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
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
of Fame & Museum in
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:
North American outdoor writers,
Circle
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
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
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,
fax 954-924-4299. (For
the complete story please see the IGFA web site www.igfa.org – home page: “Latest Newsâ€)
###
IGFA Inshore World Championship
attracting 29 world class champions
Twenty-nine fly and
light-tackle champion fishermen from as far away as
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
3,000 anglers on four continents and were invited to compete in the “tournament
of championsâ€.
“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
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.â€
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,
(954) 924-4299; Email: DHartman@igfa.org.
(For
the complete story please see the IGFA web site www.igfa.org – home page: “Latest Newsâ€)
###
Spain wins eighth annual IGFA
Offshore World Championship
With an
amazing 10 releases on the fourth and final day the team representing
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
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,
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
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 Newsâ€)
###
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
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,
peacock, (Cichla, temensis) weighing 6.35
kg 14 lb 0 oz while trolling near the Rio Negro Lodge, in
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,
(Megalops, cyprinoides) while fly
fishing with a streamer fly at
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
snakehead (Channa, lucius) while
fishing
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
Commercial longlining has
returned to the coastal waters of the
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
the west coast of Baja. By-catch is also not controlled because “incidentalâ€
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
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
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.â€
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
Because it rained on
Perry to plow a field on his
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
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
“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
and is currently the senior member of the state’ congressional delegation.
IGFA President
Right Now On eBay
