HOT News from the IGFA – December 2006

Online bidding underway for gala IGFA Auction and Banquet   

 

            One of the most popular and anticipated events surrounding the annual IGFA International Auction and Banquet is the online bidding now underway on the IGFA web site, www.igfa.org.

            It’s the fifth year the active global-wide online bidding has been presented, held weeks in advance of the 23rd annual IGFA event at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida on January 26, 2007.

            Over 250 live and silent auction items in all price ranges are expected. An IGFA spokeswoman says 25% of the on-line submissions in the past have been winning bids.

             â€œEven after the ‘write-in-bidders’ auction booklets have been mailed to IGFA members it’s worth checking the IGFA web site on a weekly basis and bid for the newest donations that have been added,” said Lesley Arico, special projects coordinator.

            The premier item this year is a 284 Mako Center Console with twin Mercury 250 hp four-stroke Verados.  Other unique items include four days of fishing for four on the Great Barrier Reef aboard the 60′ Shaka, a week for two at the fantastic Tropic Star Lodge, a week of fishing in Brazil with Amazon Tours, trout fishing at the The High Lonesome Ranch in Colorado, USA, trout fishing in Canada at the Silver King Lodge, an Ascension Bay fishing/lodging trip, the ultimate teak fighting chair by Murray Products, an original Guy Harvey painting, and charters, rods and reels, tackle, resorts, framed artwork, clothing, and more. 

            This year’s featured artist is renowned marine wildlife illustrator and artist, Steve Goione.  His simple, yet beautiful pen and inks evolve from a wonderful blend of mediums that include watercolors. All guests will receive a signed and numbered limited edition print of Steve’s featured original piece. There are several new sculptors participating in the auction this year, along with favorites among them Bodo Muche of Australia, Kent Ullberg and last year’s featured artist David Wirth. South African sculptor Chris Bladen has donated a bronze blue marlin, and Kevin Clark Originals has included a very unique “turtle chandelier”. 

            To make reservations, if you need further information or would like to donate to the 23rd Annual International Auction & Banquet, please contact Ms. Lesley Arico at (954) 924-4222 or email larico@igfa.org. (For more details on the upcoming  IGFA auction please see the IGFA web site www.igfa.org – home page: “Latest News” or directly link to it and the auction items at   http://igfa.org/2007_23rd_Auction.asp )

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Edmiston art collection available for purchase online

 

            The Jim Edmiston Art Collection is now available for purchase by the piece online from the IGFA web site. The collection of 18 rare pieces of original artwork and bronze sculptures was donated to the IGFA by long time IGFA Representative Jim Edmiston prior to his death in April. 

            “This collection represents the respect man has for the strength, beauty and sheer will of fish,” said Jordyan Edmiston, Jim’s daughter, “and it was very important that the sale of these pieces benefit the IGFA.”

            The collection features original works from Guy Harvey, Be Forbes, Kent Ullberg, Al Barnes and Russ Smiley. The collection is available for purchase online and in the IGFA’s gift shop at the Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum. 

            To view the collection go to http://igfa.org/2007_edmoston_collection.asp. For more information contact Eric Combast, Philanthropy Director at 954-924-4325 or email ecombast@igfa.org.

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Carlos F. Pellas named to IGFA Board of Trustees

 

            Deeply committed to oceanic conservation efforts as well as being an avid sportsman with over a thousand billfish releases, Carlos F. Pellas of Managua, Nicaragua has been unanimously named to the IGFA’s Board of Trustees.

A graduate with multiple degrees from Stanford University and formerly an IGFA Representative for Nicaragua, Pellas is the Chairman of BAC-Credomatic Network, the largest and most sophisticated banking and credit card business in Central America. 

Pellas started fishing at the age of 12, and has since fished the Central American waters from Guatemala to Panama.  He’s also fished the Bahamas, Ecuador, Florida, Grand Cayman, Hawaii, Mexico, the USVIs and Venezuela.  Pellas has released over 1200 Pacific sailfish, and over 200 blue and black marlin and has helped organize fishing tournaments throughout Central America. 

He’s also the Chairman of the Board of Nicaragua Sugar Estates Limited (the second largest Sugar mill in Central America), of Companía Licorera de Nicaragua (maker of Flor de Caña and other rums), of GBM Corporation (an IBM alliance company with exclusive distribution rights of all IBM products and services), and of ESTESA (the largest cable TV and ISOP provider in Nicaragua). Pellas is also a director and a partner of Casa Pellas, distributor of Toyota, Hino, Suzuki and Yamaha in Nicaragua.

            “As an avid fisherman and conservationist, Mr. Pellas will be a welcome addition to the IGFA’s growing conservation efforts of game fish and activities in Central America,” said IGFA President Rob Kramer, “where sportfishing has grown tremendously over the years. Central America is fast becoming a hot destination for catch and release big game fishing, with many countries requiring the use of circle hooks.  Mr. Pellas’ knowledge of and connections to the governments and issues in Central and South America will be a great asset as he’s joined by some 30 IGFA Representatives on our International Committee from that region. He’ll be instrumental in ensuring these efforts of improving fish stocks continue throughout Central America and beyond.”

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 IGFA to Observe joint RFMO – FAO meeting in Japan

 

            The IGFA has been invited to Japan in January to monitor the upcoming joint meeting of the tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations’ (FAO) Committee on Fisheries.

            To be discussed are the challenges faced by the five leading tuna RFMOs including a review of the current tuna management and market conditions in order to adopt an action plan and subsequent recommendations for developing sound tuna conservation and management measures among RFMOs.

            Along with the IGFA as observers at the January 22 – 26^th meetings in Kobe, will be other qualifying international and non governmental organizations.   

            The IGFA maintains observer status with participating RFMOs such as the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IOTC) and Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC).

            “The IGFA is happy to have observer status at the upcoming meeting, but urges participating commissions to heed the recommendations of the scientific community regarding harvest levels,” said IGFA Conservation Director Jason Schratwieser. “The IGFA was greatly disappointed with the ICCAT’s recent decision to ignore the Standing Committee on Research and Statistics’ recommendation of a 15,000 metric tons (mt) quota and closed spawning season in favor of a 29,500 mt quota and a June closure that only applies to the longline fleet.”

            Rob Kramer, IGFA President added, “The world’s RFMO’s have been historically run by commercial fishing interests for the benefit of commercial fishermen.  It’s imperative that fisheries managers understand that these species are important to over 100 million recreational fishermen around the world too.  Subsequently, the IGFA has registered for official observer status with all the major RFMO’s in the world and will provide a much needed voice for the conservation of gamefish.”     

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NMFS meets tournament directors on circle hook rule change

 

            In November, the IGFA hosted a meeting of billfish tournament directors and officials of the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to discuss a new rule beginning in 2007 affecting offshore tournaments in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico on the use of circle hooks. 

            Tournament Directors and other interested parties were invited by the NMFS to the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum to hear an explanation of the new rule and answer questions pertaining to its implementation. Specifically the new rule reads, beginning January 1, 2007 anglers fishing from Highly Migratory Species (HMS) permitted vessels (also a requirement) in Atlantic billfish tournaments “must deploy only non-offset circle hooks when using natural bait or natural bait/artificial lure combinations and may not deploy a J-hook or an offset circle hook in combination with natural bait or a natural bait/artificial lure combination.” 

            Regulations continue to allow for the use of J-hooks with artificial lures.

            Much of the discussion focused on a provision within the rule that allows for Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs) to be issued which would permit J-hooks to be used with natural bait as part of a scientific study.  This provision was a direct result of input and concerns received from some tournaments in the mid-Atlantic region.  The use of EFPs are not designed to simply allow for a way to fish outside of the regulations, but rather to provide a mechanism by which meaningful research could be conducted that would otherwise be prohibited by a given rule.  There are many requirements associated with the use of EFPs and by the end of the discussion it was the general consensus that although allowed they would most likely be too cumbersome to implement in a tournament setting.

            “The IGFA supports the new regulations for circle hook use,” said its Conservation Director Jason Schratwieser, “as previous research has demonstrated that they provide a conservation benefit to billfish.  However, the IGFA is opposed to the NMFS issuing tournaments EFP under the auspices of research because tournaments are not the appropriate environment for collecting this type of data.”

            IGFA President Rob Kramer said, “The IGFA was happy to help facilitate the recent tournament director’s meeting at the Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum. It’s our desire to help improve communication and understanding between the recreational fishing community and fisheries managers. Most of the major billfish tournaments from the US Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico had representation at the meeting and were able to express their concerns and questions with regards to the new rule.”

            For more information on this rule, please see http:/www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms.   

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Fishing records approved in November; featured on IGFA web

            A new feature on the IGFA web site is becoming very popular. Throughout the year the IGFA’s World Records Department processes hundreds of applications for world records and now each month the latest approved records are highlighted on the IGFA web site.

            For the month of November 16 new world records were displayed.

            Checkout the new features on the home page of the IGFA web site at igfa.org.

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New Pending World Records

 

Among the monthly highlights from the International Game Fish Association are these documented fish catches made across the globe. IGFA world records coordinator Rebecca Reynolds provided the following information on these recent submissions of nine new potential records: 

 

While fishing Port Canaveral, Lori Davis of nearby Merritt Island, Florida, U.S.A. landed a tripletail (Lobotes surinmensis) in ten minutes weighing 8.61 kg (19 lb 0 oz), on 2 kg (4 lb) line. The current women’s 4 lb line class record is 11 lb 8 oz caught Nov. 19, 1993. (Photo: tripletail — 06110000)

 

In the male smallfry records division, Raul Latimer, 9, San Juan, Puerto Rico, landed a white marlin (Tetrapturus albidus) weighing 33.81 kg (74 lb 8 oz) in 20 minutes while fishing La Guaira, Venezuela. The current smallfry record among junior anglers is 63 lb 0 oz on August 2, 2005. (Photo: white marlin — 06110002)

 

While trolling a bonito for bait off Herradura Costa Rica, Enrico Capozzi, of Milano Italy, boated a 32.25 kg (71 lb0 oz) roosterfish (Nematistius pectoralis) on 8 kg (16 lb) class line in 31 minutes. The current men’s record is 68 lb 12 oz caught October 9, 1992. (Photo: roosterfish — 06110028)

 

As he was reef fishing off Antonia-Algarve, Portugal Luis Ceia of Faro, Portugal, caught a starry ray (Rasa asterias) using a sardine as bait.  The unusual fish weighed .93 kg (2 lb 1 oz) and may help Ceia claim a potential new all-tackle record. (Photo: starry ray — 06110029)

 

Using cut bait while bottom fishing the Amazon River in Brazil, Rolens Sonada, Manaus, Brazil, boated a redtail catfish also called a pirarara (Phractocephalus hemioliopterus). Weighing 49.4 kg (108 lb 14 oz) Rolens is up for two potential records; the 60 kg (130 lb) line class currently 79 lb 0 oz recorded March 24, 2006 and the all- tackle record of 101 lb 6 oz caught April 4, 2006. (Photo: redtail catfish – 06110031)

 

A potential new all-tackle record is pending for Dennis Toussieng, Mission Viejo, California, U.S.A. who hooked up with a California scorpionfish (Scopaena guttata) weighing 1.92 kg (4 lb 4 oz) while bottom fishing Cedros Island, Mexico. (Photo: California scorpionfish — 06110039)

 

Fly fishing off Hopedale, Louisiana, U.S.A., James Smith Jr. of New Orleans, caught a red drum (Sienops ocellatus) weighing 15.27 kg (33 lbs 10 oz). He used a sardine fly and boated the fish in 22 minutes. The current men’s 8 lb tippet record is 33 lb 0 oz caught March 4, 2003. (Photo: red drum – 06120000).

 

A vacant freshwater line class record might be filled in with the name of Donald Bousfield of Chingola, Zambia, Africa, who landed a nembwe (Serranochromis robustus) weighing 1.17 kg (2 lb 9 oz). He caught it on 6 kg (12 lb) line, while fishing the Zambezi River, Zambia. (Photo: nembwe – 06120001)

 

The first cast of the day on his first day of fishing brought smiles to the faces of Alan K. Craig, Boca Raton, Florida, U.S.A. and his guide after Craig landed a tigerfish (Hydrocymus vittatus) weighing 6.57 kg (14 lb 8 oz)  in 15 minutes. He caught it with 6 kg (12 lb) tippet on the Chobe River near Namibia, Africa, and could tie the current record. (Photo: tigerfish – 06120007)

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Ugly world record catches

           

            The IGFA’s world records have caught the attention of not only an increasing number of anglers but newspaper and magazine editors worldwide alike including the editors at Boating Magazine and sister web site FishBoats.com.

            Since his world record catch and release of a 385 lb. lemon shark on fly – the heaviest fish ever caught on a fly rod — this past spring, Dr. Marty Arostegui of Coral Gables, Fla., has received a tremendous amount of publicity across the globe, the latest a feature in Boating. 

            Arostegui took Pete McDonald one the magazine’s fishing editors for a try at breaking one of his nearly 200 records but not for a popular species from the waters of the Atlantic or on the spacious flats of the Florida Keys.

            Nope, it was fishing from the banks of a canal along a highway in an innocuous place Marty calls “the snake pit” for its increasing population of snakeheads with world record potential.

            It was a challenge for McDonald and worth a fun read in a future issue of Boating.

            Now the magazine has challenged its readers to go fishing for a potential world record fish and have it certified by the IGFA for a possible showcase on their web site.      

            There’s one catch though! It has to be an ugly catch.

            Pursuers of the “glamour fish” like tarpon, marlin, and largemouth bass need not apply. Once certified as an IGFA record the magazine is inviting the record holders to send their catch picture and IGFA confirmation to: fishboat@hfmus.com or “Record Fish” at Boating Magazine, 1633 Broadway, 41st Floor, New York, NY 10019

            They’ll print your picture on Fishboatmag.com, and appropriately send you some sort of ugly prize.  (We wish Marty had a good shot of himself with his pending record electric eel but apparently that one was a tough one to hold for a photo.)

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Coming in January: Fishing’s most valued reference book

 

            It’s the reference book that’s a mainstay for serious fishermen and fishing writers alike described as “the most comprehensive piece of fishing information available anywhere.”       

            The IGFA’s nearly 400-page 2007 World Record Game Fishes annual continues its legacy as one of the most reliable and complete source books of worldwide fishing records and fishing-related reference materials.

            Members of the IGFA will begin receiving their copy in mid January, just one of the many benefits of joining the IGFA.

                The popular annual is the official guide to saltwater and freshwater catches – for nearly 400 species around the world — in all-tackle, line class, fly, junior angler and U.S. state records.

            To receive your free copy of 2007 World Record Game Fishes, go to www.igfa.org and sign up to become a member of the IGFA today.

 

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New School of Sportfishing adds second set of offshore classes

 

            The appealing curriculum, limited class sizes and expert instructors all in the conducive setting of the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum Learning Center, brought such a terrific response that the International Game Fish Association has added a second set of four offshore classes to its new School of Sportfishing, beginning in February.

            “The initial reaction to the first session of four seminars was great,” said the IGFA’s Peter Gaube. “Before the first class even met the first session of four seminars was sold out with most anglers signing up for all four classes at a cost savings.  Some are buying the classes as gifts for avid anglers and the students include men and women young and old.”

            The four offshore classes, each three hours in length and on Tuesday nights, include sail fishing, sword fishing, dolphin and wahoo fishing, and wreck and reef fishing.

             â€œThis unique experience gives anglers the opportunity to obtain the skills, information and techniques necessary to maximize their overall success on the water. Class size is limited to 20 people allowing the students more time to interact one-on-one and learn from some of the best anglers and captains sharing their knowledge in their respective discipline,” said Gaube.

              Capt. Tony DiGiulian, owner of Saltwater Professional Consulting Josh Brown of LMR Tackle, three time winner of the Bacardi Billfish Tournament  Capt. Ray Rosher of Miami, a winning team member of back-to-back Rolex/IGFA Offshore Championships and popular South Florida veteran Capt. Bouncer Smith.  

(For more details check out the story on the IGFA School of Sportfishing on the IGFA web site www.igfa.org – home page: “Latest News.”)

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IGFA COP training class returns to Southern California

            A training class for the IGFA’s Certified Observer Program (COP) returns to Southern California, March 17th at the Shore Line Yacht Club in Long Beach.            

            The COP class trains and certifies experienced anglers, boat captains and crew members as observers for fishing tournaments held around the world. The course includ

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