanted to be first off the dock so he could catch and... [Read More...]

  • Splash Report: Bayliss Boatworks' Overtime

    Splash Report: Bayliss Boatworks' Overtime

    Every boat built by Bayliss Boatworks is a truly custom project. In the case of Overtime, the newest 67’ 6’’ build to hit the water, the sportfisher is the weapon of choice for a Cabo-San-Lucas-based program. With the help of the experienced captain and owner team, Bayliss Boatworks designed a sportfishing yacht unique enough to meet the demands of conquering... [Read More...]

  • First Build: Jarrett Bay's Sensation

    First Build: Jarrett Bay's Sensation

    By Nichole Osinski "If you’d asked me when I was 16 years old if I was going to build a boat, I would have told you you’re crazy," says Jarrett Bay Founder and President Randy Ramsey when recalling his 30-plus year career in the boat building industry. But to understand how the company has risen to where it is today,... [Read More...]

  • InTheBite Christmas Gift Offers

    InTheBite Christmas Gift Offers

    In addition to the other products listed below, InTheBite is offering two amazing holiday gift deals: a free gift subscription and a hat, shirt and sticker bundle. Act now before the offer ends on December 24th at midnight! Christmas Special: Hat, Shirt & Sticker Bundle (While Supplies Last) Looking for the perfect holiday gift for the fisherman in your life?... [Read More...]

  • Tackle Tips: L-Bar Bottom Rig

    Tackle Tips: L-Bar Bottom Rig

    Capt. Bill Buckland, Fisherman’s Center Supplies Needed: L-Bar, 250 lb mono, 11/0 circle hooks, three-way swivel, deep drop gang rig and sash weight. The L-Bar is an excellent accessory to utilize when deep dropping for bottom fish. It is especially effective for catching tilefish. With a traditional five-hook gang rig, the hooks are suspended in the water column. Utilizing the... [Read More...]

Search InTheBite

Copyright © 2023 InTheBite, LLC · All Rights Reserved.