Anglers' Net - The UK Online Fishing Magazine: HOT News from the IGFA - June 2007 HOT News from the IGFA - June 2007 ================================================================================ Elton on 18 June, 2007 02:00:00 BY PETE JOHNSON, JOHNSON COMMUNICATIONS – IGFA PR COUNSEL IGFA FISHING HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2007 ANNOUNCED The dean of outdoor writers, the quintessential lady fly angler, a man who revolutionized rod making and two extraordinary bill fishermen will be inducted as the ninth class into the International Game Fish Association Fishing Hall of Fame, this fall. The class of 2007 includes HOMER CIRCLE, DR. RUBEN JAEN, GARY LOOMIS, CAPT. PETER B. WRIGHT, and JOAN SALVATO WULFF, The highlight of a weekend (Oct. 19 – 21) of activities will be the star-studded enshrinement ceremony and dinner Saturday, October 20, at 6 p.m. at the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum in Dania Beach, Fla., USA. The public is invited. The honorees were selected for the important contributions they have made to the sport of fishing through angling achievements, literature, the arts, science, education, communication, invention or administration of fishery resources. The five inductees and their contributions are: HOMER CIRCLE The dean of North American outdoor writers, Homer Circle has covered the fishing scene for more than 50 years, including more than 35 years as angling editor of _Sports Afield_ magazine. A noted bass authority, "Uncle Homer" is a tackle designer, teacher, lecturer, and has starred in more than 50 fishing films. DR. RUBEN JAEN A legend in Venezuelan fishing, Dr. Ruben Jaen is a pioneer of light-tackle bill fishing in that country. This cardiovascular surgeon introduced night-time sword fishing and caught the first broadbill in Caribbean waters. He has released more than 3,000 billfish and was instrumental in protecting the La Guaira Bank from commercial fishing interests. Dr. Jaen is also an author and served for 16 years on the IGFA Board of Trustees. GARY LOOMIS Gary Loomis revolutionized tackle design with his advances in graphite rod production, and G Loomis went on to become one of the most successful rod-making companies in the U.S. In 1995, Loomis launched "Fish First", a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring steelhead and salmon runs in Washington State. PETER B. WRIGHT Captain Peter B. Wright is a world-renowned angler, scientist, journalist, consultant, and an advocate of circle hooks and tag-and- release. As a captain, he's fished waters all over the world, has won dozens of tournaments, and has guided numerous anglers to world records, in the process, catching more granders than anyone in history. JOAN SALVATO WULFF Joan Salvato Wulff is the most influential woman in fly fishing. A tournament caster for more than 20 years, she won 18 titles while raising casting to an art form. She continues to share her expertise in books, films, and at the Wulff School of Fly Fishing, and remains committed to the conservation of Atlantic salmon fisheries. Joan has served on the IGFA Board of Trustees since February 2001. There are currently 65 Hall of Fame members enshrined including Ernest Hemingway, Zane Grey, Curt Gowdy, Ted Williams, Michael and Helen Lerner, Philip Wylie, Ray Scott and John Rybovich. Tickets are $200 and include the cocktail reception, silent auction, dinner and induction ceremony. Special sponsorships and sponsor tables are available. For reservation, sponsorship or further information, contact Lesley Arico at the International Game Fish Association, 300 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach, Florida 33004 Email: larico@igfa.org , by phone 954-927-2628, or fax 954-924-4299. _(FOR THE COMPLETE STORY PLEASE SEE THE IGFA WEB SITE WWW.IGFA.ORG - HOME PAGE: “LATEST NEWS”) _ ### IGFA INSHORE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ATTRACTING 29 WORLD CLASS CHAMPIONS Twenty-nine fly and light-tackle champion fishermen from as far away as Africa and Australia are headed to the Florida Keys and the seventh annual IGFA Inshore World Championship (IWC), July 8 – 11 in Islamorada. The 23 men and six women gained entry as winners in one of over 55 fly and light tackle IGFA sanctioned tournaments during 2006 held in eight countries around the world and in 12 U.S. states. They represent nearly 3,000 anglers on four continents and were invited to compete in the “tournament of champions”. “Fourteen of these champions will be first time invitees to the tournament, one from as far away as Uganda, Africa, and the other from Darwin, North Territory of Australia,” said MS. DENISE HARTMAN, IGFA tournament coordinator. Dubbed the “super bowl of inshore fishing,” the celebrated world-class inshore catch-and-release format features anglers stalking bonefish, tarpon, permit, snook and redfish on Florida Bay. “The IGFA IWC continues to attract some of the finest men and women fly and light tackle anglers to gather and compete in one of the highest rated fishing regions with top rated guides,” said Ms. Hartman. The anglers on opening night will participate in a captain’s draw matching a different guide and angler each day. The IWC features three days of fishing with the contestants vying for engraved timepieces. The four major award categories include: Grand Champion (the angler who accumulates the most points for all five targeted species); and first places in the fly, artificial lure and bait casting divisions. There are also trophies and merchandise for second and third place divisional winners in the three categories as well as to the top three guides. The point value of the fish is determined by species and the angler’s preference choice of fly fishing, artificial lure or bait. “There’s always lots of strategizing and mind games,” said tournament director MIKE MYATT. “Some anglers will use one approach or all three over the three days. With so many different fishing disciplines represented by the qualifying champions, this format levels the on-the-water playing field.” The Islander Resort is again the tournament headquarters, with fishing and daily scorekeeping taking place from the World Wide Sportsman marina. Both are located near mile marker 82. Pasta Pantaleo is the official artist of the IWC. Sponsors this year include Mercury Outboards, Bacardi, Costa Del Mar, G. Loomis, Hook and Tackle, Islamorada Fish Co., Islander Resort, King Sailfish Mounts, Rapala, Shimano, Stiffy Push Poles, 3M Scientific Anglers, Reel Life Art, World Wide Sportsman, Zane Grey Lounge, KD & G Sea Life Masterpieces, Redbone Gallery, Image Graphics 2000, Momoi and Daiichi. Each morning the daily results of the IGFA IWC along with photos of the previous day’s round will be posted on the IGFA’s home page at igfa.org. For further information, contact Ms. Hartman at the IGFA, 300 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach, Florida 33004; (954) 927-2628; Fax (954) 924-4299; Email: DHartman@igfa.org. _(FOR THE COMPLETE STORY PLEASE SEE THE IGFA WEB SITE WWW.IGFA.ORG - HOME PAGE: “LATEST NEWS”) _ ### SPAIN WINS EIGHTH ANNUAL IGFA OFFSHORE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP With an amazing 10 releases on the fourth and final day the team representing Spain’s Marina Rubicon Marlin Cup 2006 broke away from the middle of the 62 boat field to win the eighth annual International Game Fish Association (IGFA) Offshore World Championship. The amazing day of “being in the bite” on the waters of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, equaled the 10 release record set by the defending champions last year also on the final day. JOSE GOMEZ set the pace for the team from Lanzarote, Spain, with six of the marlin releases for 1800 of the points. With his teammates JERONIMO VALASQUEZ, FEDERICO ACEVEDO, JOAQUIN BACHILLER, and MARTIN PASTOR NAVAS they produced a total of 4500 points, one release better than the second place team. Copa del Gobernador San Jose del Cabo which had led the first day with eight marlin releases for 2400 points, spirited to a second place finish releasing five marlin in the final round. The team made up of OSCAR DACCARETT, MODESTO MIRANDO, DANIEL FISHER and JOBE VILLAVENCIO ended the tournament with 14 marlin for 4200 points In third place was the Caicos (Turks and Caicos) Classic Release Tournament team, with 3600 points. The team comprised of BRUNO RAMOS, ERICK SODERBON, FRANK MALLORCA, NELSON FONSECA and MIKE MOSKOWITZ beat out Brazil’s Cabo Frio Marlin Invitational team which also had 3600 point but finished fourth based on “last fish caught first” scoring. Both teams had 12 marlin releases. The Marina Rubicon Marlin Cup 2006 team won engraved watches and trophies. Eighteen other prizes were presented to the three top male and female anglers, top three captains and top three places for the heaviest tuna, wahoo and dorado. Each catch-and-release of a marlin (blue, black and striped) or a swordfish equaled 300 points. The catches are scored and released alive at the boat in accordance with the IGFA tournament rules. Teams also received “weight” points for tuna, wahoo or dorado caught with local charities receiving the donations of all fish weighed at the Cabo docks. The IGFA OWC attracted many of the world’s best angling teams who won one of 132 IGFA sanctioned qualifying offshore events held in 40 countries across the globe during 2006. The prestigious four-day tournament hosted what is believed to be the single largest contingent of international anglers and teams (30 countries represented) in a fishing competition. _(FOR THE COMPLETE STORY AND SCORING PLEASE SEE THE IGFA WEB SITE WWW.IGFA.ORG - HOME PAGE: “LATEST NEWS”) _ ### MAY HOT CATCHES Here are the monthly highlights from the world records department of the International Game Fish Association of selected documented fish catches made across the globe submitted for world records. The IGFA world records coordinator Rebecca Reynolds-Wright provided the following information on these 11 recent submissions before the world records committee. Using a lure while fishing the Situk River, Alaska, USA, 11-year old NICOLE LOFFREDO, of Anchorage landed a rainbow trout (_Oncorhynchus, mykiss_) on 10 kg (20 lb) line for both a pending line class and female junior record. The fish took 15 minutes to capture and weighed 6.12 kg (13 lb 8 oz). She released the fish caught on April 21 of this year. (Photo: rainbow trout - 07040042) Also up for an IGFA junior record is YUKIO TAKATA, 11, of Tottori, Japan, who landed a snakehead, (_Channa, spp_.) while fishing Japan’s Saga Creek using a spinner bait. The fish weighed 5.05 kg (11 lb 2 oz). He released the fish after documenting the catch on April 27. (Photo: snakehead - 07050024) Another 11-year old, HEATHER MICHELLE HARKAVY, Coral Springs, Fla., USA, landed a speckled peacock, (_Cichla, temensis_) weighing 6.35 kg 14 lb 0 oz while trolling near the Rio Negro Lodge, in Brazil. Using a Bill Elliott fly she caught the fish on February 7 and then released it after authenticating the catch for a potential junior female record. (Photo: speckled peacock - 07050007) Using skipjack tuna for bait while trolling along Kona, Calif., JANET BEKINS MARTIC, of Hillsborough, Calif., USA, landed a yellowfin tuna, (_Thunnus, albacares_) weighing 60.32 kg (133 lb 0 oz). The catch made on May 4 took Ms. Martic 67 minutes to bring in and is up for a women’s 8 kg (16 lb) line class record. (Photo: yellowfin tuna – 07050013) Using a nymph, TOSHIYUKI MATSUMOTO, Tokyo, Japan, landed a Pacific redfin, (_Tribolodon_) weighing 2 kg (4 lb 7 oz) while fishing Japan’s Tama River. The catch made on April 22 and then released is up for an all-tackle record. (Photo: Pacific redfin – 07050023) SHIRO TAYA, Okinawa, Japan, landed an oxeye tarpon (_Megalops, cyprinoides_) while fly fishing with a streamer fly at Uruma, Japan. The tarpon, caught April 20 weighed 1.8kg (3 lb 15oz). Taya is up for a men’s 8 kg (16 lb) tippet record. The fish was released. (Photo: oxeye tarpon - 07050025) JEAN-FRANCOIS HELIAS, of Bangkok, Thailand, landed a blotched snakehead (_Channa, lucius_) while fishing Thailand’s Cheow Lan Reservoir, May 1 for a potential all-tackle record. He used a Rapala X Rap to catch the fish that weighed 1.85 kg (4 lb 1oz). (Photo: blotched snakehead – 07050031) With 1 kg (2 lb) class line it took two hours for REBECCA REYNOLDS-WRIGHT, Hollywood, Fla., USA, to pull in a whaler shark, (_Carcharhinidae, family_) using cut bait while fishing Content Key, Fla. The lemon shark caught on May 13, weighed11.11 kg (24 lb 8 oz) and was later released. (Photo: whaler shark – 07050040) After a 41 minute fight Ocean City, New Jersey’s MAUREEN KLAUSE, landed a black drum (_Pogonias, cromis_) weighing 28.91 kg (63 lb 12 oz) on May 22, while bottom fishing along Delaware Bay, N.J., USA. She used a clam for bait on 3 kg (6 lb) class line. (Photo: black drum – 07050044) Casting a sardina to entice his quarry and after a 45 minute fight, GARY R. VON HUSEN, Lake Worth, Fla., USA, landed a Pacific snook, (_Centropomus, spp_.) weighing 23.6 kg (52 lb 0 oz) while fishing the Rio Saverge, in Costa Rica on May 3. He’s applied for the men’s 24 kg (50 lb) line class record. (Photo: Pacific snook - 07050051) With a 4 kg (8 lb) tippet, MICHAEL ROMANO, Hudson, Ohio, USA landed a silver redhorse, (_Moxostoma, anisurum_) weighing 1.9 kg (4 lb 4 oz) while fly fishing the Muskegon River, Ohio on April 23. He used a beadhead peacock and after tussling with the fish for seven minutes and authenticating he released it. (Photo: silver redhorse - 07050005) ### NEW REGULATIONS IN MEXICO THREATEN MARINE LIFE IN SEA OF CORTEZ Commercial longlining has returned to the coastal waters of the Sea of Cortez and the IGFA is concerned the new regulation will have a major adverse affect on the fishery there. Prior to May 15th when the new marine regulation NOM-029-PESCA-2006 went into effect, commercial vessels were not allowed to fish for or possess marlin, sailfish, dorado and other protected species within 50 miles of the coastline. “As one of the world’s top marlin fisheries and home to the IGFA Offshore World Championship as well as other catch-and-release events, we are extremely concerned about the potential negative impact from this new regulation on the waters surrounding Baja California Sur and Cabo San Lucas, in particular,” stated IGFA President Rob Kramer. Although heralded as a means to protect sharks and rays, the IGFA said the adoption of NOM-029 introduces some significant loopholes that may have devastating effects on marine life. First it allows longline boats less than 30 ft. to fish within 10 miles of the shore and longline vessels between 30 and 80 feet to fish within 15 miles of the shore in the Sea of Cortez (also known as the Gulf of California) and within 20 miles of the west coast of Baja. By-catch is also not controlled because “incidental” by-catch of sailfish, marlin and other species may be retained and sold in these previously protected areas. Kramer said he was particularly concerned that the regulation permits pangas and medium sized boats of 22 to 30 ft. in length with as many as six pangas working from a single permit to use longline fishing gear without any restrictions on "by-catch" inside the 50 mile zone that is supposed to be protected. “The increase in the number of permitted boats fishing coastal waters may translate to as many as 1.5 million hooks fishing in the Sea of Cortez each day,” he said. The 50 mile marine fish conservation zones created over 20 years ago have been a conservation buffer protecting marine resources and deterring or limiting commercial large scale long lining gear. These conservation zones have been Mexico's only effective regulation to prevent dramatic over-fishing of ocean fish stocks. Kramer said the IGFA and other conservation organizations are petitioning anglers to demand that NOM-029 be suspended until the following modifications are included. ü Prohibit commercial fishing in the 50 mile protected zones ü Address by-catch so that game fish may not be incidentally targeted and sold ü Regionalize fishing permits to evenly distribute fishing effort ü Vigilant enforcement of commercial vessels by the Armada de Mexico ü Stock assessment and catch and effort data be utilized in making management decisions “Millions of dollars each year are spent by tourists from all over the world who come to this area specifically for the abundant fisheries,” added Kramer. “The IGFA, along with other international partners are working diligently to repeal this regulation and preserve the robust local economy that relies on sport fishing.” The IGFA is offering anglers a way to voice their opposition to the destructive regulation via a petition letter on its website which is directly e-mailed to Mexican government officials. That direct link to the IGFA web site is: http://igfa.org/shark_norma.asp ### HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF ON 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF WORLD RECORD CATCH His name and his accomplishment appear on page 254 in the all-tackle section of the 2007 IGFA World Record Game Fishes book. And over 75 years that simple one line entry has grown to become the Holy Grail for bass fishermen. It rained during ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of GEORGE W. PERRY’S catch of the 22-pound, 4-ounce, world record largemouth bass in Georgia’s Montgomery Lake. Because it rained on June 2, 1932, it was too wet for the 20-year-old Perry to plow a field on his Telfair County farm near Helena, so he went fishing. According to BILL BAAB, the fishing editor of _The Augusta Chronicle_ it was sort of appropriate that the nearly three dozen people who turned out on June 2, 2007 to witness the unveiling of a historical marker commemorating the catch were drenched by remnants of Barry, the season’s first tropical storm spawned in the Gulf of Mexico earlier in the week. Baab said none of the attendees seemed to mind weather history repeating itself with the rainfall that had been so desperately needed in the drought-plagued Southeast. The crowd included GEORGE L. (DAZY) PERRY of Hiawassee, Ga., a retired Delta Airlines pilot and son of the deceased world recordholder, and a daughter, BARBARA PERRY WILLIAMS of Port Wentworth, Ga. Another daughter, CELINA P. BROWN of Brunswick, Ga., was unable to attend. Cost of the marker was borne by the Wildlife Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Division director DAN FORSTER and fisheries management chief CHUCK COOMER headed the program on the banks of the lake, an oxbow off the Ocmulgee River. "Had the weather been fair on that June day 75 years ago, George W. Perry probably wouldn't have gone fishing and those of us here wouldn't be standing in the rain," said Baab, an acknowledged authority on the man and his world record catch. Look for Baab’s feature in an upcoming issue of _Georgia Sportsman_ magazine --------- PHOTO CAPTION: _Checking out the historical marker erected 75 years to the day of George Perry’s world record catch are from left: Dan Forster, Georgia Wildlife Resources Division director; Barbara Perry Williams, George L. (Dazy) Perry, and Jim Paulk. (Photo courtesy of Bill Baab)_ ### FISHING AND BOATING COMMUNITY HONORS STEADFAST SUPPORTERS One of the sportfishing and boating community’s most ardent supporters, SENATOR TED STEVENS (R-AK), was honored during an evening reception on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., as part of the National Fishing and Boating Week celebrations which took place nationwide June 2-10. Approximately 300 people attended the June 5 reception. Stevens’ decades of commitment to the nation’s natural resources, most specifically for the Act that carries his name, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, passed in 1976. Senator Stevens has served six terms representing Alaska’s citizens and is currently the senior member of the state’ congressional delegation. IGFA President