InTheBite

Very Few Men Qualify as Legend, as Pioneer… Jack Morrow Does!

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By Capt. Jeff Waxman

Capt. Jack Morrow came of age in Palm Beach, Florida during the hey day of Cat Cay and as sportfishing in the Caribbean came into its own. After nearly 70 years on the water, Morrow shares his perspective.

There are hallmarks among the cadre of Top Guns in our sport. It’s a bit like the fishing version of “masculine measurement.” It often goes a bit like this….

Catch multiple blue marlin in one day? Check. Catch double digit sails in couple hours? Check. How about multiple giant tuna in one day? Check. Multiple sails? How about 54 in about a half day? Check. While these statistics have become somewhat common place these days – with all of the technology and communication, Captain Jack Morrow’s career began in the mid-1950s. As he says, “I am glad I did what I did, when I did it.” Growing up in Singer Island, Florida, Jack would ride his bike to the boatyard and marina to help clean boats while in grade school. He was paid 50 cents a boat then.

Quickly, a couple of realizations came about… First, he really liked being around boats and boat folks. Secondly, he was welcomed and treated very well in this new world. And of course, once he hung about, he was invited to ride out and see what it was all about…and he was fascinated. His first mate job was with Captain Dennis Killane aboard the Ho Hum, for which he was paid $2 for a half day and $4 for a full day. They were fishing with linen line and piano wire in those days.

Capt. Jack Morrow, bottom left, with the second place blue marlin in the 1970 Hatteras Blue Marlin Tournament.

At the age of 14, he cut school and went on his first true offshore foray to Walkers Cay, when Walkers was in its heyday. Morrow caught his first blue marlin on the trip with Captain Jerry Black aboard the Jolly Roger. And thus, began a truly exceptional life on the water…as a top-notch mate, graduating to wireman. Then on to charter captain and private captain. Jack grew up at a time in a place where bluewater sportfishing was coming into its own. These days there are sportfishers dispersed far and wide, in most every place you look. In the late 1950s, this was not the case. Morrow grew up near Bill’s Sailfish Marina in Palm Beach. The list of captains and boats he worked aboard reads like an IGFA documentary.

Captain Frank Ardine ran the Sail Ahoy – the first Rybovich charter boat. There was Captain Robert Rast aboard the Comanche. Captain Bobby Haines was one of Morrow’s most influential mentors. He was tragically killed when he was electrocuted in the engine room of his boat – Morrow carried him out. There was Captain Johnny Thomas on the charter boat Joker and the Wendy II owned by Al Nathan. Morrow was perfectly positioned (and endowed with all of the passion necessary) to fish the early Rybovich boats or Merritts. The boats and the folks were the best of the best. Everyone looks back on who influenced them. In Jack’s case, some of the names themselves qualify as pioneers – folks like Jerry Black, Bob Rast, Bobby Haines, Frank Ardine, Jack Stephens and Johnny Thomas.

Coming of age in such an influential place, it was not long before Captain Jack was himself fishing in some of the best places – and himself being recognized. Think about it carefully…and imagine being the top dog in St. Thomas during the blue marlin season. Or, of being top in New England catching giant bluefins. How about being the captain requested by both the top anglers and the rich and famous? Morrow was all of these things. “In the late 50s/60s, not many boats traveled. Walker’s and Chub Cay were really far in those days – most places beyond those two were seldom fished. Bimini and Cat Cay were the popular charter destinations. When I started going to St. Thomas, we were one of the first boats on the North Drop,” Morrow recalls. “Jerry Black owned the marina – the Lagoon Fishing Center.

Morrow’s career brought him into contact with the who’s who of fishing. Here is Morrow, Paul Newman and Greg Garvey in 2008.

If you saw eight or 10 boats on the North Drop that was a lot – a lot of days, I’d be the only one.” With the opportunity to speak with someone with so much depth and experience, it’s interesting to understand the drivers that push them to the top. In Jack’s case, the answers are clear. “I liked it all. I love the giant tuna bite, I love the blue marlin bite, but truth be told…I love it all!” This passion helps to understand how and why he’s earned his place…and The IGFA’s Tommy Gifford Top Captain Award as well. The Tommy Gifford Award, named after one of the world’s great charter captains, is a high honor awarded to recipients in “recognition of their extraordinary contributions to the advancement of sport fishing through innovation, outstanding catches or noteworthy examples of leadership in their trade.” Morrow is most proud, however, of the recognition by his peers.

In the course of being recognized for his body of work, Morrow was the first to win the Master’s Sailfish Tournament twice. He also won the legendary Cat Cay Tuna Tournament. Beyond the tournament successes, there was epic fishing. The trip with Johnny Morris, founder of Bass Pro Shops, when they caught seven giant bluefins in one day off Chatham, Mass aboard the Pretty Patti. These were all big weighing 600-800 pounds, but owner George Markham caught the biggest weighing in at 1025. Morrow also caught nine blue marlin in one day off the North Drop out of St Thomas…biggest weighing in at 825! How about 25 blue marlin in five days…that was a record that stood for 18 years!

A nice Montauk swordfish from 1960.

And, note that these catches were big fish caught trolling dead bait (generally Spanish on long rigger) with single strand wire. This was very different from fast trolling lures around the FADs. Beyond the fishing, there was also the dock comedy. The policy of getting dunked after first billfish was always a fun scene. As always, Jack was the guy who did the push off the dock…owners, high flyers (singers Mel Tillis, Perry Como or Alan Jackson – he performed boat deliveries for Jackson), movie stars, all got the same treatment to everyone’s amusement. But, one in particular sticks in his mind. It occurred at Jerry Black’s Lagoon Fishing Center in St Thomas. A very pretty, well dressed young woman, perhaps best described as “prissy” – with perfect bowling alley hair and a very expensive matching outfit caught her first billfish.

It was also likely her last…because she got the same treatment from Capt. Jack…you can imagine the result. Jack chuckles about it to this day. But, dig a bit deeper into the funny incidents and they become what we all love about this sport. Good fishing with good anglers always makes for a day of fun and laughs! After more than 55 years of running Rybovich and Merritt boats, Morrow’s last job was running the Boys-R-Us, a 65-foot Viking owned by Greg Garvey.

These days he still travels on long trips aboard the boat, but his youngest son Kevin is the captain. “I was very fortunate to have both of my sons work with me, each for about eight or nine years,” Jack recalls. Captain Tom Morrow, Jack’s other son, mated for him aboard the Juro, a 65-foot Merritt, that fished the Northeast. Jack recalls how each of his sons were skilled mates who have grown into capable captains. “If you don’t have a good mate, you don’t have much. They can make you or break you,” he says. In addition to his sons, Morrow names Ted Tardonia (Pretty Patti) and Tim Sperling (No Problem), as a couple of the more memorable mates he’s worked with in his career.

But, as in the case with most folks who reach this level of success, the true essence of the man is not the accomplishments nor the specifics. Rather it is the man himself. And, though most of us can never reach his level of fishing accomplishment, we can all learn from Jack. When taking away from the story of Captain Jack Morrow, two lessons emerge: 1. Never stop both learning and teaching. They are one and the same. In his own words “If you think you know a lot, you’ve got a lot to learn.” 2. Treat everyone with respect and care…pay it forward.

Early Entry for First Leg of “Operation Sailfish” ends Friday, Dec. 20th

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It’s time to gear up because early entry for the first leg of the Quest for the Crest Series, the “Operation Sailfish” tournament ends this Friday 12/20/19.  Get your registration in before Friday to save $500. Click here to log into your account and register now before it’s too late.
Operation Sailfish,  January 15-19, 2020, is a two-day battle against sailfish on the high seas off West Palm Beach, FL. What’s at stake? An $800,000 purse and the exclusive champions dog tags.
Bluewater Movements is also looking for teams to volunteer to take a Hero Fishing on Thursday, Jan. 16 for the annual “Take A Hero Fishing” day.  Show your support to the troops and thank them for their service to their country by participating in this rewarding event.
Call 954.725.4010 to pair your team with a hero.

66th Annual Stuart Light Tackle Sailfish Tournament Results

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L-R: Nick Cremasco, Kyle Francis, Hector Torres, Alan Sadler (owner), Capt. Rhett Bailey, Club Pres Charlie Conigliaro, Michelle Keeney and Club VP-Richard Shoup. Photo courtesy Leonard Bryant Photography

December 11 – December 14, 2019

First Place – Intents, Capt. Rhett Bailey with 5 releases

Second Place – JT, Capt. Mark Mcdevitt with 5 releases

Third Place – Catch, Capt. Stetson Turney with 4 releases

Upcoming Tournament:

6th Annual Fish Heads of Stuart Sailfish Invitational

December 18 – December 21

 

The Numbers Game

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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

When it’s a numbers game, it is no longer good enough to know how to hook a fish dead bait trolling on light tackle. When it’s a numbers game, you, as a team, have got to know how to hook more than one fish at a time. From an angler’s perspective, you have got to know how to move lines, where to place baits, and, most importantly, how to not get tangled with each other. In this situation, there’s nothing worse than losing your shot at a fish because you could not manage your line properly. Remember, every line and every bait has a story to tell when it comes back to the boat, and you don’t want your bait to tell the story of a San Cocho on a bite you didn’t know was happening.

To me, as an angler, there are five golden rules to follow when tournament fishing for numbers.

1. Don’t ever leave a rod unattended.
2. Move your lines properly without entanglement.
3. Always know where your bait is.
4. Keep your baits in blue water.
5. Think like a fish.

Rule One: The Importance of Attending the Rods

When you are fishing against some of the best captains and teams in the world, tournament fishing demands discipline and commitment. Some may think that fishing means putting baits in the water with a few teasers and cracking a beer on the air-conditioned mezzanine while watching the ballyhoo swim behind the boat – in the clip with the clickers on. Personally, with experience purely in Costa Rica and Baja, I hate clickers. Sailfish are some of the most finicky fish in the ocean; if a fish hits a bait and the clicker is on the reel there is resistance, however slight it may be.

There exists a chance of your fish feeling that resistance. With this risk, the probability of your fish consuming the bait, especially if it is not an aggressive bite, decreases dramatically. It is for this reason that rods need to be held at all times with the clickers off, so the angler can be ready for every single fish that comes into the spread. Otherwise – as the saying goes, you aren’t fishing, you are trolling. To fish competitively in a numbers tournament, an angler cannot afford to swing a hookup ration of below 80%. This is a lot to ask of an angler under any circumstance. To have a chance to make this happen rods must be held, clickers off. Some may even take this a step further, suggesting that the flatlines need to be fished out of the clips because the clips, like clickers, offer resistance.

Standing on rods all day, every day for multiple days of tournament fishing is physically and mentally demanding. There are several approaches that can be used to provide anglers with the breaks necessary to keep focused and fresh. One of these is perhaps the most straight forward: to rotate anglers from spot to spot, providing intermittent breaks by including more anglers than rods (five people fishing four positions, for instance).

The angler who is hooked up fights the fish from the corner. The angler in the rigger should stay alert.

Rule Two: Move Your Lines Properly

Without Entanglement Any good fisherman knows that fish like sailfish and white/striped marlin often travel and feed in schools. As a result, when one fish eats, chances are other fish may be eating/ready to eat as well. This is why captains turn on hooked fish, circling to try and get more bites before the release. As an angler, your job will be one of two things. If you are hooked up, keep your line tight and communicate with your captain. If not hooked up, you’ll need to move your bait to maximize chances of getting bit.

When catching a fish, it is important to keep your rod tip high and line tight in order to minimize belly in the line. Doing so will not only help you keep a good grasp on where your fish is, but it will help your captain and teammates identify the location of your fish. Knowing the location of the fish that is hooked is the first step in knowing where other baits need to be placed to maximize chances of getting bit.

The hooked fish will always make up the inside of the turn, the epicenter of the action. If fishing four lines with one angler hooked up, three baits are still fishing. Ideally if lines are moved properly, two baits are being fished in the outriggers as long lines and one as a flat/short line, prospecting the inside and working the remaining teasers.

If the inside long is the first bait bit, the outside long will be moved to the inside long position. The outside flat will be moved up to the  outside long. Once the newly positioned outside long is run through the rigger clip and into position, it should be held steady and remain in its position. The angler in this position is the only one in the spread who is not prospecting. Why?

As the boat turns, the bait in this position will be moving faster than any of the other baits in the spread. Dropping the outside long back in a turn might cause it to interfere with the very important prospects of the inside long (the inside long is the bait closest to the action of the jumping fish and thus has a good shot at attracting the next bite). Think of it this way, while the inside long angler is dropping and reeling his/her bait, prospecting to simulate a stunned/injured fish, the outside long bait is swimming faster than any bait in the spread. This provides variability and, in my mind, increases the chances of exciting a fish and producing a bite.

The angler on the inside long is responsible for two things. First, getting his/her bait as close to the hooked fish as possible (without entanglement). Next on the agenda: prospecting, prospecting, prospecting. The flat line is responsible for fishing close: prospecting the remaining teasers, often both dredges and the outside chain. Where the outside long is the fastest moving bait in the spread, the inside long is the slowest. By getting your bait close to the hooked fish, dropping it for a prospect will simulate a dead/stunned/injured fish falling, and reeling will simulate a frantic fish escaping. This, if done correctly, will excite surrounding billfish and ideally result in a bite.

To me, the inside long bite is the most delicate, often wildly difficult to sense as a result of the lack of tension on the line. The inside long line in a turn is without a doubt the hardest to fish. As there is so little tension on the line, it can be hard to feel the bite – much less see the fish eat – seal the deal, and set the hook. That being said, if fished correctly it can be the most likely bite to receive in a turn.

If you are holding your rod in this position and feeling your line as you should be (Rule #1), and you think maybe you have gotten a bite, the trick is to not leave room for second guessing. If you think you’ve had a bite, come up with the drag and reel like crazy for an uncomfortably long time in order to set the hook into the fish’s mouth. It is better to be mistaken about a bite and to have not received one, than to be unsure, not react, and miss a fish. No one cares if you think you got a bite but did not. Everyone cares if it is the other way around.

Pro Tip: The outside long should not be fished too far out. In a tight turn, the bait will drift over toward the inside and it is important that it does not interfere with the inside long’s ability to prospect freely. Given this tendency – and the prospect of tangling – both long line handlers must know where their baits are at all times so as not to foul up the baits. If a flat line is the first to get hooked, and the captain begins the turn, the inside long line of the turn will end up under the hooked line nearly every time. As a result, it is crucial that when the turn begins, the inside long rigger is pulled down and moved under the hooked line to free it of tension. Once clear of the hooked line, it should then be re-installed in the outrigger to be fished correctly, prospecting in the turn.

Rule Three: Always Know Where Your Bait Is

Hooked fish can go crazy. Every scenario is different and often you cannot ascribe a formula to the action taking place in the spread – i.e. if a blue marlin bites the outside long, it will jump to the right. If you have any doubt at all on where your bait is and if you are clear of all other lines, reel up until you find your bait and can confirm its location and that it is free of entanglement.

If your inside long line is too close and can no longer prospect freely due to the location of the outside long, have the outside long move to the inside outrigger and move your long line now to the outside. Always be ready for a bite, as it is not uncommon for the outside long to get bit when it is popped out of the clip to move to the inside rigger.

Rule Four: Keep Your Baits in Blue Water

Billfish are visual hunters. There’s a reason why you search out clear, blue water to troll in – as opposed to the greenish, pea soup variety. Keeping your bait in blue water is another important aspect of thinking like a fish (see rule five). If you are fishing your bait in the wash, the sailfish/marlin isn’t going to see it. This can get tricky – especially when teaser fishing – but if the fish can’t see the bait, it can’t eat the bait. The more time you keep your bait out of the wash, the more likely you are to be successful.

Rule Five: Think Like a Fish

What is the fish seeing? What is it doing? What is it thinking? How is it acting? Is it hungry? Lazy? Uncertain? Sometimes fish come in hot, ready to eat with an aggressive bite. In this case, you just need to be ready to feed the fish. Sometimes, however, fish come in lazy. Sometimes they may just swipe at the bait, put the bait in its mouth, play with it before deciding whether or not to consume it. Every bite and every fish is different. Some of the best advice I ever received came from an old Costa Rican – a man that had grown up fishing for sailfish and had seen more than I could have imagined. As great advice often is, his was timely. It came in the beginning of my fishing learning curve, right when I was trying to learn the right technique; searching for the magic touch necessary to hook fish consistently.

To prove just how timely the advice was, as he spoke to me, I even had a fat blister on my thumb, taped up with electrical tape – the result of applying too much pressure to the reel while feeding a fish. I had just missed yet another bite. I turned to him in frustration, demanding answers to the mystery that caused my mess-ups.

In his purely Tico, Pura Vida way, he just smiled and told me, “You have to think like a fish.” To this day that advice rings true every time I’m watching the spread. What are the fish seeing? What do they hear? What are they thinking? Are they hungry? Lazy? Have they been attacking the teasers today? Hitting the longs? Are they fading? If someone misses a fish, are they eating again? These are all questions that I ask myself when fishing so that I may have the chance to foresee a bite before it happens, and frankly, often I do.

By taking in your observations as to how the fish are acting, you can sometimes predict what is to come. Knowing that fish have been lazy at the strike can help you feed them a bit longer or be that much more gentle in handling the line on the next bite. If they’re wide open and mashing everything in sight, you can just hang on and be that much more alert. Beyond the benefit to hooking fish, this can also be a confidence builder to yourself as an angler. During a highly stressful numbers competition, when every bite counts, keeping yourself and all of the anglers in a good frame of mind can make all the difference.

A four pack of striped marlin (as pictured) are the stuff dreams are made of. A hooked fish often has friends.

Prospecting and Situational Awareness in the Spread

Sailfish, like striped and white marlin, feed in groups. They surround schools of bait, herding them and taking turns picking off the stragglers. Often time they swipe with their bill to stun the bait – providing an easy feeding opportunity. It is for this reason that prospecting, the act of dropping back your bait and reeling it in, can be so effective. Any time fishing a straightaway, prospecting flat lines can increase your chances for a bite. When in a turn, either hooked up or not, the inside long can attract billfish by prospecting as well.

Let’s say a fish comes up on the right teaser, and the captain turns to keep the teaser and corresponding flat line in blue water. Instead of feeding or keeping on the teaser, however, the fish then fades. Which long line is most likely to be hit on the way out? The outside long, because when in the turn it will be nearly directly behind the inside flat. In this scenario, the fish came in on the teaser but then faded, indicating that it might be lazy when feeding. The outside long should be ready for the bite. If not received right away, the angler in this position should be ready with a deep prospect.

Tales from the Smelly Bilge: Feminists Blockade Marlin Tournament: Event Canceled

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By Elliott Stark

“I am a redneck, I eat gas station nachos. Before that phone call, I didn’t even know what a feminist was… and I certainly wasn’t trying to piss any of them off,” says Bobby MacGrath, director of the Marlin Grander Prix. “We’ve just been down here, minding our own business – running a fishing tournament for three decades. Aside from a couple weather cancellations, the events have gone off without a hitch. Then this happened.”

Bobby MacGrath has run the Marlin Grander Prix for the past 30 years. While the tournament has made headlines for big fish weighed through the years, the event itself has never been a focal point of the international news media. That all changed in 2017. “Two days before the 2017 tournament, I get a phone call. In and of itself this is not an unusual scenario. It was a lady on the phone – said her name was Dr. Martha Jones. She said she was the director of some organization. We give lots of money to charity each year, so I figured she was after a charitable contribution from the tournament. Turns out she wasn’t.”

Dr. Martha Jones is the director of the International Female Empowerment Symposium, or IFES. Traditional feminist groups focus on such things as equality of payment for men and women and ending sexual and workplace  harassment. IFES’ cause, however, goes far beyond the standard platform of feminism. Dr. Martha Jones’ objections to the Marlin Grander Prix had nothing to do with the Lady Angler division. The following excerpt is taken from a press release published by the International Femalem Empowerment Symposium: “IFES aims to bring about a new world order.

Our vision is for a world in which females – human or animal – are treated fairly, equally and justly. We aim to end discrimination against females of any species, human or otherwise. The Marlin Grander Prix awards prizes for the boat that kills the largest blue marlin. All large blue marlin are female – male blue marlin, in fact, do not even grow large enough to be killed in the tournament. Because the Marlin Grander Prix targets only large, FEMALE blue marlin the event discriminates against women. This is gender inequality that is morally wrong and socially irresponsible. The International Female Empowerment Symposium stands with our blue marlin sisters in opposition to this injustice. It must stop.”

“Dr. Jones was nice enough during our first conversation on the phone, but she insisted on coming by the tournament office at the marina. I thought that was a strange request for someone who wanted a piece of the charity purse, but I told her to come on by. What a mistake that was….” MacGrath says. “I should have called Sheriff Johnson right then.”

“The next morning at 9:30 sharp, a convoy of Subarus pulled into the parking lot. There must have been 45 of them. All of them were the same… black with super dark tints. You couldn’t see who was driving or how many ladies were inside,” the tournament director describes.

“On the road leading to the marina, they were driving single file. When they hit of the parking lot out front of the marina, they spread out into attack formation. They looked like a flock of pelicans flying in a vee. All the Subarus screeched to a halt, spreading out to block all access to the weigh station and the registration table.”

“When they finally stopped, a single car door opened. Out stepped Dr. Jones. She walked over to my office door and knocked three times. I opened it up, thinking she was from the Ronald McDonald House or some place. I reached out to shake her hand… that was another mistake. Her grip was like Hulk Hogan’s… she actually dislocated one of my knuckles.”

“After shaking her hand, she told me ‘Bobby, there will be no tournament this year. Times have changed!’ I was pretty surprised, I still thought she wanted charity money,” MacGrath explains. “As she said this, three yellow Priuses drove into the parking lot. Out jumped eight man-hippies. They were wearing leather sandals and those pants that are half jeans and half shorts. My office is downwind of where they parked… they smelled like lemon balm. It was weird.”
“I am not sure what they thought was going on, but the man-hippies jumped out of their cars and chained themselves to the palm trees that sit out front of the office. They were chanting something or other… Apparently they thought someone was trying to cut the palm trees down for lumber… and they were not gonna let it happen.”

“The Subarus and the Priuses blocked the whole parking lot. Nobody – not the anglers, the vendors or even the band could get anywhere near the registration table. All of a sudden, all of the cars started a synchronized honk attack. They were layin’ on it,” MacGrath says with a look of wild bewilderment in his eyes. “At first I thought they were just trying to annoy us into cancelling the tournament. But it turns out that all the honking was a signal. They were starting their sea attack. It was a blockade!”

“As soon as the cars stopped beeping, I heard a horn blast from what looked like a cruise ship. It was one of them boats that is normally chasing the Japanese whaling ships in the Antarctic. It was backing into the fuel dock at the marina. There were two lines stretched from its bow. Each ran to a sailboat – one to its left and the other to its right. The sailboats were full masted. Their sails had logos of the International Female Empowerment Symposium and a Marlin Grander Prix logo with a big red x on it. That’s when I knew they were serious…”

“If the boats and the lines blocking the marina were not bad enough, they also bombarded our radio communications. Someone on the antiwhaling ship had teevo’d all 13 seasons of The View. They somehow found out that the tournament runs on VHF channel 68. Next thing you know we had the audio of 159 episodes of The View playing back to back on Channel 68! How the hell are you supposed to have a tournament in conditions like that?!”

“What all came of it? You might guess. Long and short of it, for the first time in 33 years, there was no Marlin Grander Prix. All because a bunch of ladies thought we were unfairly discriminating against their blue marlin sisters. Times are a changing I guess… it’s a dismal tide.”
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Caribsea wins 56th Annual Islamorada Sailfish Tournament

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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. 

Anglers were greeted with great conditions on the first day of fishing and it did not take long for Caribsea to call in a hook up.  Sam Milazzo would release the team’s first sailfish at 9:16. At the end of the day the Caribsea would be in the lead with 10 releases followed by the Kelly Dawn with 7 and the Contagious with 6.  

Day two would start out early for Caribsea as captain KC called in a hook up at 8:38AM.  30 minutes later, angler Kenny Spaulding would release the sail. Meanwhile team Remix would capture a triple header of sails and the Contagious would release a fish.  At the end of two days of fishing the Caribsea would hold on to the lead with 16 fish, followed by the Contagious with 13 and Remix with 9.

Photo courtesy Tim Rahn Photography

The final day of fishing saw a lot of action.  Captain Brian Cone aboard his charter boat Contagious along with anglers Mark Mitchell and Kenneth Padgett both from Charleston, NC, Travis Bennett and Andy Cone from Tavernier, FL and tournament photographer Tim Rahn from Islamorada would put the pressure on the Caribsea.  In the end the Caribsea would take home the top honors with their 19 releases. Caribsea angler Sam Milazzo would release 8 of those fish winning the Bill Hirni highpoint angler award as well as an amazing sailfish sculpture sponsored by Tackle Center of Islamorada, Contagious would take second spot with 16 releases and take home beautiful sailfish trophies also sponsored by Tackle Center of Islamorada.  Angler Andy Cone would take second place in the junior division with one release.

Photo courtesy Tim Rahn Photography

Anglers Brian Devries, Kyle Diaz and Mike Marz all from Grand Rapids, MI along with mate/anglers Dan Flynn, Travis Butters and Brandon Hopper all from the Upper Keys would pick at sails each day beating both the Remix and Relentless on time with 12 fish.  The Challenger was awarded beautiful third place trophies. They also won most tagged sailfish awards by tagging 10 of the 12 fish released

Junior angler Danny Maduro form Miami, FL fishing with Captain Ryan Cano would take home the Top Junior Angler award with 2 sailfish releases. Top Lady Angler, Debbie David of Miami, released a total of 6 sailfish on the Relentless with Captain Paul Ross.  Both anglers took home amazing sailfish trophies sponsored by Mangrove Mike’s Café.  

Photo courtesy Tim Rahn Photography

In true Islamorada style, the sailfish weren’t the only fish biting on this beautiful weekend.  Angler Kenny Spaulding on the Caribsea would land a 29 pound African Pompano caught on a kite bait to win Whale Harbor’s sponsored Most Outstanding Catch award.  The Largest Tuna was caught by Kirk Sentz of Tavernier, FL fishing aboard the Two Reel weighing in at 19.8 pounds. The largest Mackerel award went to angler Sam Chastain from Indianapolis, IN with a 7.4 pound kingfish.  Kelly Dawn’s Patrick Nutt caught the largest dolphin weighing in at 11.6 pounds.  

The Islamorada Sailfish Tournament is the first leg of the Florida Keys Gold Cup Sailfish Championship.  The Caribsea is currently in the lead with 19 fish.  Second place in the Gold Cup is the Contagious with 16 releases and third is the Challenger with 12 releases. The next leg of the series is at the Cheeca Lodge Presidential Sailfish Tournament January 25th thru the 26th and the champions will be crowned at the Islamorada Fishing Club’s Captain Cup Sailfish Tournament on January 30th 2020.

“Whale Harbor served up another great event,” stated tournament director Dianne Harbaugh.  The Islamorada Sailfish Tournament is the primary fund raiser for the Islamorada Charter Boat Association.  The Islamorada Sailfish Tournament will continue the fight to preserve and protect the fabulous fishing in the Florida Keys.  More information on the Islamorada Sailfish Tournament can be found on the web site www.islamoradasailfishtournament.com 

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!

Team Reel Steel Wins 2019 Bermuda Triple Crown

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HAMILTON, Bermuda (July 30, 2019) – The 2019 Bermuda Triple Crown Billfish Championship saw 47 boats fish at least one leg of the series for a total purse of more than $1.2 million, plus trophies and prizes. Anglers caught 165 billfish, including 143 blues and 22 whites. The Bermuda Triple Crown has a strong following from elite billfish teams, with crews traveling from the Caribbean and United States to compete each year. In 2019, the Sea Horse Anglers Club Billfish Tournament had a record 38 teams participating.

Team Reel Steel, this year’s Bermuda Triple Crown winner, was dominating throughout the three Bermuda Triple Crown tournaments, scoring 6,600 points from 12 blue marlin and three white marlin releases during nine days of fishing. The 66-foot Hines Farley was consistent in raising fish during all three events.

Utilizing a team effort, Reel Steel won two of the three legs of the Bermuda Triple Crown, including the Bermuda Billfish Blast and Sea Horse Anglers Club Billfish Tournament. They finished second place in the team division of the Bermuda Big Game Classic. The team consisted of owner Mike Verzaleno, Captain Jason Parker, mate Drake Cropper, John Cantiverii, Charles Coats, Kayla Verzaleno and Marc Verzaleno.

Runner-up Team Flyer, an 86-foot Merritt, scored 6,000 points in the Bermuda Triple Crown from 12 blue marlin releases. Team Flyer won the 2019 Bermuda Big Game Classic and was neck and neck with Reel Steel going into the third leg of the Bermuda Triple Crown. The team consisted of owners Kevin and Teresa Jaffe, Captain Bryce Garvey, mate Mike Overton, mate Mike Tarmey, Greg Axton, Dylan Jaffe, Gotzon Otxoa and Mark Woodbury.

Third place went to Team Big Deal, a 75-foot Spencer, scoring 3,700 points from seven blue marlin and one white marlin release. Big Deal had two top-10 finishes in the Bermuda Triple Crown to jump ahead of Team Pescador with 3,600 points. Team Big Deal consisted of owner Ed Russo, Captain Brian Rabbit, mate Ben Zafir, mate Sergio Vargas, Matthew Russo, Bill Pembroke, Kim Pembroke and Mike Pembroke.

All three teams entered the new Bermuda Triple Crown Jackpot at the beginning of the series, so each team received a check for their performances.

  • First Place, Reel Steel, $58,500
  • Second Place, Flyer, $35,100
  • Third Place, Big Deal, $23,400

This is the first time Team Reel Steel won the Bermuda Triple Crown, although it’s not their first time competing in the tournaments. Mike and Marc Verzaleno handled the angling duties, catching all the billfish for the team. The team picked up $293,760 in total winnings on their way to the Bermuda Triple Crown series win. For their series win, Reel Steel was awarded VanMark custom rings, King Sailfish Mounts trophy, Garmin Quatix watches, Bacardi Special Edition Rum, Costa sunglasses, Grundens boots, AFTCO Championship apparel, Soundview Millworks trophy, and Steve Goione limited-edition Bermuda Triple Crown print. The boat also received a Release Marine custom trophy, YETI cooler, AFTCO harness, AFTCO gaff, AFTCO belt, Lucas Oil products, Baitmasters of South Florida gift certificate, and custom Big T Lures.

The big fish of the season was caught during the Bermuda Big Game Classic on day three by angler Jason Friedman, aboard the boat Overproof, captained by Peter Rans. Back at the scales, the fish weighed 697 pounds. For their fish, the team won the Day-Three Largest Marlin Jackpot and Winner-Take-All Largest Marlin Jackpot. This is almost a repeat of 2018, when Freidman landed a 930-pound blue marlin on day three of the Bermuda Big Game Classic.

The other two top marlin weighed this year were by Blank Check and American Beauty. On day two of the Sea Horse Anglers Club Billfish Tournament, Blank Check, captained by Danny Hearn, landed a 666-pound blue marlin caught by angler Steven Walker. The blue marlin won Blank Check all three days of the Largest Marlin Jackpot and the Winner-Take-All Largest Marlin Jackpot. On day two of the Bermuda Big Game Classic, American Beauty, captained by Travis Rolan, landed a 616-pound blue marlin caught by angler Aaron Fenn. The blue marlin won American Beauty the day two Largest Marlin Jackpot for the tournament.

In total, 9 qualifying fish over the 500-pound minimum were landed during the 2019 Bermuda Triple Crown with one from the Bermuda Billfish Blast, seven from the Bermuda Big Game Classic, and one from the Sea Horse Anglers Club Billfish Tournament. None of the top three teams in the Bermuda Triple Crown weighed a marlin.

Many of the participants continued to support the Costa IGFA Great Marlin Race Pop-up Satellite Archival Tag (PSAT) program. Before the tournament season began, Costa Sunglasses and the IGFA fished aboard Team Fa-La-Me to target and tag blue marlin. A sponsored tag was also deployed by teams Reel Steel, Fa-La-Me and Waste Knot during the series.

For more information, visit www.bermudatriplecrown.com.
To view the 2018 Bermuda Triple Crown scorekeeper site, visit btc19.catchstat.com.

2019 Bermuda Billfish Blast Winner – Congratulations Team “Reel Steel”

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More than 200 anglers competing on 38 teams experienced three days of record fishing, releasing 91 blue marlin, 17 white marlin and a spearfish.

HAMILTON, Bermuda (July 8, 2019) – An army of fishing talent experienced flat-calm conditions offshore Bermuda for the 2019 Bermuda Billfish Blast. A total of 248 anglers on 42 boats fished hard for three days, July 4-6, competing for marlin releases and coveted qualifying blue marlin to weigh in. Three days of fishing produced 38 blue marlin and 10 white marlin releases during the event, with most blues ranging in the 200- to 400-pound class. After lines out on day three, Team Reel Steel totaled two blue and two white marlin releases to win the 2019 Bermuda Billfish Blast.

As the competition intensified each day, no one team was able to pull away from the pack. In fact, no team that won a Daily Marlin Release Jackpot finished in the overall top three. The blue marlin bite increased each day but wasn’t as spectacular as 2018. Day one recorded 10 releases, day two saw 12 releases, and day three logged 16 blue marlin releases. Blue marlin releases were worth 500 points, garnering all the attention, while species such as white marlin and spearfish scored 200 points.

DAY ONE, JULY 4

Team Bree, captained by Kyle Liane, jumped out to an early lead on day one of the Bermuda Billfish Blast. The team released two blue marlin (1,000 points) by anglers Karl Minzenberg and Randy Ringhaver. The two blues were enough to win both levels of the Daily Marlin Release Jackpot and control the leaderboard.

Team Waste Knot, captained by Michael Tickle, was close behind with 700 points from one blue and one white marlin. Angler Scott Poole caught and released both fish. Teams Freyja, Legacy, Flyer, Big Deal, Blank Check, Reel Addiction and Auspicious all had great days too, recording one blue marlin release. The leaderboard was tight after day one.

DAY TWO, JULY 5

Team Stacked Up, captained by Snick Akers, got in on the action in a big way during day two. The newcomers to the Bermuda Triple Crown landed a blue marlin and white marlin for 700 points to win both levels of the Daily Marlin Release Jackpot. Angler Mike Engelman was in the chair for both fish. Team Reel Steel, captained by Jason Parker, was close behind, landing a blue marlin and a white marlin. Although Reel Steel and Stacked Up both caught the same number of fish, for the same amount of points, tournament rules dictate whichever team caught their fish earlier breaks the tiebreaker.

After two days of fishing, Bree held the lead with two blue marlin releases (1,000 points). Teams Flyer and Legacy also had two blue marlin releases (1,000 points). Team Stacked Up and Reel Steel were behind the top three places with 900 points each. Just one white marlin release was the difference between the top five teams after two days of fishing. Also, after two days of fishing, no team landed a marlin to weigh for the Largest Marlin jackpots.

DAY THREE, JULY 6

On day three, two teams that blanked the first two days stole the show.

Team Uno Mas, captained by Brooks Smith, landed two blue marlin and a white marlin for 1,200 points on day three. Anglers Jeremy Cabillo and Drew MacDowell each caught a blue, with MacDowell also releasing a white marlin. Uno Mas’ second blue marlin made the team think twice about boating the fish. A lengthy fight and oversize head had the blue marlin close to the 500-pound mark. For their three releases, Uno Mas won both levels of the Daily Marlin Release Jackpot. The points they scored on day three had them just 200 points behind the eventual winners

Team Sea Angel, captained by BC Angel, hooked one fish all tournament — but that fish was a game changer. On day three, angler Austin Angel came tight on a blue marlin and fought the fish for less than 2 hours. When they got the fish boat side, the team made the right call to gaff the fish and boat it. Back at the weigh-in docks, the fish weighed 509 pounds, just 9 pounds heavier than the 500-pound qualifying weight.

The Bermuda Billfish Blast offers optional winner-take-all Largest Marlin jackpots at two levels. The team that catches the largest blue marlin over 500 pounds wins the entire jackpot if they enter levels one and two. In the past, if the Largest Marlin Jackpot wasn’t won on July 4, the jackpot money was awarded to the top three boats in the Overall Billfish Release Jackpot. Tournament rules changed in 2019 allowing teams to weigh-in qualifying blue marlin on days two and three if no fish were weighed the prior day. For their catch on day three, Sea Angel won both levels of the winner-take-all Largest Marlin Jackpot.

WINNERS 

Team Reel Steel, captained by Jason Parker, scored 1,400 points to win first-place team, totaling two blue marlin and two white marlin releases. The team of anglers consisted of Mike Verzaleno, Marc Verzaleno, Drake Cropper, Big Mike Verzaleno and Charles Coats. They also won the first-place Overall Release Points Jackpot. Total Winnings were $77,400 and an invitation to the 2020 Offshore World Championship. Other prizes included King Sailfish Mounts trophies, Maui Jim sunglasses, VanMark Jewelry Designers marlin pendants, a Yeti cooler, Steve Goione prints, Release Marine custom trophy, Soundview Millwork trophies, Big-T lures and Bacardi spirits.

Team Sea Angel, captained by BC Angel, landed a 509-pound blue marlin to win both levels of the winner-take-all Largest Marlin Jackpot. The team of anglers consisted of Nolan Raunswinter, Randy Estes, Andrea Angel, Greg Angel, Austin Angel and Tyler Lindorf. Total Winnings were $100,800.

Team Waste Knot, captained by Michael Tickle, scored 1,200 points to win second-place team, totaling one white marlin and two blue marlin releases. The team also won second-place Overall Release Points Jackpot. Waste Knot anglers included Scott Poole, Ven Poole, Chelsea Poole, Scott Poole, Jr, Thompson Brown and Chase Dalce. Total winnings were $45,180. Other prizes included King Sailfish Mounts trophies, Steve Goione print, Big T Lures, Soundview Millworks trophies, Maui Jim sunglasses and Bacardi spirits.

Team Auspicious, captained by Edward “Cookie” Murray, scored 1,200 points to win the third-place team, totaling one white marlin and two blue marlin releases. The team also won third-place Overall Release Points Jackpot. Team Auspicious consisted of Kevin Stafford, David Soares, Carl Copeland, Joseph Rahman, Mark Brochu, John Copeland and John Given. Total winnings were $25,920. Other prizes included King Sailfish Mounts trophies, Steve Goione print, Big T Lures, Soundview Millworks trophies, Maui Jim sunglasses and Bacardi spirits.

Team Bree, captained by Kyle Liane, scored 1,000 points on day one from two blue marlin to win both levels of the Day One Marlin Release Jackpot. Team Bree consisted of Colin Murphy, Ian Fletcher, Randy Ringhaver, Royal Hendrix, Karl Minzenberg and Shelley Minzenberg. Total winnings were $33,600. Other prizes included King Sailfish Mounts trophies, Steve Goione print, Big T Lures, and Maui Jim sunglasses.

Team Stacked Up, captained by Snick Akers, scored 700 points on day two from one white marlin and one blue marlin to win both levels of the Day Two Marlin Release Jackpot. Team Stacked Up consisted of Scott Miller, James Nantz, John Seitzer, Mike Engelman, Heather Serriani, and Lisa Serirani. Total winnings were $33,600. Other prizes included King Sailfish Mounts trophies, Steve Goione print, Big T Lures, and Maui Jim sunglasses.

Team Uno Mas, captained by Brooks Smith, scored 1,200 points on day three from one white marlin and two blue marlin to win both levels of the Day Three Marlin Release Jackpot. Team Uno Mas consisted of Maria Smith, Sean Gallagher, Drew MacDowell, David Mothershed, Jeremy Cabillo and Jeremy Quinos. Total winnings were $33,600. Other prizes included King Sailfish Mounts trophies, Steve Goione print, Big T Lures, and Maui Jim sunglasses.

TOP ANGLER AND JUNIOR ANGLER

Angler Marc Verzaleno, of Team Reel Steel, scored 1,400 points to win the top junior and top angler of the 2019 Bermuda Billfish Blast. Verzaleno’s 1,400 points came from two blue marlin and two white marlin releases. His prizes included King Sailfish Mounts trophies, Soundview Millworks trophies, Steve Goione print, Big T Lures and Maui Jim sunglasses.

TOP LADY ANGLER

Angler Laura Russell, of Team Hit N Run, scored 1,000 points from two blue marlin, to win the top lady angler of the 2019 Bermuda Triple Crown. Other prizes included King Sailfish Mounts trophies, Soundview Millworks trophies, VanMark Jewelry Designers earrings, Steve Goione print, Big T Lures and Bacardi Spirits.

The 2019 Bermuda Billfish Blast tournament, presented by the Bermuda Tourism Authority, culminated in a highly popular awards banquet dinner in the Harbourview Ballroom at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel. More than 350 people were in attendance. The tournament awarded $350,000, plus trophies and prizes. For more information, visit www.bermudatriplecrown.com.

Walker’s Cay Born-Again 2020

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The fabled blue marlin destination is being reborn….

Superyacht owner, businessman and philanthropist Carl Allen has purchased the island of Walker’s Cay in the Bahamas. Allen describes his relationship with the northernmost Bahamian island, which he has been visiting since a child of 12, as a “love affair”.