Owning a boat is undoubtedly expensive and that last check you sign before driving your new boat home is just the tip of the iceberg. Budgets are in the eye of the beholder as operating costs can vary greatly depending on how many days, weeks or months the boat will be in use and also how extensive your travel or tournament participation will be.
Florida Sailfish Cup, June 3, 2022—After seven months of fishing, the first annual Florida Sailfish Cup has come to a close. 41 boats participated in the tournament and represented all different locations over Florida, from New Smyrna Beach all the way to Key West, FL. 183 Sailfish were released between the top three teams across their five fishing days and a total of 688 fish were released by the 41 boat fleet. The total purse for the tournament was $265,850, with the biggest payout being awarded to team Reel Synergy!
Hard work and devotion are keys to success in any venture, and this fisherman credits his mountain roots and rural upbringing to success in business and on the water pursuits. More than 50 years since his father’s Island Rover was given a second chance in Andros, savvy angler, entrepreneur, husband and father Michael Lamb has been diligently working toward keeping his family’s dream alive through his own Island Rover, a 58-foot Merritt with glistening gold leaf lettering adorning the natural teak transom.
Reel Pushy. Photo: Walker’s Cay Invitational
High Cotton
Orange Beach Billfish Classic, May 22, 2022—In what has become a bit of a recent tradition that tournament organizers would be happy to see come to an end, the 26th Annual Orange Beach Billfish Classic had to adjust this year’s tournament schedule due to a forecast calling for rough seas. The originally scheduled final day of the tournament, Saturday, May 21st, was looking to be rather sporty offshore.
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Photos and Story by Lane Forrer
In all of their travels, the Polynesians and South American cultures never settled the Galapagos. It’s debatable whether they found them, but there are no archeological remains of people prior to Europeans. Curious. So many currents collide in and amongst the archipelago that anyone might have arrived and called it home.
By Captain Scott “Fraz” Murie
I’ve been approached several times recently about frustrated captains who say, “I’ve got something for you to write about in your next two-minute warning column.” Their frustration is real. Their complaint is a valid one.
And it concerns radars. It seems that everyone who owns a boat these days has a radar. From the cruisers and bay boats, monkey boats to the motor yachts and mega sportfish boats. A lot of the bigger boats have two radars. It’s a valuable tool for safety and fishing but it seems that everyone with a radar turns it on as soon as they’re leaving the dock, then they leave it on 24/7.
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.
The team on the Valhalla 46 Trust Fun shows their spirit.
Valhalla Boatworks, April 13, 2022—The eighth annual Viking Key West Challenge (VKWC) was a smashing success, with 50 boats and more than 500 people attending the three-day event. “The Viking Key West Challenge is an amazing event that just keeps getting bigger and better, with more boats and more people participating every year,” says Viking President and CEO Pat Healey. “It’s now the largest tournament on the island. Key West is really the perfect location where everyone can thoroughly enjoy the boating and fishing lifestyle that we all love.” Valhalla Boatworks has become an important part of the festivities as more owners are discovering the great family fun and fishing camaraderie of the VKWC. Trust Fun features triple Mercury 600s, a custom Palm Beach Towers gap tower and a host of accessories for live bait fishing.
