Angler magazine April 2013 by Patrick Farrell

Official Publication of the Southern Kingfish Association | April 2013

F 13

IFTY PO

D CLUB UN

Bandit 52.70

6 Team Wee Doggie 51.

All Caught at the Key West Event in January!

51.62 e t n e li a C / r u o m r A r e Und

O.I.F.C. 50.36

Technique | Joysticks for Outboards News | Boats from A to Z Gear | Marine LED Lighting SOUTHERN KINGFISH ASSOCIATION 15 GARNETT AVE ST AUGUSTINE FL 32084

PERMIT NO.

PRESORTED STANDARD

US POSTAGE PAID TAMPA, FL 2397

A NEW SPECIES OF SONAR

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See all that Dragonfly can do for you online at www.raymarine.com/ska Imagery for illustrative purposes only.

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ANGLER | April 2013

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REMEMBER to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal floatation device and protective gear. Message and data rates may apply. May not be available on all devices. © 2012 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved. 1-800-88-YAMAHA

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CONTENTS | April 2013 12 | THE ABSURDITY OF FISHERIES MANAGEMENT | Parts 1-4 of a 7-part series produced by the Recreational Fishing Alliance 16 | THINK LIKE A WINNER AND YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;LL BE A WINNER page 12

page 22

page 26

SUPPORT THOSE WHO SUPPORT OUR SPORT

page 40

columns

information 8 | Membership Application

6 | KINGFISH BOATS A TO Z by Terry Lacoss

35 | Mercury Trail Schedule

20 | JOY TO THE WORLD | The Joystick Revolution Meets Outboard Boats by Gary Caputi

38 | SKA Pro Tour 49 | Members Helping Members 52 | Mercury Trail Points

34 | ELECTRONICS | LED Lights on Boats by John Minetola

52 | Pro Tour Points

Go to www.FishSKA.com for Tournament Trail News and Updates.

53 | Classifieds 54 | Corporate Partners

ON THE COVER: The March 2013 cover of Angler magazine featured the top three 50-pounders caught at the Key West Harbour KMT in January. This month, four more Key West 50-pounders take the cover. Bandit, Ron Mitchell, Dave Kish, Tommy Anderson, and Spencer Ross earned fourth with a nice 52.70. Team Wee Doggie, Joey Crisp and Andy McInnis, earned fifth with this 51.68. Under Armour/Caliente was sixth with this 51.62. Arik Bergerman, Eric Sidor, Randy Keys, and Joe Medolla. O.I.F.C. The McMullan family scaled this 50.36. Brant, Barrett, Rube, Amy, Caroline, and Brayden. www.Facebook.com/officialSKA 4

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ANGLER | April 2013

Official Publication of the Southern Kingfish Association

CORPORATE OFFICES

FROM THE HELM ■ by Jack Holmes

Sponsors Are The Best!

15 Garnett Avenue Saint Augustine, Florida 32084 Phone | 904-819-0360 Fax | 904-819-0331 e-mail | sokingfish@fishska.com web site | www.FishSKA.com Managing Partner Jack Holmes sokingfish@fishska.com

Accounting Deona Holmes deona@fishska.com

Magazine Director Christine B. Rodenbaugh anglerpages@fishska.com

Operations Director Bob Flocken bob@fishska.com

Membership Director Loreen Berlin SKAmember@fishska.com

Webmaster Pete Cockram webmaster@fishska.com

Advertising & Sponsorship Bob Flocken Jack Holmes Deona Holmes Contributing Editors Gary Caputi Terry Lacoss Ed Killer John Minetola

I can’t tell you how lucky we are. Not just us, I’m talking about you. Sure, we need sponsors to make the association work, but when you look at our sponsor list, it reads like the who’s who of our sport. You spend a lot of money on their products and they give back. It’s important to have this relationship. You see with all the mess we’re in, pertaining to fishery management, there just aren’t a lot of fishermen pursuing weekend trips offshore because of closures. Yet there are some highlights. It seems the Gulf States have finally figured out the feds just don’t have a clue of what’s going on, that stocks like Red Snapper have more than rebounded. Louisiana started the ball rolling by dramatically setting their own quota and time frame in state waters out to just about ten miles and it’s just a matter of time before the other states are setting their own seasons and bag limits. It’s about time someone has taken the bull by the horns. Thank you, Louisiana!!! Florida went against the feds opening up Red Snapper, giving its fisher people a 44-day season in state waters. It’s a start but there are other species they should be considering also. In South Carolina they are work-

ing on a Sea Bass season in state waters against the mandates of the feds. This has also been driven by the RFA. Then we had Florida’s Senator Marco Rubio and other key coastal state senators demand the Department of Commerce (they manage NOAA) address how fish are counted in the ocean, bag and size limits determined, and seasons set. How do we really know the science used to manage the stocks really works? That was truly a revelation and shows some of our work with the RFA is producing results. I have already applauded the Senator’s efforts and sent them all our association’s appreciation. We will stay on top of this. Here’s another example of stupidity. There was a story in a popular Florida fishing magazine about the lack of King Mackerel in the ocean. As usual, they quote a couple of ancillary sources instead of coming right to the source. Kingfish stocks have never been more healthy and there is virtually no pressure on the resource. Period! I fully believe that global warming certainly has changed the migration of the King Mackerel on the east coast taking the stock north as far as Massachusetts.

The feds still have not agreed that there is really a resident population of Gulf King Mackerel in the upper Gulf and a resident population off the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Nor have the feds ever got a count on the amount of King Mackerel being caught in Gulf of Mexico waters in the winter months by commercial fisher people. Even our commercial friends want to know this one. The reality is the feds wrestle with quotas each year and still know very little about the resource. That’s our tax dollars at work! So with all the hoops we have to jump through, the absurdity of fishery management, the decline in offshore fishing due to the economy, the soft boating market, and rising fuel prices, sponsors still return to our association. Without them, and without you buying their products, we have no association. Make sure you thank them and remember to patronize them when making purchases. To those of you who continue to buy products from non-supporters, shame on you!!! Tight lines!

—Jack

All Memberships Expired December 31, 2012 Contributions: Angler magazine welcomes stories, art, and photos. SKA will consider, but assumes no responsibility for, unsolicited proposals, manuscripts, and photographs; all such material not accompanied by self addressed stamped envelopes will not be returned, SKA

Why should I renew before the first tournament? 1. To expedite registration. When I get to the first tournament, only the captain or boat representative will have to fill out the SKA Tournament Participation Form. 2. To log in to Members Only areas at www.FishSKA.com, including classified advertising, members-only forums, and more! 3. I won’t miss an issue of Angler magazine. 4. I’ll have my 2013 membership card. 5. To expedite posting of points on the website at FishSKA.com. All membership forms must be entered before any points can be posted. If I wait to join at the tournament, I will slow posting of points.

April 2013 | ANGLER

How can I renew? 1. Web site (FishSKA.com) Fill in the form on-line, print it, then fax or mail it to the office with payment. 2. See page 8 of this issue of Angler for a membership form. 3. Renew at the SKA tournament trailer on site before you fish an event. www.FishSKA.com

Kingfish Boats

A Z >>>

TO >>>

King mackerel fishermen have learned to convert a wide variety of fishing boats into kingfish boats, starting from kayaks to large diesel powered sport fishing boats. ■ b y Te r r y L a c o s s

hrough the kingfish seasons, fishermen have floated a wide variety of watercraft in hopes of connecting with saltwater’s most popular game fish, the speedy king mackerel. A good friend of mine that would rather sail than fish, rigged his sailboat up with rod holders and soon found that while sailing on kingfish waters, trolling one or more kingfish rods rigged with dead cigar minnows setup for an exciting day of both sailing and king fishing. While sailing back from the Bahamas to Amelia Island a large blue water game fish struck his mackerel colored Cisco Kid and took off for unknown parts of the ocean. Ted Waas thought that he had hooked a large king mackerel while he desperately watched his hooked game fish empty his 5/0 saltwater trolling reel of 30-pound fishing line. There was nothing Ted could do but to tighten down the drag setting and hope his terminal fishing tackle would hold up to the test. Keep in mind a 15-knot sea breeze filling his sails was keeping his sailboat on one course, away from his hooked fish! Finally Ted’s fish gave up the fight and at the stern of his sailboat, a 50-pound wahoo was soon to be prepared for dinner that evening aboard Ted and Mary Lou’s sailboat! King mackerel fishermen have literally caught king mackerel from every conceivable style of fishing boat, including a bass boat. I once rigged my Triton 21-foot bass boat with Flat Line rod holders secured to the transom pop up cleats and rigged the spike on my Power Pole with a release clip and used it as a downrigger. Slow trolling live baits at the St. Mary’s jetty rocks with 6

King mackerel fishermen first began making drastic changes to the center console fishing boat back in the early 1980s when competitive king mackerel fishing first became popular.

grandsons Christopher Forehand and David Lacoss produced 12 king mackerel to 25 pounds! And let’s not leave out Jacksonville’s Mike Kogan who has rigged his ocean kayak for king fishing along the beaches of the First Coast. Through the years avid fishermen have pooled their ideas on how a boat should be constructed to better catch the speedy king mackerel. Today, this style fishing boat is called a “Kingfish Boat” that not only has been designed to catch kingfish, but is a much better fishing boat for a wide variety of saltwater game fish too. Without a doubt the kingfish boat, also related to as a center console fishing boat, is the purebred of all fishing boats. Also, the perfect fishing platform for making you and your fishing party successful fishermen when targeting large bays, rivers, lakes, open ocean waters, or all of the above. Center console fishing boats are setup to catch more fish, get your

fishing party to your targeted fishing waters in good speed, supplies unmatched maneuverability and more importantly allows more time for fishing instead of boat riding. The center console fishing boat more than likely derived its name when fishermen designed a console that would serve multiple purposes including navigating the boat, house a wide variety of electronics and can be ordered with a comfortable seat located at the front of the console. A large door located on the side of the console gives access to an optional china head or port-apotty, battery charger, battery storage and easy access to your boat’s critical electronic connections. The console can also be outfitted with a T-top which also harbors many practical uses. T-tops can be rigged with an electronic box, grab rails, life jacket storage, the canvas or hard top serves as protection from the rain, has multiple rod holders and a high place to mount antennas, outriggers and the boat’s radar receiver.

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The entire idea of the center console fishing boat came from king mackerel fishermen that wanted more fishing room, which in the final plan resulted in an open deck, open transom and a console that could be walked around while fighting game fish and more importantly, navigate their boat. The console remains the heart of the fishing boat. The leaning post serves several important purposes including a comfortable chair, or support for running in rough water. A large live well is typically located at the back of the leaning post offering easy access. Storage drawers are commonly located at one side of the leaning post and under the seat dry storage is also a positive factor for keeping charts handy. On the remaining side of the leaning post a large access door affords for easy access to the live well’s plumbing. Another key factor is the bilge located at the transom of the center console fishing boat. Large access doors allow easy access to the boat’s bilge where bilge, live well pumps and their wiring are easy to access. The transom typically has two more smaller live wells, wash down pump and a rigging station as well for rigging baits. Lockable rod storage is often located on the inside of both gunnels, or in the large bench seats located at the bow of a center console fishing boat. One or more large insulated fish boxes are often located in the floor where game fish of all sizes can be kept fresh. Finally, a large anchor locker located at the bow of the boat stores your anchor, chain and rope. The most popular style hull for center console fishing boats is the deep-v with a 23-24 degree ANGLER | April 2013

deadrise. Step hulls are now catching on as well while producing a faster, smoother and more efficient hull. Step hulls are often 12% more fuel efficient and 12% faster too. The catamaran style hull is a often a third choice for those fishermen that appreciate the smooth ride. Center console fishing boats can also accomplish almost everything that a wide beam sport fishing boat can including overnight accommodations. Certain boat manufacturers offer a cuddy cabin at the bow of a center console fishing boat which affords for overnight accommodations and cover from inclement weather. Another option is installing a Bimini cover at the bow where the Bimini cover simply folds out of the way when not in use, or put into use when family members require protection from inclement weather. Keep in mind that the open bow style center console fishing boat is the most popular model where fishermen can toss their cast net, or fight game fish without the worries of tangling cast nets or hooked game fish in the running gear of the boat. Center console fishing boats come in all sizes where the most common size now ranges from 25-33 feet. During the 1980s when the Southern Kingfish Association tournament trail was driving the popularity of center console fishing boats, the most common size was a 20-25 foot center console fishing boat. Center console fishing boats in the 25 to 33-foot size range can be easily stored on land without having to rent a boat slip and when the next fishing trip is scheduled, the center console fishing boat is easy to trailer and launch at your targeted fishing destination. Be sure and check with your state’s regulations for trailering boats, in

most states the legal beam is normally eight feet, six inches. Having a center console fishing boat on a trailer that can be towed to either nearby or distant fishing destinations gives fishermen a much wider choice of their fishing waters. While during peak fishing seasons, center console fishing boats can also be kept in dry storage and launched by a special forklift for your day, or days of fishing. Painting the bottom of your center console fishing boat is also an option when keeping your boat in the water for long periods of time. However, if you own a dock on the water, a boat lift is a much better option. I can personally attest that leaving your fishing boat in the water does have its drawbacks. Renting a boat slip, or building your own dock is not only expensive, but if it’s in saltwater you will definitely encounter electrical, mechanical and hardware concerns from constant saltwater exposure. Also keep in mind that when violent storms arrive unexpectedly, having a boat moored in a marina, or private boat slip also presents such problems as wind damage and even the sinking of your cherished fishing boat! Today boat manufacturers are now building center console fishing boats that measure over 40 feet in length and are competing well in the big sport fishing boat market. While at the same time, fishermen that own large inboard powered sport fishing boats are opening their eyes to the advantages of fishing from a large center console fishing boat powered by multiple outboards. Diesel fuel is way far more expensive than gasoline, particularly when purchased on

the water. Boat manufacturers are also able to build lighter and much stronger center console fishing boats with the use of new fiberglass laminations, materials and using a vacuum bagging process. Also keep in mind that modern four stroke outboards are powering large center console fishing boats with up to four 350-hp with more zip and using less fuel too. In fact many of today’s outboards are using up to 40% less fuel with new four-stroke technology. Jeff and Nancy Dunbar hail from Amelia Island, Florida and are often found chasing big schools of king mackerel with their Contender 33 center console fishing boat, powered by twin Mercury Verado 300hp, four stroke outboards. “Nancy and I looked at and actually water tested several center console fishing boats,” Jeff Dunbar said. “We both decided that the 33-T Contender was the perfect fishing boat for us, since we did a lot of king mackerel fishing. Rigged with twin Mercury Verado 300-hp outboards we are able to get to our targeted fishing waters in both comfort and speed. However, it was the way the Contender center

Competitive SKA kingfish teams like SKA National Champions Strike Two compete today from kingfish boats that they have actually helped design and improve. Towing vehicles including Ford’s Super Duty 450 pictured are now up to the task for towing large kingfish boats. Competitive kingfish boats now have special designed livewell plumbing including this unique Sea Chest offered by Intrepid boats. Live well pumps are located in a sealed chest plumbed to high-speed pick ups where air locks are a thing of the past.

Modern day four stroke Mercury outboards are up to the task of powering any size kingfish boat from a single outboard application to multiple outboard applications.

console fishing boat was laid out, including large storage boxes, live wells, huge fish boxes and its massive fishing room that sold us.” “Nancy and I have put some 1,100 hours on our Mercury powered Contender while competing at SKA events and also held at a variety of kingfish destinations,” Jeff Dunbar said. “Our Contender center console fishing boat, Mercury outboards and Loadmaster trailer was definitely the perfect fishing package for us and has never let us down.” Legendary king mackerel fishermen such as Dave Workman, Jr. have greatly contributed to the development of the center console kingfish boat. “One thing that I requested for my kingfish boat was larger storage and fish boxes that would store all of my fishing tackle and gear in a dry, safe area and keep my kingfish fresh as well with plenty of ice,” Dave Workman, Jr. said. “Also, a large uncluttered transom where our crew could work our kingfish lines and gear.” Certainly you won’t have to far to look to find the best saltwater fishing boat, it remains the center console kingfish boat. Thanks to the Southern Kingfish Association and its skilled competitors. ■ Noted king fisherman and author, Terry Lacoss, writes about fishing for outdoor publications and contributes a monthly article to Angler magazine. To view this article and many others, go to www.FishSKA. com/reference.

April 2013 | ANGLER

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established

1991

Join America’s Premier Tournament Trail! Enjoy the

Benefits of Membership

2013 Membership Application New Professional Tour Captainʼs Dues . Competition Member . . . . . . . . . Competition Family . . . . . . . . . . . Associate Member . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . .

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By submitting this application for membership each person/family hereby agrees to adhere to all SKA sanctioned and SKA produced tournament rules. No refunds will be issued on memberships. All memberships expire December 31st, however you will continue to receive Angler for the full year. Each primary member will receive 11 issues of Angler magazine. Group marine insurance is available through NBOA Marine Insurance. Return to: SKA, 15 Garnett Ave., St. Augustine, FL 32084 Fax with Credit Card no. to: 904.819.0331 APPLICATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTED

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Marine Insurance Available ANGLER | April 2013

SEE HOW IT FEELS TO BE OUT IN FRONT.

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SEE MORE TESTS AT MercuryMarine.com

Mercury Verado was first on the outboard scene with its exclusive supercharged system. Since then, the competition just can’t keep up. With top-end speed reminiscent of a high-performance hot rod, Verado gets you there so fast it’s almost unfair. But supercharged power is just one of our many firsts. To see how far in front we really are, look deeper at MercuryMarine.com.

Source: Tests conducted by Mercury Marine – June 2007. Test conducted on a 23’ fiberglass fishing boat using a Mercury Verado 300 hp FourStroke and a Suzuki DF300 four-stroke. © 2008 MERCURY MARINE. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Suzuki is a registered trademark of Suzuki Motor Corporation. All other trademarks belong to the Brunswick Corporation.

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April 2013 | ANGLER

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THE ABSURDITY OF FISHERIES MANAGEMENT Parts 1-4 of a 7-part series produced by the Recreational Fishing Alliance PART 1 – WHEN NOAA MEANS NO As all saltwater fishermen are aware, President Bush signed the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 on January 12, 2007. In the six years since this law governing management of our coastal fishing industry- recreational and commercial alike - was re-enacted, the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) has pointed out the complete absurdity of fisheries management stemming from both the rigid and inflexible requirements spelled out in this law, as well as the gross neglect by our federal government to meet Congress’s deadlines and requirements. Over the next several weeks, RFA plans to focus on several key ‘absurdities’ stemming from this broken federal law, putting a spotlight on our government failures to properly protect and serve America’s coastal fishing communities in the way that Warren Magnuson and Ted Stevens had originally intended when our federal fisheries law was first adopted to aid in the development of the domestic commercial and recreational fishing industry while phasing out foreign fishing in 1976. Of course, some folks would prefer that the RFA keep quiet with our criticism so that they could continue to provide cover for our over-worked bureaucrats and ever-conscientious members of Congress, while forgetting all about the high praise that some national trade and manufacturing groups bestowed upon the Magnuson-Stevens Act when it was reauthorized (which now has brought many recreational fish12

eries to their knees.) But in the words of the late John F. Kennedy, Jr., “Without debate, without criticism, no administration and no country can succeed—and no republic can survive.”

FAILURE TO LAUNCH During the 2005 and 2006 debate over Magnuson-Stevens Act reauthorization language, the National Academy of Sciences’ National Research Council (NRC) was conducting a comprehensive review of the recreational data collection program used by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The NRC’s final report was issued in 2006, upon which time NRC committee chairman at the time Pat Sullivan, a Cornell University professor, referred to the recreational data collection methodology as “fatally flawed.” According to the 2006 NRC report, a panel of experts found specifically that the Marine Recreational Fishing Statistical Survey (MRFSS) which had been used by NMFS since the early 1980’s to generate catch statistics from the recreational sector has “serious flaws in design or implementation and use inadequate analysis methods that need to be addressed immediately.” As a result, Congress incorporated section 109-479 under the Magnuson-Stevens Act reauthorization in 2006 specifically to implement a few of the NRC recommendations for data collection. Among the items included in the final law signed by President Bush was the use of surveys that target anglers registered or licensed at the State or Federal level to collect participation and

effort data, incorporating an adequate number of dockside intercepts to accurately estimate recreational catch and effort; collection and analysis of vessel trip report data from charter fishing vessels (also known as VTR), and even development of a weather corrective factor that can be applied to recreational catch and effort estimates. As per this federal fisheries law, the President’s signature required that the Secretary of Commerce to “complete the program under this paragraph and implement the improved Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey not later than January 1, 2009.” So how has the Department of Commerce met this challenge? In a recent meeting in Gloucester, MA, several recreational stakeholders from New Jersey to Maine learned first-hand how VTR data from the charter and party boat industry was still not being used as a source of data, and that angler registry data compiled by states as required by Magnuson-Stevens was not being used for effort/participation models. Instead of contacting registered anglers, NMFS informed stakeholders that they were still compiling recreational data collection using the original MRFSS methodology of calling phone numbers at random from coastal phone books. One week following yet another public revelation by NMFS that they had failed to meet their federal requirements, a handful of recreational anglers in New York received an e-mail announcing that “NMFS has begun a pilot study of a mail-based effort sur-

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vey in New York and a few other states. They are continuing the Coastal Household Telephone Survey (for now) and wanted to build awareness of the project in case we get any questions while this is going on.” At this time, the Department of Commerce, NOAA Fisheries and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is asking for help in improving outreach and communications in terms of their ongoing pilot studies to improve data collection in the recreational fishing community. Rather than implementing the NRC recommendations from 2006 or adhering to the federal requirements laid out by Congress to meet the 2009 implementation deadline, the government instead would like you to know that nothing has changed, MRFSS is still being used to gather recreational harvest data, the angler registry databases are not being used, and neither are the vessel trip reporting logs collected on federally permitted charter and head boats. RFA is more than willing to help our Department of Commerce in any way possible, and we offer this notice as a public service to our recreational fishing communities nationwide; please take note that NMFS just wants you to know that they are using “fatally flawed” data collection and incorporating “inadequate analysis methods” that should’ve been “addressed immediately” in 2006 in order to meet a 2009 congressional deadline. Hey, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Although it’s true, it only took six days for it to burn to the ground. ANGLER | April 2013

PART 2 – WHEN DOES GOVERNMENT BECOME ACCOUNTABLE? In our first installment of the Absurdity of Fisheries Management series, the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) shined the spotlight on the “fatally flawed” Marine Recreational Fishing Statistical Surveys (MRFSS) which the Department of Commerce is using today to essentially shut down ‘commerce’ in the recreational fishing industry. Regrettably, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) successfully argued before a U.S. District Court judge in 2011 that Congress didn’t actually intend for them to really fix the recreational data collection program by time-certain deadline of 2009. In the words of the Honorable James S. Moody, Jr. who found in favor of the defendant (NMFS), “Nowhere in the MSRA (Magnuson Stevens Reauthorization Act) or its legislative history does Congress indicate its intent, as the Plaintiff argues, for the improved MRFSS to be completely finalized with all phases of the MRIP (Marine Recreational Information Program) fully implemented by January 1, 2009.” Actually, Judge Moody agreed with NMFS that meeting the 2009 deadline for the implementation of recreational data collection improvements would be “unrealistic and impossible,” further elaborating that Congress never gave an express meaning of the word “implement.” Thomas Jefferson said, “Laws are made for men of ordinary understanding and should, therefore, be construed by the ordinary rules of common sense. Their meaning is not to be sought for in metaphysical subtleties which may make anything mean everything or nothing at pleasure.” But make no mistake, when Congress reauthorized Magnuson in 2006, they were told explicitly what would happen when they phrased their language as they did.

catch limits in the plan (including a multi-year plan), implementing regulations, or annual specifications, at a level such that overfishing does not occur in the fishery, including measures to ensure accountability.” The deadline for implementing these new annual catch limits (ACL) was 2010, the year after MRIP was supposed to replace MRFSS. According to NOAA, an ACL is “the level of annual catch of a fish stock or stock complex that serves as the basis for invoking accountability measures,” whereas accountability measures (AM) are the management controls that prevent annual catch limits from being exceeded, which includes future mitigation. In other words, an ACL is not just a quota, it’s a rigid numerical limit based on pounds of fish; if the ACL is exceeded or projected to be exceeded in any way, shape or form by the recreational sector, an AM is the punishment that gets meted out. “Basically this means that if the recreational data collection shows anglers overharvested more of the seasonal quota than we were originally allowed, we’ll have to pay that overage back in future

quota, a penalty before a new season can even start,” said Jim Donofrio, executive director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA). “Our argument in 2006 in opposition to these ACL’s and payback measures is the same today, that fisheries managers cannot meet exact weights and measures required under this scheme by simply using old random survey data.” While commercial fishermen in theory have nearly exact accounting of every pound of fish that’s brought back to dock and sold, recreational anglers are monitored using random phone calls and a dockside sampling efforts. Established in the 1970’s as a tool to monitor angler trends, MRFSS is still being used today to gather ‘effort and participation’ data by calling phone listings in coastal phone books coupled with ‘catch per angler’ statistics gathered at a handful of dockside locations. “Most of our fishermen have never been called at home nor have they been surveyed at the dock, yet MRFSS is still in place as the tool by which NOAA meets the rigid ACL and AM definitions,” Donofrio said. “Of greater concern, as more information comes to light in way of US Fish

“THE BIGGEST MISTAKE WE CAN MAKE” Signed into law by President Bush on January 12, 2007, the Magnuson-Stevens Act also changed the requirements to monitoring and adjusting seasonal fishing quotas by requiring any fishery management plan prepared by Council or the Secretary of Commerce to “establish a mechanism for specifying annual April 2013 | ANGLER

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and Wildlife Service data and state license/registry programs, there is undeniable evidence that MRFSS habitually and significantly overestimates the number of anglers,” Donofrio continued. As RFA warned from the beginning, the rush to meet timecertain deadlines as required by federal law was ripe with obstacles. Where the U.S. court system has agreed that the deadlines for NMFS to improve the science and data in coastal fisheries were “unrealistic and impossible,” the Department of Commerce along with stakeholders at the regional council level have been given no such flexibility to manage around rigid, hard and fast ACL requirements. RFA met recently with NMFS staffers at a meeting in Gloucester, MA. When asked directly why the fisheries agency has not been able to integrate the angler registry database into the new recreational data collection efforts as required by law, one high-level NOAA Fisheries policy advisor said “the biggest mistake we can make is moving ahead too quickly.” Back in 2006 when the National Academy of Sciences found the recreational data collection methodologies used by NMFS to be worthless in terms of real-time monitoring, it was determined that the random nature of the survey had “serious flaws in design or implementation and use inadequate analysis methods that need to be addressed immediately.” Obviously, the word ‘immediately’ holds a different sense of urgency for those who work around the Beltway. “It will never be perfect,” said the NOAA official recently of the random survey methodologies, an argument apparently held by our U.S. court system. Though random angler surveys will never meet the rigid requirements of ACLs and AMs, saltwater anglers can sit back and enjoy the “”metaphysical subtleties” of life which our founding fathers warned can mean everything or nothing at all, depending on your perspective. Because of the complete absurdity of fisheries management and hopeless inadequacy of our federal government, essentially what we’ve learned in the recreational fishing community is that you will get nothing and you’ll like it. But hey, at least we are not rushing into anything! 13

PART 3 – RIDING SHOTGUN OFF A ‘FISHERIES CLIFF’ One of the most popular trips for most any U.S. angler is probably the drive itself from Miami down U.S. 1 to Islamorada in the Florida Keys. No matter where you come from in terms of flights - or your options afterwards - the 74.5-mile drive from Miami to the ‘sportfishing capital of the world’ is 1 hour, 30 minutes of excited anticipation that has been made by literally millions of anglers over the past century. So here’s a question; if a cab driver outside Miami airport told you he could make that drive down U.S. 1 to Islamorada in just 30 minutes, would you feel comfortable hopping in the back seat? Think that would be a safe, responsible decision? If the ultimate goal is reaching your destination, what’s the difference if takes an hour and a half or even 2-1/2 hours? According to the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA), one of the biggest absurdities in fisheries management over the last decade is incorporation of mandatory, time-certain deadlines for rebuilding schedules. If a stock of fish is actively rebounding and the population growing positively every year, why would the need to meet a government-ordered, absolute statistical figure within a time-certain deadline be more important than actually reaching that goal? It begs the question - why does the federal government give fixed, arbitrary deadlines for the natural world to follow anyway, given that nature has no such reactive timeframes? Best put by Thomas Jefferson, “If we were directed from Washington when to sow and when to reap, we would soon want for bread.”

ENVIRONMENTALISTS AGREE, FLEXIBILITY WORKS When the Magnuson Stevens Act was reauthorized by Congress in 2006, key lawmakers from New Jersey and New York successfully fought to include a provision for extension of the arbitrary rebuilding timeframe for summer flounder by 3 more years. By order of a strict and inflexible 10-year rebuilding deadline, the Atlantic coastal summer flounder stock was originally given a target to be met by 2010; the additional 36 months would become a Godsend to East Coast anglers able to keep fishing while the stock biomass increased. 14

By act of Congress, key language within the newly authorized federal fisheries law allowed the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to extend the end of the time period for reaching final biomass target until 2013, allowing anglers access to this iconic Mid Atlantic species while the stock continued to grow. “Instead of letting our summer flounder fishery collapse and have coastal fishermen suffer through a moratorium on fluke fishing, several key legislators in the Northeast were able keep our rebuilding periods going for a few years,” said RFA executive director Jim Donofrio in August of 2010, adding “without this deadline extension, we would’ve had no fishery whatsoever at that point in the process.” By incorporating that flexibility to keep anglers angling while the stock continued to rebuild, Donofrio said that statutory definitions of overfishing and overfished stocks were still met, while businesses did not have to close their doors to the angling community in order to achieve the goal. Regrettably, this was not an option for regional council members to decide, nor was it a possibility for NOAA Fisheries to decide on their own. Essentially, only by congressional mandate was this balance of commerce and conservation allowed to continue in a more flexible fashion. In a bulletin issued at the time, RFA criticized the environmental organizations including Pew Environment Group who have fervently fought efforts to incorporate limited management flexibility in other coastal fisheries in order to allow anglers the opportunity to fish for certain species while stocks were positively rebounding. “The lobbyists at Pew, Environmental Defense Fund and the Marine Fish Conservation Network were quick to credit strengthened rebuilding plans for summer flounder success, yet this fishery was fully restored to the healthiest of levels while fishermen kept on fishing and only thanks to congressional flexibility,” said Donofrio. “Given what’s happening now with other coastal fisheries, that’s about as absurd as it gets.” Today, strict rebuilding deadlines for fisheries like Gulf of Maine cod (10 years), South Atlantic snowy grouper (34 years), Pacific Coast yelloweye

rockfish (82 years) and red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico (31 years) are key factors in the setting of annual catch limits for individual anglers, with periodic stock assessments ultimately determining whether these deadlines will be met or not. “All it takes is a couple of bad trawl surveys or a weird anomaly in the fatally flawed recreational harvest information, and suddenly that bar graph isn’t going up as sharply as you’re supposed to in the time allowed, and next thing you know your season is closed,” Donofrio added. “With time-constraints ranging from 1 year to over 80 years, it’s hard to believe some folks really continue to support these fixed, non-scientific deadlines without debate.” An especially troubling report out of the Gulf of Mexico where abandoned oil and gas rigs are being blown up as part of the U.S. Interior Department’s “Idle Iron” program puts even more of a negative spotlight on the unscientific policies embraced by the federal government. Undercover video obtained by Local 15 News shows thousands of pounds of dead fish, mostly red snapper, floating to the surface after a controversial demolition in the Gulf. “You have NOAA and the Commerce Department telling anglers they can only fish for red snapper 27 days this season because of rebuilding requirements, yet the Interior Department is killing hundreds of thousands of pounds of red snapper each year and destroying critical marine habitat, where’s the

science in that,” Donofrio asked. At a 2011 Massachusetts field hearing, outgoing NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco testified how the 10-year rebuilding figure had never been based on science or scientific formula, a fact later substantiated to a House Natural Resources Committee Hearing when one of the legislators responsible for incorporating the 3-year rebuilding extension in the summer flounder fishery noted that it was actually members of Congress who came up the ‘10’ figure. “Fishermen live and die by science, so yes these random timeframes and arbitrary demolition efforts are literally killing both the fish and the recreational fishing industry,” Donofrio said. “Anglers would like to see a better balance of commerce and conservation, yet these federal policies run completely counter to responsible fisheries management today.” Unrealistic, non-scientific deadlines are like blowing through crosswalks, traffic lights and intersections, just to shave an extra couple of minutes from the length of the drive - it puts everyone and everything else in harm’s way. When you watch video of the Interior Department blowing up fish habitat and destroying hundreds of thousands of pounds of red snapper, while the Commerce Department continues to take away fishing days for anglers, you start to wonder who’s really in the driver seat here anyway?

The federal unemployment rate from 2008 to 2011 rose from 5.1% to 9.1%, yet our Commerce Department (NOAA) reports that job growth in the recreational fishing sector climbed 18% during the same timeframe. Our USGDP grows at an annualized rate of about 1.02%, yet this Commerce Department report shows income and sales skyrocketing by 40% from 2010 to 2011 in the recreational fishing industry, all while acknowledging the total ‘for-hire’ trips fall every year. This report is a complete farce & the Commerce Department should be ashamed of themselves for allowing their fisheries folks to release it as such to the public!

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—Jim Hutchinson ANGLER | April 2013

PART 4 – FEDERAL CLAUSE TO CUT COASTAL COMMERCE The Commerce Clause describes an enumerated power listed in the U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3) that grants Congress with the power to “regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes.” Ongoing disputes as to the range of powers granted to Congress under the Commerce Clause have been waged throughout our nation’s history, with several different arguments making their way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In one particular case of interest to saltwater anglers, in Hughes Vs. Oklahoma from 1979, the Supreme Court invalidated an Oklahoma law prohibiting the interstate transportation of minnows taken from Oklahoma waters, rejecting Oklahoma’s contention that they owned the state’s wildlife and therefore wildlife is not “an article of commerce.” While some preservationist organizations and a handful of rapid environmentalists like to argue that wildlife is not an article of commerce, saltwater anglers understand that the sport of fishing is big business in the United States, and our ability to get out on the water fishing heavily supports our individual state

and federal economies from coast to coast. For party and charter boat operators, tackle shops and manufacturers, marinas and boat builders, the more opportunities a saltwater angler gets to fish, the more that commerce is able to occur. Even our forefathers, the men who helped frame our nation’s Constitution, recognized that infringement on commerce could lead to tearing away at the national fabric. James Madison, the father of our nation’s Commerce Clause, once noted “there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.”

THE MOVE TO DIVIDE THE COMMUNITY When charter and party boat captains purchase a federal permit from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in order to take customers out fishing in federal waters, these boats are bound by federal fisheries regulations. Private anglers of course, non-business folks who own their own walk-arounds, center consoles or offshore express boats

SKA NOTE: We wanted to share Jim’s opinions to those of you who have not joined and supported the only organization that is working on our behalf, and I mean “THE ONLY”. Also, for the record NMFS has never asked the SKA for their statistical reports on each event it sanctions or yearly reports, even though we have kept records for our own reference for the past 22 years as to how SKA affects the resource. The king mackerel stocks are in excellent shape, surely fully rebuilt from their severe decline in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s due to commercial extraction. In fact, we now know that king mackerel are being caught as far north as Massachusetts, something we’ve never seen before. We also know that we have a resident population of king mackerel in the Upper Gulf all year and another stock off the North Carolina coast in the winter, something NMFS is reluctant to agree. SKA fisher people have responsibly used the resource and thanks to the charities and philanthropic organizations who have produced these events have raised millions of dollars for charity. The Southern Kingfish Association certainly applauds the Upper Gulf states for opening their waters to snapper fishing with realistic bag limits. They are finally listening to the fisher people who fish their waters and report what they are seeing with the fish stocks. While this is certainly non-scientific neither is that of the people we pay to figure the state of our fisheries. The snapper fish stocks are healthy thanks to the fishing community and thanks to Bob Shipp who heads up the Gulf Council. He has publicly stated “Federally mandated snapper policy is ludicrous.” We couldn’t agree more! April 2013 | ANGLER

are also bound by federal regulations when fishing in this area. However, when states decide to open their own local waters to angling under separate season, size or bag limits which differ from the federal regulation, the private angler may take advantage of this fishery whereas federally permitted vessel owners are still bound by the federal regulation. In other words, a federally permitted vessel owner may not fish in his own state waters if the state regulations differ from those beyond the federal line. The private angler may, but by requirements set for by the Department of Commerce, the professional captain may not. “What we’re seeing now in response is that for-hire captains who have been required to get a federal fishing permit to fish in federal waters are now seeing red because they’re not allowed to fish inside the federal line, and that’s causing a major rift in our recreational fishing community,” said Jim Donofrio, executive director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA). “Suddenly we have party and charter boat operators who see no recourse but to push for sector separation plans, to divide our recreational sector into private and commercial subsectors, which will only make us weaker as a coalition.” RFA believes that the federal permitting program under NMFS is just another layer of needless bureaucracy that has done nothing but add confusion to the fisheries management process. Case in point - the Louisiana Department of Fish and Wildlife (LDWF) is one of many coastal state agencies throughout the United States now feeling the dire negative effects of a broken federal fisheries law. In a recent bulletin to local anglers, LDWF attempted to whip up support for states to turn away from federal fisheries management policies which they say are not working. “There’s no confidence in the federal regulations, so it’s time to draw a line in the sand,” said LDWF Assistant Secretary Randy Pausina who wants red snapper* to be managed on state-by-state or regional basis. “We hope our fellow Gulf Coast states will join us in rejecting the federal red snapper dates and limits and move forward with our own interpretation of regional manage-

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ment,” Pausina said. RFA points out that if Gulf States do choose to go non-compliant with the federal regulations, those for-hire captains will have to surrender their federal fishing permits. “We’ve heard that Louisiana and Mississippi have already indicated that they would issue state charter boat permits to anyone who gives up their federal permit, but now our charter and party boats will need to constrain their red snapper fishing to inshore state waters,” Donofrio said. “This is clearly a case of the federal government making a mockery of the commerce clause while punishing legal business owners.” Donofrio said that much of the original purpose with issuing federal permits was an effort by NMFS to limit the number of forhire vessels in the recreational fishing community, a ‘limitedentry’ mechanism to keep a reign on the overall number of fishermen. Federal regulators then began requiring these federal vessels to keep comprehensive vessel trip reports, also known as VTR logs, in order to compile better recreational data collection. Today, NMFS readily acknowledges that the VTR data is not being used for data collection and has not been rolled into the improved recreational data methodologies mandated by Congress in 2006 under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Essentially, federal permits simply add more bureaucratic red tape that’s big on promise but small on actual delivery when it comes to managing a coastal resource. That’s pretty disturbing when you consider that NMFS fits under the Department of Commerce umbrella, a cabinet branch which still has no appointed Secretary more than 7 months since the resignation of John Bryson. Madison would’ve looked at this clearly as an abridgement of freedom by gradual and silent encroachment of a bureaucracy gone astray; for recreational fishermen, it’s just another day at the office. Louisiana has opened their state waters to a year around snapper fishery. Texas will respond with the same. Alabama is expected to do the same and Florida will have a 44 day snapper season. Let’s hope Mississippi follows suit. ■

Look for the conclusion, Parts 5-7, in the May issue of Angler 15

Think Like A Winner You’ll Be A Winner

& It

■ by Jack Holmes

was a Championship that will go down in history books as one of the best. I say that because it wasn’t a luck tournament with 150 boats all hooked up at one location. This year you had to work for the win. Fish were abundant, but not as abundant as in years past. I think it was about a week early for the super bite and water temperatures fluxed, but that’s really better. Kind of eliminates the luck factor. Looking back, which is something all that fishermen should have done, you had to admit it wasn’t as easy to find the big fish. Most ran to the depths 60 miles or farther south of Biloxi. Others fished in waters 60 feet deep close to the old CA25 where a lot of tournaments have been won. Some had pre-fished and found nice fish only to find they moved when they went back. Plus sharks took more than their share. Neal Foster’s team, who won the Pro Championship, fished small wellheads in 60 feet of water that paid off to win the Pro Championship. If you haven’t figured it out by now, the reason I’m writing this article is to further enhance your thought process. To start now, moving you to the top of the leaderboard. Don’t leave the dock without a game plan. Don’t leave the dock with the thought of following someone because they got a tip. Don’t leave the dock without numbers in your GPS you are going to. Don’t leave the dock without some bait in your live well for the early bite. The biggest no-no: “I’m following Joe because his team is in the lead.” You

must take control of your destiny. Those who work at it will find the rewards most gratifying. Winners make their own fortunes by doing their homework. This past year a lot of captains told me they found a lot of cold water. Would a Hilton’s or Roff’s fishing forecast tell you that? The extra gas you spent moving from one spot to another looking for warm water would have more than paid for the service. Just remember, however, that if there is cloud cover, there will be no service. Bait is usually plentiful but if the bite is on you’ll go through a lot of bait. You can’t pen up enough bait and don’t forget in Biloxi you must have mullet. You can catch that in the bay or purchase that from a local. Either way, get it! Ever thought of leaving a metal pen offshore, close to where you plan on fishing? Definitely bulk up on your tackle! At this year’s Championships many big fish were lost to sharks because they couldn’t get the bruiser to the boat quickly. I would carry three rods with heavier tackle and three with lighter so I could switch when the bite turned on. I’m convinced that when it’s feeding time the size of the tackle means nothing. Hooks and line heavier! Bringing your catch to the boat quickly does make a difference on the leaderboard. I understand Biloxi is a great destination, and next year we’ll arrive to a 60% to 70% improved facility. The Isle will have a new moniker, the Golden Nugget, with a one-hundred-million-dollar facelift half completed.

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There’s a lot to do in Biloxi and I fully understand this is your week, whether you came with a group of guys, or family members, you can get caught up in the activities with the thought of “I’ll catch up on my sleep when I get home.” While I’m sure some can do this and we certainly want you to have a great, memorable time, your first focus should be the Championships. Dragging yourself down to the docks with two cups of Starbucks in hand does not exude confidence to teammates. You’ve got to remain focused. Finally, now is the time to determine if you are coming to the 2013 Championship. I often hear, “We’re planning on coming if we qualify.” Wrong!!! You’re coming no matter what. You’re getting the time off from work now. Plus you’re having that meeting now to discuss costs and how you will be funded. That pressure you’re placing on yourselves will get you to the big show and using common sense and smart planning heightens your chances to get to the winner’s circle. Think like a winner and you’ll be a winner! Finally, I believe one of the most important things you can do is to go back and re-read every January issue you can dig out. If you don’t have them or if you threw them out, shame on you. The previous years’ stories are a treasure trove of information. Remember, in the early 2000s to the mid 2000s most teams went to the Delta. Why? Has fishing changed that much? Do your homework!!!! Lucky for you, articles are still online from past years. See you in Biloxi! ■

ANGLER | April 2013

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The Joystick Revolution Meets Outboard Boats ■ by Gary Caputi

he Miami Boat Show has become THE venue to launch new products and technologies on an unsuspecting boating public. This year a lot of the buzz was courtesy of Yamaha and Mercury, the outboard engine industry giants, which both introduced joystick helm systems for boats fitted with their latest generation digital outboards in twin, triple, and in the case of Mercury, quad installations. Joystick controls are not totally new to boating. Mercruiser introduced a system that mated with its Zeus diesel pod system a few years ago that has proven itself to be safe, reliable and user friendly. I had the opportunity to test drive one of the first boats equipped with the system, a 40’ Cabo, and was thoroughly impressed with how it made navigating through the tight confines of a crowded marina and docking chores effortless. Powering sideways, rotating

They said it couldn’t be done, but it’s here, the joystick, a complex system of computers, pumps, hydraulic flow regulators and electronic shirt mechanisms that can make slow speed maneuvering with multiple outboards akin to child’s play.

the boat on its axis, backing into tight spaces were considerably easier than trying to accomplish the same maneuvers using standard dual lever controls. Back then I would never have imag-

ined it would be possible to come up with a way to make a similar system work with outboards. Was I ever wrong! The game changer was the development of independent

steering for each outboard in a multi-engine application. That’s right, no tie bars to lock the motors to one another. Each engine has its own hydraulic ram with position and feedback sensors so it can be turned independently by a computer linked to a joystick. But that’s not all an outboard system needs to make slick joystick maneuvers possible. Teleflex Marine introduced the first outboard joystick system last year dubbed the Sea Star Optimus 360. It was designed as a retrofit for cable/hydraulic control systems and requires installing a fully integrated totally digital helm. No more hydraulic lines and control cables running from the engines to the helm station, it all gets replaced with electronics and wiring harnesses. The steering wheel and joystick link via a nav computer to a single hydraulic pump and a digital pump control module, which

The key to joystick navigation is multiple outboards with independent steering and a smart computer that takes control of the rotation, shifting and throttle functions to the engines when the joystick is engaged. 20

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ANGLER | April 2013

responds to signals from the helm manufacturers its own, to rotate the engines. At the stern while Yamaha uses a each engine is equipped with variant of the Sea Star its own SmartCylinder hydraulic rams. But both new sysram that includes sensors and an tems depart from the integrated rudder feedback unit Optimus 360, which is that supply critical data back only applicable for twin to the nav computer to assure installation, by utilizaccurate steering whether the ing a separate hydraulic wheel or joystick are being used. steering pump for each When the joystick is engaged, it engine. I surmise that not only controls the steering, this is to make the sysit takes over shift and throttle tem applicable for boats functions, which was no easy with more than two feat with engines that operate engines. The pumps are on a cable system. The Optimus linked electronically integrates with shift and throttle through the helm concables through two electronic trols and accept comcontrol actuators for each engine mands from either the that are positioned near the stern. wheel or joystick. that are used to switch in and called Skyhook. First introduced One controls the shift cable and Both manufacturer’s systems out of joystick operation. The on the Zeus pod system and then the other the throttle cable. They are designed from the ground system has a trim-assistant funcon the Axium joystick control receive commands from either the up to operate with all the other tion that adjusts motor trim angle system for outdrives, Skyhook is electronic helm or the joystick, digital electronic components while the joystick is in operaan automated position holding when it is engaged, and uses they offer. Yamaha’s Helm Master tion and links to any GPS with function. The system interfaces pressure from the hydraulic pump comes with an electronic steerNMEA 2000 network capabilities. with GPS and autopilot through a to move the now shorter cables ing system and includes a new It offers a dual-speed setting that NMEA 2000 network bus to procontrolling the engine. The systwin-lever control with a cruiseoperates at typical slow speed vide the ability to use GPS input tem uses the CANtrack Display, a control function and mates with RPM’s, but allows the operator to to keep the boat in a stationary digital gauge that acts as the user their existing electronic keyless switch up to a high thrust mode position. Who needs an anchor interface, displays system mesignition system and the 6Y9 if conditions like wind and curwhen you have a Skyhook? In sages and provides visual vessel Command Link gauge. A series rent require a bit more oomph to reality there will always be a positioning icons. What makes of command keys are found on get the boat moving. need for an anchor, but if you’re the Optimus 360 system unique the twin-lever helm and joystick The Mercury Joystick Piloting waiting for a bridge opening or is it was designed to work with system mates with trying to hold position so you can cable controlled outboards and SmartCraft gauges and drop a bait down on a piece of that makes it ideal for retrofitting control systems and utistructure in deep water Skyhook on most outboard boats already lizes a new LCD moniis a mighty handy feature. on the water. tor called VesselView. A After reading this you might So with the ice broken on all control pad allows the be thinking that technology is digital control systems with joyoperator to activate any dumbing down boat handling and sticks the Miami Show was rife joystick feature or make you might be right, but if that’s with excitement about the introcourse corrections the case you’re probably a little duction of the outboard giants with push-button ease. old school like me. The amazing next-generation navigational The system has an thing about the joystick revolutechnology. The major differ“enhanced docking contion is navigate-by-wire digital ence with the new Yamaha and trol mode” and “auto controls and computer technolMercury systems is they are only trim” features, but ogy have now made it possible applicable with the latest genoffers a unique function to maneuver and dock a multieration digitally controlled outthat sets it apart. It’s outboard powered boat in a manboards that feature electronic ner that seems more akin to shift and throttle controls and playing a video game than therefore are only available operating a vessel. Welcome as OEM installed options, at to the future, I think. I still least for the moment. Mercury enjoy boat handling the old announced that it will be offerfashioned way, but I am sure ing a retrofit version of the systhat the computer/smarttem for boats with earlier outphone/Wii generation is going boards in the coming months. to love this! I probably will The current Mercury Joystick adjust to it after a reasonable Piloting System will link with break-in period—break-in for the 250HP and 300HP Verado me, not the technology. ■ engines in dual, triple, or quad Gary Caputi is an award-winning installations. The Yamaha Helm outdoor writer and photographer Master system is compatible whose work has been featured with any of the 4.2 liter V-6 in national fishing and boating Offshore and F350 V-8 outmagazines for over 30 years. He is boards in twin and triple instalan avid saltwater angler and reclations. reational fishing activist who has The Mercury and Yamaha been involved in conservation and systems use independent fisheries management issues for hydraulic rams to steer each With just a push of the joystick to starboard the computer determines the appropriate steering position for each outboard almost as long as he has been writing. His work has appeared reguand the right mix of engines in forward or reverse to make the boat slides sideways into this tight slip space. Speed is engine like Optimus. Mercury larly in Angler magazine since 2001.

controlled by the driver through joystick input. April 2013 | ANGLER

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The Season Has Started! ■ by Jack Holmes

By the time you get the April issue of Angler magazine, the season has finally started with four events scheduled for this month and six in May. First, I want to thank you for your attendance at the Miami International Boat Show. Your attention to our sponsors has come back to us and we appreciate it. Most reports we’ve seen indicate that this was the best show for the exhibitors in the past four shows with quite a lot of product being sold. There was a lot of new product! Yamaha and Mercury both had their new joystick controls on display. Their simulators gave us the opportunity to bring a vessel successfully to the dock. It didn’t take long to get the hang of it and spending so much time on the docks all year long, these are a must for those who just can’t quite get their boat to the dock successfully. Embarrassment has been eliminated. I loved their simulators! Yamaha introduced a new fourcylinder, four-stroke 200hp outboard and is the lightest 200hp on the market. It can easily replace lower horsepower or larger V6 outboards, thereby increasing the performance of mid-sized boats or for our Small Boat Class. When used in twin applications, the new F200 can dramatically reduce overall weight on the transom. Several members we ran into said they had placed their order for a new ride with Contender. Donnie Jackson whose Wellcraft had the hull split open at

the Nationals ordered a new Contender and should be ready for the season opener in D7. He’s excited! It never surprises me how loyal our members are to this brand! Dragonfly was getting a lot of attention at the Raymarine booth. It’s a small unit that incorporates sonar and GPS with CHIRP down vision. It gives photo-like clarity and gives you images of the sea floor on a split screen. Garmin had their Glass Helm Series on display, however you had to wait to get close enough to see it. Their Glass Helm Series with black box technology with total integration is a winner.

Above: 2012 Pro Tour Team of the Year captain, Neal Foster, returns to the dock after a demo ride. Even though it was raining, people still took advantage of the opportunity. Below: Ray Martinez and Rob Lupola of Strike Two met with Greg Porter from Raymarine. The team holds the titles of 2011 Small Boat Class Champions and 2012 Small Boat Team of the Year.

Rob Lupola and Ray Martinez spent some time at the Boat Show with Tim Mossberg, the owner of Mojo Sportswear, their clothing sponsor.

Watch for John Minetola’s electronic column here in Angler magazine for the details on these new electronics soon. Gary Caputi covers joysticks in this issue. Our newest sponsor, Blackwater Boats, had a lot of attention. Compare this ride to the competition and you’ll find a lot of bang for the buck. Fit and finish are impeccable and may be the best we’ve seen on the market. If you’re thinking about a new boat in the near future, you’ve got to see this boat! While I know it’s hard to get off work to get to the show, this is one event I believe every member of the association should attend and wear their team shirts. Too often we’re criticized for not getting enough sponsors. Tournament Directors are seldom around, but it should be a priority for them also. Ever gone to the Bassmaster Classic and their big

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industry show? Jam packed from the time they open till the time they close. Fishermen support this show. You need to do the same if you respect our sport. Congratulations to the Henderson family who showed up in Miami to help Intrepid by giving demo rides. Mark never quits and is great model for our association! Besides they’re having a ball! Our Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour Champion, Neal Foster, was in town doing the same as Mark and helped Contender sell a few boats. Jack Bracewell and Bob Wiggins worked in the Contender camp also helping to earn their sponsorships. The 2006 and ’09 Angler of the Year, Ron Mitchell, did the same and our three-time Angler of the Year, Dave Workman, Jr. was adding his influence also. Rob Lupola and Ray Martinez were there. Rob drove for 11 hours and Ray flew in from Texas. The 2011 Small Boat Class winners and the Small Boat Team of the Year in the Pros for 2012 spent time with their sponsors and picked up a couple of new ones. The bottom line is, you can’t earn the respect of your peers if you don’t get involved! The Miami International Boat Show is a must for each and every member whether you’re a relative newbie or seasoned pro! The show dates for 2014 are February 13th-17th. Mark your calendars now! ■ ANGLER | April 2013

1991 Clayton Kirby, Fountain/Mercury, Overall Champion 1992 Joe Bruce, Fountain/Mercury, Top Angler of the Year Jim Davis, Fountain/Mercury, National Champion 1993 Wyndall Vereen, Mako/Mercury, Top Angler of the Year Dennis Sergent, Fountain/Mercury, National Champion 1994 Dave Workman Jr., Fountain/Mercury, Top Angler of the Year 1995 Dave Workman Jr., Fountain/Mercury, Top Angler of the Year 1996 Rick Smith, Wellcraft/Mercury, Top Angler of the Year 1997 Clayton Kirby, Fountain/Mercury, Top Angler of the Year Gary Unger, Regulator/Mercury, National Champion 1998 Steve Shook, Donzi/Mercury, Top Angler of the Year Forrest Taylor, Donzi/Mercury, National Champion

2003 Paul Massey, Yellowfin/ Mercury, SKA Top Angler of the Year Robert “Skip” Stritzinger, Trophy/Mercury, ASA Top Angler of the Year 2004 Robert “Skip” Stritzinger, Contender/Mercury, ASA Top Angler of the Year 2005 Terry Johnson, Yellowfin/Mercury, SKA Top Angler of the Year Bill Gavitt, Pequot/Mercury, ASA Top Angler of the Year 2007 Richard Stone, Fountain/Mercury, National Champion Mitch Mosley, Contender/Mercury, National Champion Class of 23 Chuck Permenter, Donzi/Mercury, Top Angler of the Year

1999 Dave Workman Jr, Donzi/Mercury, Top Angler of the Year Dan Abshire, Pro Line/Mercury, National Champion

2010 Vaughn Ford, Onslow Bay/ Mercury, National Champion Class of 23

2000 David Van Lent, Yellowfin/Mercury, Top Angler of the Year Jack Wood, Donzi/Mercury, National Champion

2011 Rob Lupola, Onslow Bay/Mercury, National Champion Small Boat Class

2001 Chris Chase, Donzi/Mercury, Top Angler of the Year Jerry Dilsaver, Kencraft/ Mercury, Class of 23 National Champion

2012 Alex Burgess, Contender/Mercury, National Champion

2002 Robert Ransom, Fountain/Mercury, ASA Top Angler of the Year

2012 Vaughn Ford, Onslow Bay/ Mercury, National Champion Small Boat Class

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SOUTH CAROLINA REPRESENTATIVE CHAMPIONS RFA MISSION State Rep. Goldfinch Introduces Bill to Take Black Sea Bass From Fed Members of the South Carolina Chapter of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA-SC) have been working with freshman Republican State Representative Stephen Goldfinch to do whateverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible to help ensure access for recreational anglers to fish stocks that have been closed due to draconian federal management measures. Representative Goldfinch of Murrells Inlet immediately took advantage of his position on the South Carolina House Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee to address some of the critical issues faced by South Carolina and other South Atlantic states. Rep. Goldfinchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legislation, co-authored by Reps. Hardwick, H.A. Crawford, Huggins, Hardee, Clemmons, Vick, Finlay, Chumley, Hamilton, Herbkersman, Hiott, Hixon, V.S. Moss, Owens, Pitts, Sottile, Wells and Wood makes black sea bass stay open in state waters (out to 3 miles offshore) during federal closures. The bill is H3735, and can be viewed at http://goo.gl/mJQfX In 2009, South Carolina held a voter referendum that amended the state constitution to say that hunting and fishing in the state was a constitutional right for its people, and the right to hunt and fish within the state and to harvest wildlife should only be subject to the laws of the state legislature, which were to promote sound wildlife conservation and management. According to RFA-SC, Rep. Goldfinchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legislation pivots off this, and it should send a clear message to South Carolina fishermen and the federal government about where the state stands on managing its resources properly. In 2012, member states in the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) saw their recreational black sea bass season closed after only 90 days. The traditionally offshore species is now being caught in inshore waters, and its overpopulation is threatening popular nearshore and inshore species like sheepshead, spotted sea trout and red drum. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Black sea bass have been rebuilt in every sense of the word for quite some time now,â&#x20AC;? said RFA-SC member Wes Covington. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We started seeing black sea bass become more and more prevalent about 10 years ago due to

the catch limits put into place in the 1990â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, and now it seems weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re being punished for those limits not working fast enough.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;The science clearly has not caught up to what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re seeing on the water, and the SAFMC is telling us they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the flexibility to do anything other than administratively close the fishery earlier and earlier every year,â&#x20AC;? Covington said, while pointing at black sea bass as one of the clearest examples of federal mismanagement of a coastal fishery as there is. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now that the issue with these fisheries, black sea bass in particular, has become so well-known, and the season is rumored to be even shorter this year, I am very hopeful this legislation will be signed by Governor Haley in time for this summer,â&#x20AC;? said Rep. Goldfinch. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need to get people fishing again. Fishing is a huge part of our coastal economy.â&#x20AC;? This will not be the only help that RFA-SC sees from Rep. Goldfinch. More discussions for more helpful legislation are underway, and RFA-SCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s membership will remain instrumental in supporting the elected officials like Rep. Goldfinch who champion the RFA mission. Covington also noted that captains Keith Logan and Mark Brown have both been working as hard as possible to obtain more funding for improved black sea bass data, but it has become apparent that NOAA Fisheries and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) specifically, are only interested in more money for their catch shares campaign. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our state chapter members are getting more and more active, especially in the South Atlantic and Gulf states where this fisheries management train wreck is destroying angler access,â&#x20AC;? said RFA executive director Jim Donofrio. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We plan on putting more pressure on Congress to take up action on behalf of fishermen, but efforts by state chapters like the RFA-SC can really help change the system nationwide.â&#x20AC;? To get active in your local state chapter of the Recreational Fishing Alliance on behalf of saltwater anglers from coast to coast, the first step is to make sure your membership is up-to-date. www.joinRFA.org â&#x2013;

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QUEST for

Sponsorship

eople often ask me a couple of questions. The first: “How do you get so many sponsors?” The second: “How can I get sponsored?” You’ve heard the old saying, “You can’t take ‘No’ for an answer.” Well, when seeking an opportunity to represent a company as a Pro-Staff member, that old saying just doesn’t apply. There are times you must take “no” as the answer. More often than not, companies aren’t prepared for your request, thus making it uncomfortable for them to respond… positively or negatively. I’ve always believed that taking “No” as an answer and accepting “No” as the answer are two completely different thought processes. Taking it as the answer always felt to me like I was giving up on myself and the company I was seeking to represent. Accepting “No” as their answer simply meant to me that they weren’t quite ready to become involved with my family/team or me, and that maybe I hadn’t done a good enough job explaining what we were capable

of providing them. It may be that particular company’s answer, but it certainly doesn’t have to be the answer for your sponsorship quest. Splitting hairs? Maybe, but it’s the way I have always proceeded with my quests for sponsorship. Requesting sponsorship is hard on its own; getting prepared to request it is even harder. So, what is the first step in getting sponsored? Start by making yourself known, available, and viable to the industry. My first suggestion is to join an association, such as the Southern Kingfish Association (SKA), the tournament/tour governing body of the type of fishing Liquid Fire does. Make yourself known to the association and its employees by introducing yourself and team to them at tournament outings. Make sure that you and your entire team appear and participate in the captain’s meetings. Attend your local fishing schools, such as The Fisherman’s Post events held in Wilmington and Morehead City, NC, during February. Your attendance at these schools will not only help your fishing knowledge, it will

Check out the team’s great videos at www.liquidfirefishing.com. This is a triple hook-up at the Nationals. Keep watching; lots of skying kings in this footage! 26

■ by Mark Henderson

also

Even on the m ost good and repr challenging days of tourna m esenting their sponsors well. ent fishing, the Liquid Fire Team comes

make k you familiar to those in the industry. Networking through name and face recognition is extremely important when seeking a sponsor. The more familiar you are to someone, the more they trust and believe in you. These events feature numerous “high-profile” people in the industry. Generally, a captain’s and potential sponsor’s “guard” is let down during these events. They are prepared to communicate, and it’s often okay to make a quick contact. That’s right, I said “quick.” This gets back to being prepared. While they are mostly willing to chat, they also have a lot of people to speak with during a very short period of time. You will generally have only a few minutes to capture their undivided attention. There are often a couple hundred people at these events trying to garner the attention of the person you are speaking with…maybe not for sponsorship requests, but maybe wanting to get some fishing advice, etc. Make the most of those brief minutes. A quick introductory

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to the scale lo

oking

handshake, business card presentation, and polished resume, all while looking professional in your team hat and jersey, go a long way. Capture their attention. Beginning a relationship in a matter of seconds is critical. Remember, everyone wants a piece of the potential sponsor. Courtesy and respect for their time is critical, but you have to make a lasting impression in the first few seconds, and develop some substance in the few minutes of their undivided attention. Additionally, ask for their business card and if you may contact them. If the answer is “yes,” then you have gained their attention enough and earned the right to begin your quest for their sponsorship. Most of the time, a contact through email is the preferred manner of communication. If they give you a cell phone number, it is a privilege! Contact them from 48 to 96 hours after your initial meeting. This time frame allows them time to recuperate from the event or show. If you were able to develop ANGLER | April 2013

the relationship in that initial meeting, it is still fresh enough in their mind to read your email or take your call. Remember, sponsorship isn’t free…be prepared to invest a sizeable amount of money into team shirts, cards, hats, etc. This type of showing is impressive to those who are connected in the industry. Looking professional correlates to potential sponsors as, being professional. Anyone considering sponsoring your team wants to be represented professionally. Finally, don’t focus on fishing industry companies. They get bombarded with requests. Some of your most successful sponsorship requests can come from local businesses. Be sure to learn something about their business. It’s critical to be educated on the company you seek assistance from. Coverage of an entry fee by a business, or discounts on items

that you will use during your fishing adventures, is by all means important sponsorship. If someone or a business decides to assist with any portion of your request, make them feel like they helped you hit the lottery! Whatever they are able to provide is extremely important to them. They are taking a risk on you and your team. Remember, someone has to pay for your request…it’s them. They are either giving you money, or not making money in lieu of getMark’s team/fam ting your support to ily accept the troph won the 2008 Angler of the Year honors. As always y. Crockett Hend represent them. erson, winner of many Junior Angl , Liquid Fire came to the awards in er awards throug Tournament such the years,no lo their team shirts to opened nger qualifies as cess certainly helps. However, it a junior. some opportunities for our share isn’t easy. Tournament success Liquid Fire Fishing Team. While success in the field in generally requires commitment I still don’t think tournament which you look to represent a and a tremendous desire to comsuccess is critical in getting sponpotential sponsor. pete. Winning the SKA Angler of sored, it doesn’t hurt to be able to the Year title in 2008 certainly

When Sponsorship Becomes Partnership

he seemingly never-ending emails, phone calls, voicemails, questionnaires, contracts, and updates are only the beginning once your “Quest for Sponsorship” finally becomes the partnership you desired. When you get the response you are hoping for—“Yes, our company has decided to work with you during the coming year”—that’s when you begin making phone calls to your teammates and friends exclaiming, “We’ve got a new sponsor!” So what happens after receiving that all-important letter or phone call of acceptance? At that point, the job has just begun, and the work you and your team did now transforms into work you must do for the company that said, “Yes.” This is when everything flips. Now that the company has made an initial commitment to you, you must now prove your commitment to the company. This is when sponsorship becomes partnership. Once you begin obtaining sponsors, you and your team become more credible to other potential sponsors. It’s the old adage of “business breeds business.” A company’s Return On Investment (ROI) is critical to April 2013 | ANGLER

justification of their advertising budget. In other words, the money spent on advertising commitments must produce an incremental amount of sales for this investment to be considered a success and worthwhile. Every pack of hooks, swivels, spool of line, etc. are dollars spent on us as their Pro-Staff, and the company needs us to produce sales in kind for those dollars. How is this measured? At times, this is a very difficult question to answer as a Pro-Staff member for your “sponsor/partner.” When working a booth during a trade show, amounts and totals of sales are easily calculated. However, during other times and instances when numbers cannot be easily determined, it is challenging to justify your “sponsorship” in terms of customer dollars spent on products and services because of your influence. That’s when the brand awareness you provide for the company can “hold weight.” Making sure your customers, clients, friends, contacts, or other teams are aware that you use, support, and promote a particular product or service is critical. How? One way is social media. The creation of your team website, Facebook page, Google blog,

With more than 2,000 “Likes” on their Facebook page, the Liquid Fire team is keeping their sponsors in the spotlight.

and a positive involvement on popular fishing forums is critical. Sponsors appreciate having their logos with links from these media sites attached because of the importance of the internet’s Search Engine Optimization. My Liquid Fire Fishing Team’s sites have been very important to our ability to obtain partnerships. They are: www.liquidfirefishing. com, www.facebook.com/liquidfirefishing, and www.liquidfirefishing.blogspot.com. So often, I will have a sponsor or potential sponsor share that a Pro-Staff relationship has not worked out for them in the past.

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Their company will make a sponsorship commitment and “never hear from the captain/team again.” The Pro-Staffer may be “flying the flag” for the company by promoting the product during their events, shows, or tournaments. However, the marketing contact person for a particular sponsor/partner never knows this. It’s up to you to make sure they are kept informed of your efforts. Getting an opportunity to participate as a featured speaker in one of the local fishing schools in your area is a great avenue to develop relationships, showcase 27

your sponsors’ products, and feature yourself. The opportunity to participate in a quality, well-organized event such as the annual Fisherman’s Post Saltwater Fishing Schools should be viewed as an honor. The basic structure of these schools is to invite numerous high-profile captains to offer lessons on their specialized areas of fishing. For a nominal fee, attendees have the entire day to visit their choice of rigging stations where they receive instruction on the basics of tying knots, rigging baits, reading sea-surface temperature data, bait presentation techniques, and many other areas. Main seminars, which have as many as three captains sharing their knowledge in an open forum, are conducted throughout the event as well. Make sure photos and videos are taken of you and your team during the event to be provided in a sponsor/partner update. They need and deserve to know you have had the opportunity to provide information regarding their company to an interested and captive audience through the sharing of your personal knowledge and experiences with their products/services. In addition to providing your knowledge to these schools, many of your sponsors will also want to make sure you have their company literature to disburse during the event. Decals, brochures, cards, catalogs, hats, and t-shirts are great ways to help promote their products. During the Fisherman’s Post Fishing School, “Get Hooked” Fishing School, and Bass Pro Shops Spring Classic events, several of our partners

(Intrepid Powerboats, TACO Metals, Yo-Zuri America, Blue Water Candy Lures, Yamaha, Accurate Fishing, Crystal Coast Graphics, Cannon, Minn Kota, Rigid Industries LED, American Fishing Wire, SPRO, NBOA Insurance, Ocean Tamer Marine-Grade Bean Bags, and Sportsman’s Toy Store) provided door prizes for the schools. We also offered several prizes for a drawing at our booth. Having a professional resume that can be provided to your potential sponsors is also critical. The days are long gone of, “Hi, I’m Mark Henderson, and I’m a tournament fisherman.” Our struggling economy has forced companies into making very wise decisions with their advertising funds. Their ROI is more critical now than it has been in many years. Making sure you set yourself apart from others who may be seeking the same sponsorship dollars is critical. There are many successful tournament fishermen, but successful marketing is a skill that is becoming more necessary than just knowing how to make a fish eat. Being a successful fisherman and high-profile angler are just part of the formula in being able to bring your sponsor toward a higher market share for their products. I had a very well-known company’s marketing manager tell me several years ago, “We don’t care if you catch fish or win tournaments. That’s just a plus. What we really care about is making sure you are seen and represent us with integrity.” We must remember, when seeking sponsorship, we’re doing

The Liquid Fire Team has developed a great website over the years. (www.liquidfirefishing.com ) Even if your team does not have the time, expertise, or resourecs to implement all of the social media and Web 2.0 opportunities available on the Internet, start somewhere. Smartphones provide enough quality to post images online. Facebook is a good place to start because, while the team must invest some time and effort, the platform is free.

something we love and are hoping to gain assistance doing it. However, to the company from which you seek this assistance, it’s all about whether or not choosing to support you and your team is a wise investment. Always make any sponsorship opportunity you may gain about those who decide to partner with you. While getting the sponsor is about you, your team, or charter business, and what you can offer

them, keeping them as a partner, by making all of your efforts about them, should be 100 percent of your focus as an honored Pro-Staff member. Dedication, integrity, and hard work will produce what many will call “luck.” Remember, “luck” can be defined as, “when hard work meets opportunity.” And as I have found, “the harder I work, the luckier I get.” ■

The Liquid Fire team boat boasts a great wrap emblazoned with all of their sponsors.

Mark Henderson is the captain of the Cape Carteret, NC-based Liquid Fire Fishing Team and is sponsored by: Intrepid Powerboats, Yamaha, Simrad, Rigid Industries LED Lighting, Cannon Downriggers, Crystal Coast Graphics, Accurate Reels, Calcutta, ACR/ARTEX, AmeraTrail, American Fishing Wire, American Rodsmiths, Angler’s Envy, Bimini Bay Outfitters, Blue Water Candy, Fish Hard Gear, Fusion, Hering Performance Propellers, ICOM, Mate Series, Minn Kota, NBOA Marine Insurance, Ocean Tamer, Optima Batteries, Salt Life Optics, Sanderson Boatworks, Sea Angler Gear, Spro, Stevenson Automotive Group, Jerry Stroud, Taco Metals, The Reel Outdoors, VMC, Yo-Zuri. 28

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ANGLER | April 2013

SOMETIMES THE BEST WAY TO

CATCH FISH IS TO LISTEN

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6 Championship Wins in 5 Years! 2012 SKA National Small Boat Champions REEL THRILL/BONE SUCKIN’ SAUCE 2012 SKA Pro Tour Small Boat Champions STRIKE TWO 2011 SKA National Small Boat Champions STRIKE TWO 2010 SKA National Small Boat Champions REEL THRILL/BONE SUCKIN’ SAUCE

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PRO PR ROF OF FES FE ESS ESS ES SIIIO ON ON NA AL KIIIN K NG N G GF FIS FIS FI ISH SH 20 TO TOU T OUR UR R 13

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“Hi, this Eric Neidorf, captain of Boats Direct USA fishing team. We are really excited to be fishing this year in Biloxi in our new 36 Blackwater. Our team is looking forward to the awesome fishery Biloxi has to offer and the great parties with friends.”

“For anyone that has a passion for catching big kingfish, it’s an event not to miss. Since our Team Seadragn’s first Biloxi Nationals in 1999, I search for words to describe the awesome fisheries in the Gulf. Incredible and Unbelievable are two words I normally use to describe this fishing experience to all my Carolina angler friends. For everything you get to experience with your family and team, it’s well worth the 800 mile drive for our team.”

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—Captain Al Morris Atlantic Beach, NC

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LED LIGHTS ON BOATS MORE THAN A BRIGHT IDEA ■ by John Minetola

our next LED project could range from buying a new flashlight all the way up to installing some huge floodlights for cleaning the boat when you get back to your slip. That “do list” could include a new waterproof flashlight for your ditch bag, more efficient bulbs in your running lights, lights in your livewell, or blue mood lighting flooding out from under the gunwales and seats. With all those projects in mind, I wondered why some people say that LED bulbs are a blessing for boats, but a few stories are around about too much heat and even an occasional fire from LED interior lights. It took some digging around, but I found out that there are different kinds of LED bulbs. It’s actually that there are little circuit boards in the bulb, and basically three kinds of circuitry are possible. 34

SECRETS OF LONG LIFE Long bulb life is easier to understand than human life. Yes, LED bulbs can almost live forever, but high voltage will fry them. Boats do have voltage fluctuations from battery discharge to quick-charging status, and voltage spikes as motors turn on and off rage through your circuitry occasionally. The best LED bulbs have voltage protection in those little circuits inside them.

PRICE If you have shopped for LED bulbs as a replacement for an incandescent or halogen bulb, you have seen prices that range from 3 times to 10 times as much for the same brightness. For your house, the LED bulb gets longer life and energy savings that might make it worth it. But on a boat, the LED will have other advantages. It might be easier to waterproof in a little housing, in a running light for

instance. By generating less heat, the seals around the lens of an LED fixture won’t melt or blow out when the light is on for an extended time. The energy savings of the LED will extend your battery life, which could be critical on a boat that drains batteries for baitwells, electronics, and lighting while you are slow trolling. LED lighting can save as much as 90% of energy, which translates into dozens of amps on a medium size boat running at night. A detailed look at prices may steer you away from floodlights and make the mood lighting seem practical. You can run LED light strips under the gunwale and T-top in white instead of blue, and clean the deck by those lights. Another reason to stay away from blue lights comes from the marine police. They don’t like anybody other than themselves to have blue lights on the water (or highways.)

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The explanation for the high price of LED lighting comes out as you look at the other features.

HEAT The heat story gets a bit more technical. Yes, the LED light itself (usually a little yellow dot that you can see when an LED bulb is off) barely puts out any heat, but I have burned my fingers on cluster LED bulbs that replace the 12 volt bulbs on boats and cars. The story takes me on a trail back to the three types of LED circuit boards. The least expensive way to run the LED on 12 volts is to put a resistor in line with the LED. The LED itself uses up a couple volts, and the resistor turns 9 or more volts into heat. The worst problem for these inexpensive bulbs is the voltage variations on a boat. If voltage drops then the LED goes dim, but if the voltage increases, the heat can go high enough to melt continued on pg. 42 ANGLER | April 2013

2013 SCHEDULE Please note that tournament information is published from sanctioning agreements and information packets as it is received from individual tournament directors. Dates are subject to change and tournaments may be added or deleted throughout the year. For the latest information go to www.FishSKA.com. June 21-22, 2013

July 15-20, 2013

SULLIVAN’S ISLAND SALTWATER CLASSIC

27th ANNUAL TWO WAY SPORTFISHING CLUB’S KINGFISH TOURNAMENT

33rd ANNUAL GREATER JACKSONVILLE KINGFISH TOURNAMENT

Sullivan’s Island, SC HQ: Big Shed, 1459 Hennessy Street, Sullivan’s Island Capt. Mtg.: Early Entry: Entry: First Place: Payout: Contact: Terry Adkins Ph: 800-546-4622 Email: terry@bluewaterpromo.com Web: www.saltwaterclassicseries.com

Brunswick, GA HQ: Two Way Fish Camp & Marina, 250 Ricefield Way Capt. Mtg.: Early Entry: Entry: First Place: Payout: Contact: Rick Smith Ph: 912-269-7291 Email: wildturkeyrick@yahoo.com Web:

Jacksonville, FL HQ: Jim King Park at Sisters Creek, 8303 Heckscher Dr. Capt. Mtg.: Thursday 6:30pm Early Entry: $349 by 6/30 Entry: $399 by 7/18 Payout: (2) Boat, motor, trailer prizes + 18 places based on 250 paid entries (see website for details) Contact: GJKT Ph: 904-251-3011 Email: Web: www.kingfishtournament.com/

DIV 1 | NC

August 2-3, 2013

July 26-27, 2013

RALEIGH SALTWATER SPORTFISHING CLUB’S 29th ANNUAL KMT Morehead City, NC HQ: Jaycee Park, S. 9th St. and Shepard St. Capt. Mtg.: Early Entry: Entry: First Place: Payout: Contact: Bruce Andrews Ph: 919-833-2800 Email: procrankitup@aol.com Web: http://www.rswsc.org/

August 9-10, 2013

12th ANNUAL ONSLOW BAY OPEN KMT Swansboro, NC HQ: Hampton Inn (Food provide by Domino’s Pizza) Capt. Mtg.: 7:00pm Early Entry: $300 Entry: $350 after 7/28 First Place: $13,500 Payout: Pays 20 places (based on 100 paid entries & TWTs) Contact: Captain Stan Jarusinski Ph: 910-340-0813 Email: seajay74@comcast.net Web: http://www.obokmt.us/

August 16-17, 2013

22nd ANNUAL ROTARY CLUB OF SNEADS FERRY Sneads Ferry, NC HQ: New River Marina, 104 James St. Capt. Mtg.: Friday 7:30pm Early Entry: $300 Entry: $350 after 8/8 First Place: $20,000 Payout: Pays 20 places , 3 places small boat (all prizes based on 200 entries) Contact: Bill Keller Ph: 910-934-0790 Email: wkeller5@yahoo.com Web: www.sneadsferrykmt.com

September 12-14, 2013

ATLANTIC BEACH SALTWATER CLASSIC Morehead, NC HQ: Atlantic Station Shopping Center, Morehead, NC Capt. Mtg.: Early Entry: Entry: First Place: Payout: Contact: Terry Adkins Ph: 912-729-7216 Email: terry@bluewaterpromo.com Web: www.saltwaterclassicseries.com

October 25-27, 2013

3rd NORTH CAROLINA TROOPERS ASSOC. KMT Morehead City, NC HQ: Jaycee Park, S. 9th St. and Shepard St. Capt. Mtg.: 7:00pm, BBQ at 6:00pm Entry: $250 First Place: $10,000 (Based on 100 paid entries) Payout: 10 places (100% payback) Contact: Al Morris, Jr. Ph: 252-269-1346 Email: amorrisjr@ec.rr.com Web: http://www.1042kmt.com

DIV 3 | SC June 28-29, 2013

BEAUFORT WATER FESTIVAL FAMILY FISHING TOURNAMENT Port Royal, SC HQ: Port Royal Landing Marina, Port Royal Landing Dr Capt. Mtg.: Friday, 7:00pm Early Entry: $300 Entry: $350 after 6/14 First Place: $10,000 Guaranteed Payout: 5 places Contact: Mike Sackman Ph: 843-476-1044 Email: Web: http://bftwaterfestival.com April 2013 | ANGLER

August 15-17, 2013

20th ANNUAL FISHING FOR MIRACLES KMT Charleston, SC HQ: Ripley Light Yacht Club, 95 Ripley Pointe Drive Capt. Mtg.: Thursday 7:00pm Early Entry: Entry: First Place: $25,000 (All based on 200 paid entries) Payout: 30 Places Contact: John Gourdin Ph: 843-214-1408 Email: fishing4miracles@ccasouthcarolina.com Web: www.fishingformiracles.org

July 26-27, 2013

33rd ANNUAL SAPELO OPEN KING MACKEREL TOURNAMENT Shellman Bluff, GA HQ: Sapelo Saltwater Fishing Clubhouse Capt. Mtg.: Early Entry: Entry: First Place: Payout: Contact: Mamie & Jimmy Mason Ph: 912-832-6439 Email: mamie@darientel.net Web: www.sapelosaltwaterfishingclub.com

September 13-14, 2013

3RD ANNUAL MARSHWALK KINGSTALK Murrells Inlet, SC HQ: Lazy Sister Marina, 4123 US 17 Business Capt. Mtg.: Early Entry: Entry: First Place: Payout: Contact: Jared Floyd Ph: 843-995-7446 Email: jaredbfloyd@yahoo.com Web: www.marshwalkkingstalk.com

3rd ANNUAL KINGS FOR VETS Mt. Pleasant, SC HQ: 20 Patriots Point Rd. Capt. Mtg.: 7:30pm (One team member must attend) Early Entry: $270 Entry: $300 after 9/13 First Place: Payout: Contact: Todd Knight Ph: 843-412-9993 Email: info@kingsforvets.com Web: www.kingsforvets.com

DIV 4 | GA May 31-June 1, 2013

DIV 5 | North FL

DIV 6 | West FL April 12-13, 2013

19th ANNUAL SARASOTA SERTOMA KINGFISH TOURNAMENT Sarasota, FL HQ: Marina Jack, 2 Marina Plaza Capt. Mtg.: Friday, 7:00pm (Mandatory) Early Entry: $300 Entry: $350 after 4/8 First Place: $10,000 Payout: 10 places, all based on 100 boats Contact: Sandy Blowers Ph: 941-232-3474 Email: sandy@saramana.com Web: www.sertomakingfish.com

June 6-9, 2013

4th ANNUAL GATE JACKSONVILLE FISHING RODEO Jacksonville, FL HQ: Metropolitan Park Marina Capt. Mtg.: Thursday, June 6 at 7:30 (mandatory) Entry: $375 + Rodeo Ticket for everyone on boat. First Place: Payout: 18 species pay 3 places each Contact: SKA Ph: 904-819-0360 Email: sokingfish@fishska.com Web: www.jacksonvillerodeo.com

COASTAL EMPIRE KINGFISH CLASSIC Richmond Hill, GA HQ: 3203 Fort McAllister Road Capt. Mtg.: Early Entry: Entry: First Place: Payout: Contact: Kelley Clements Ph: 912-429-0988 Email: onthebrink2304@gmail.com Web: coastalempirekingfishclassic.com

Fernandina Beach, FL HQ: Fernandina Harbor, Foot of Centre Street Capt. Mtg.: Early Entry: Entry: First Place: Payout: Contact: FishNSFA Ph: Email: fishnsfa@bellsouth.net Web: www.fishnsfa.com/

August 9-10, 2013

CAPTAIN HAP’S KINGFISH BASH ON THE BLUFF Darien, GA HQ: Darien Waterfront Park Capt. Mtg.: Friday at 7:00pm Entry: $400 First Place: $15,000 (all prizes based on 70 paid entries) Payout: 10 places plus 5 places for small boat Contact: Howard Poe Ph: 912-577-0552 Email: comamy2000@yahoo.com Web: bashonthebluff.net

September 20-21, 2013

August 2-3, 2013

31st ANNUAL NSFA FISHING RODEO & KINGFISH TOURNAMENT

June 28-29, 2013

April 19-20, 2013

22ND ANNUAL SUNCOAST KINGFISH CLASSIC Treasure Island, FL HQ: Gator’s on the Pass, 12754 Kingfish Dr. Capt. Mtg.: Friday 7:00pm Early Entry: $300 Entry: $350 after 4/17 First Place: $10,000 Payout: 10 places, 3 places small boat (all prizes based on 100 entries) Contact: Misty Wells Ph: 970-708-7997 Email: misty@mistywells.com Web: http://suncoastkingfishclassic.com/

JACKSONVILLE SALTWATER CLASSIC Jacksonville, FL HQ: 9954 Heckscher Drive, Ft. George Island Marina Capt. Mtg.: Early Entry: Entry: First Place: Payout: Contact: Terry Adkins Ph: 800-546-4622 Email: terry@bluewaterpromo.com Web: www.saltwaterclassicseries.com

June 14-15, 2013

GOLDEN ISLES KINGFISH CLASSIC

July 12-14, 2013

St. Simons Island, GA HQ: Gascoigne Bluff Park, Arthur J. Moore Drive Capt. Mtg.: Early Entry: Entry: First Place: Payout: Contact: Amy Kidney Bullard Ph: 912-258-5999 Email: comamy2000@yahoo.com Web: www.goldenisleskingfishclassic.com

ANCIENT CITY GAMEFISH ASSOCIATION’S KINGFISH CHALLENGE Saint Augustine, FL HQ: Municipal Marina, 111 East Avenida Menendez Capt. Mtg.: Friday at 8pm Early Entry: $300 Entry: $350 after 3/31 First Place: $10,000 based on 100 boats Payout: Pays 10 places or 1 place for every 10 boats Contact: Mr. Matt Morse Ph: 904-940-7745 Email: m.morse.fpe@att.net Web: www.acgfa.com

www.FishSKA.com

May 2-4, 2013

NBOA GULF COAST OPEN Sarasota, FL HQ: Ramada Waterfront Hotel, 7150 N. Tamiami Trail Capt. Mtg.: Fri. 7pm (One team member must attend!) Early Entry: $350 Entry: $400 after 4/2 First Place: Payout: 1 place for every 10 paid entries Contact: Jennifer Walton Ph: 941-360-6888 Email: jwalton@nboat.com Web: http://www.gulfcoastopen.com/

May 17-18, 2013

FORT MYERS SALTWATER CLASSIC Ft. Myers, FL HQ: Nervous Nellie’s, 1131 First Street, Ft. Myers Bch. Capt. Mtg.: Friday 7pm Early Entry: Entry: First Place: Payout: Contact: Terry Adkins Ph: 800-546-4622 Email: terry@bluewaterpromo.com Web: www.bluewaterpromo.com 35

October 11-12, 2013

May 17-18, 2013

September 27-28, 2013

May 9-12, 2013

KING GATOR’S FALL KMT

FRANCES LANGFORD MEMORIAL FISHING TOURNAMENT

11th ANNUAL RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE KMT

MERCURY/SEAVEE POMPANO BEACH SALTWATER SHOOTOUT

Florida HQ: Capt. Mtg.: Early Entry: Entry: First Place: Payout: Contact: Sid Rice Ph: 717-267-2942 Email: kinggator@kinggator.com Web:

Jensen Beach, FL HQ: Jensen Beach Docks, 2000 Jensen Beach Blvd. Capt. Mtg.: Fri. 8pm at Mulligens Beach House Bar Entry: $200 Payout: Kingfish, Dolphin, Blackfin Tuna Contact: Ronald Rose Ph: 772-334-3444 Email: info@jensenbeach.biz Web: www.langfordska.com

Little River, SC HQ: Harbourgate Marina, 2120 Sea Mountain Hwy. Capt. Mtg.: Early Entry: Entry: First Place: Payout: Contact: John Gore, Jr. Ph: 843-602-3376 Email: rumblekmt@gmail.com Web: www.littleriverfishingclub.com

Pompano Beach, FL HQ: Pompano Beach Civic Center, 1801 NE 6th St. Capt. Mtg.: Thurs. 6-10pm (Food, bar, music, auction...) Early Entry: $397.50 Entry: $503.50 after 5/2 First Place: $7,500 guaranteed Payout: 15 places Contact: Jamie Bunn Ph: 954-725-4010 Email: jbunn@bluewatermovements.com Web: http://goo.gl/RAKfs

October 11-13, 2013

DIV 7 | Northern Gulf June 13-15, 2013

17th ANNUAL KAJUN SPORTSMAN KING CLASSIC Fourchon, LA HQ: Moran’s Marina Capt. Mtg.: Thursday 7:30pm Dinner at Moran’s Early Entry: Entry: First Place: Payout: Contact: Anthony Toups Ph: 985-696-9900 Mail: Kajun Sportsman, 180 Constantine Drive, Golden Meadow, LA 70357

July 18-23, 2013

80th ANNUAL ALABAMA DEEP SEA RODEO Dauphin Island, AL HQ: 531 LeMoyne Drive, Dauphin Island Capt. Mtg.: Thursday 5:00pm Entry: $200 per boat + $40 Rodeo ticket each crew Payout: Pays 3 places for each of 30 species + kings Contact: Ph: 251-471-0025 Email: genefox12@gmail.com Web: www.adsfr.com

August 2-4, 2013

WEST DELTA KINGFISH INVITATIONAL Venice, LA HQ: Venice Marina, 237 Sports Marina Road Capt. Mtg.: Friday 8pm Early Entry: $450 Entry: $500 after 7/1 First Place: $10,000 Payout: All based on 70 paid entries Contact: Mike & Bill Butler Ph: 504-433-6832 Email: ashley@venicemarina.com Web:

FORT PIERCE SALTWATER CLASSIC

Ocean Isle Beach, NC HQ: Ocean Isle Fishing Center, 65 Causeway Dr. Capt. Mtg.: Early Entry: Entry: First Place: Payout: Contact: Capt. Brant McMullan Ph: 910-575-3474 Email: captbrant@oifc.com Web: www.oifc.com

Ft. Pierce, FL HQ: Fort Pierce City Marina Capt. Mtg.: Early Entry: Entry: First Place: Payout: Contact: Terry Adkins Ph: 912-729-7216 Email: terry@bluewaterpromo.com Web: www.bluewaterpromo.com

DIV 10 | FL January 25-27, 2013

August 23-25, 2013

17th ANNUAL KEY WEST HARBOUR KMT

MILLIKEN’S REEF MAC ATTACK Cape Canaveral, FL HQ: Milliken’s Reef Restaurant, 683 Dave Nisbet Dr Capt. Mtg.: 7pm (One person from team must attend) Entry: $250 First Place: $10,000 Guaranteed (2 fish agg., 1 fish per day) Payout: Big Fish pays 2nd-5th (50 paid entries) Contact: Dave Heil Ph: 407-492-1991 Email: dheil331@gmail.com Web: www.millikensreeffishing.com

GREATER PALM BEACH OFFSHORE 440

FORT PIERCE SUMMER SLAM

Lake Park, FL HQ: The Lake Park Harbor Marina, 105 Lake Shore Dr. Capt. Mtg.: Friday 7:30pm Entry: $300 First Place: $5,000 Guaranteed Payout: 2nd-6th based on 60 paid entries. Small Boat, Wahoo, Dolphin Contact: SKA Ph: 904-819-0360 Email: sokingfish@fishska.com Web: www.pboffshore440.com

Ft. Pierce, FL HQ: Ft. Pierce City Marina Capt. Mtg.: Early Entry: Entry: First Place: Payout: Contact: Joy Yancy Ph: 772-201-6099 Email: Web:

August 23-24, 2013

DIV 9 | NC & SC JOLLY MON KING CLASSIC

Orange Beach, AL HQ: Sportsman Marina, 27844 Canal Road Capt. Mtg.: Early Entry: Entry: First Place: Payout: Contact: Anthony Toups Ph: 985-696-9900 Mail: Kajun Sportsman, 180 Constantine Drive, Golden Meadow, LA 70357

Ocean Isle Beach, NC HQ: Ocean Isle Fishing Center, 65 Causeway Dr Capt. Mtg.: Friday 7:15 pm (Dinner at 6:00) Early Entry: $215 Entry: $250 after 6/10 First Place: $8,500 Payout: Based on 225 paid entries. 3 places small boats. Lady, Jr., Sr. Contact: Capt. Brant McMullan Ph: 910-575-3474 Email: captbrant@oifc.com Web: www.oifc.com

July 12-13, 2013

MERCURY/SEAVEE POMPANO BEACH SALTWATER SLAM Pompano Beach, FL HQ: Pompano Beach Civic Center, 1801 NE 6th St. Capt. Mtg.: Thurs. 6pm (Food, bar, music, auction...) Early Entry: $397.50 Entry: $503.50 after 5/30 First Place: $7,500 guaranteed Payout: 15 places Contact: Jamie Bunn Ph: 954-725-4010 Email: jbunn@bluewatermovements.com Web: http://goo.gl/9v8o1

July 12-13, 2013

SAILFISH MARINA BIG DOG & FAT CAT KDW SHOOTOUT Lake Park, FL HQ: Sailfish Marina, 98 Lake Drive, Palm Beach Shores Capt. Mtg.: Friday 7:00pm Early Entry: Entry: First Place: $5,000 cash & $5,000 prizes to biggest KDW (Guaranteed) Contact: Bill Wummer Ph: 561-315-3722 Email: bwummer@bellsouth.net Web: http://www.bigdogfatcat.org/

NATIONALS November 7-10, 2013

2013 SKA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK Biloxi, MS Web: www.FishSKA.com

FOR SCHEDULE DETAILS GO TO www.FishSKA.com For the most up-to-date information, visit the SKA website at FishSKA.com often. Hover your cursor over TOURNAMENT TRAIL in the menu

EAST COAST GOT-EM-ON CLASSIC Carolina Beach, NC HQ: Carolina Beach Municipal Docks Capt. Mtg.: Friday 6:30 Party with the Imitations Early Entry: $250 Entry: $300 after 7/6 First Place: $25,000 Payout: All based on 200 paid Contact: Donna Gurgannus Ph: 910-470-1374 Email: classicfishboy@aol.com Web: www.gotemonliveclassic.com

DIV 8 | FL

August 30-31, 2013

April 5-6, 2013

BRUNSWICK ISLANDS SALTWATER CLASSIC

BIG BROTHERS/BIG SISTERS SPRING SHOOTOUT

Southport, NC HQ: South Harbor Village Marina, 4909 Fish Factory Rd SE Capt. Mtg.: Early Entry: Entry: First Place: Payout: Contact: Terry Adkins Ph: 800-546-4622 Email: terry@bluewaterpromo.com Web: www.bluewaterpromo.com

Ft. Pierce, FL HQ: Ft. Pierce Community Ctr, 600 N. Indian River Dr. Capt. Mtg.: 7:00pm (Dinner at 6:00) Entry: $250 First Place: $5,000 Guaranteed Payout: based on 75 entries Contact: Chris Blackwell Ph: 772-201-6622 Email: info@thekingofthesouth.com Web: http://www.thekingofthesouth.com/

June 6-9, 2013

June 14-16, 2013

September 6-7, 2013

3rd ANNUAL ORANGE BEACH KAJUN SPORTSMAN KING CLASSIC

Key West, FL HQ: Key West Harbour Capt. Mtg.: Friday 7pm Early Entry: $375 Entry: $425 after 1/12 First Place: 18’ Wellcraft Boat, Evinrude Outboard & Continental Trailer Payout: 8 places + small boat Contact: Lee Murray Ph: 305-296-0364 Email: Web: www.FishSKA.com

April 12-14, 2013

September 6-7, 2013

2nd ANNUAL PALACE HOTEL & CASINO / GORENFLO’S KMT Biloxi, MS HQ: Palace Casino Resort Marina , 154 Howard Ave. Capt. Mtg.: Early Entry: Entry: First Place: Payout: Contact: SKA Ph: 904-819-0360 Email: sokingfish@fishska.com Web: www.fishska.com/schedule/2013/7

FALL BRAWL KING CLASSIC

May 31- June 1, 2013

bar, mouse down to SCHEDULE and click once. The link defaults to Division 1, but on the right side of the page is a list of all Divisions. Click on the Division you want to view and the information will appear in the window. Here you will find all details provided to SKA by the tournament director. SKA seeks to include all pertinent information as provided by the tournament. If you have further questions, please contact the tournament director.

www.FishSKA.com

ANGLER | April 2013

All Events Take Place at the Newly Renovated Golden Nugget Hotel Casino

———————————— Local Sponsors ———————————— Convention & Visitors Bureau www.gulfcoast.org

April 2013 | ANGLER

www.FishSKA.com

This i Mississi i ippii Gulf lf Co Coas astt ev even entt is fun unde ded d in par artt by BP 37

Come Fish the 2013 SKA Professional Tour! The 2013 SKA Professional Kingfish Tour will include up to eight days of fishing in any events you choose. Stay at home and fish or travel if you like. We will count your best five-day finishes based on the new point system (see below) based on where you finish in a given event, not on fish weights! On one-day events, it is scored by where you finish in the overall standings. On a two-day event, each day is scored by where you finish each day. In addition, the final event is two days of fishing and will be the Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour Championship the week of the National Championship, the fifth and sixth of November. It will automatically be an either or event. Catch one fish on Tuesday and move to Wednesday for the second fish, or scale two fish on Tuesday and you’re done. Or you can catch and scale two fish on Wednesday. This will help with the expense part of fishing the event plus the National Championship on Friday and Saturday. The National Championship will also automatically use the same format for the same reason. (Weather could also dictate policy) By electing to fish the Pro Tour you are automatically qualified to fish the SKA Mercury Tournament Trail’s National Championship held in the same week. All captains and crew-members, however, must fish a minimum of three days (single or two day events) to be eligible. A $20 team registration form must be filled out prior to fishing (excludes Championship). That will register you for SKA Division points so you can still fish a Division, and if you win the Division, earn a free entry and lodging stipend to the Mercury Tournament Trail Championship. (See description under SKA rules.) SKA Professional Kingfish Tour entry fee will be $2,500 paid at the first tournament you declare or by April 1st, 2013. No extensions! This is the only entry money you will pay except the entry fees for the events you fish. To be a captain of a Pro team you must have been an SKA competition member for one of the past two years or have fished the Pro Tour in the past. All crewmembers must be Competition Members if fishing as a Pro boat and if any person found on the boat is not a member, points will not count. Payout is based on 100 Open Class teams and 20 Small Boat Class teams.

Let SKA Know You Intend to Fish the Pro Tour If you intend to fish the Pro Tour, we need to hear from you! Email Jack at sokingfish@fishska.com with your Boat Name and Captain’s Name today. Or, call Loreen at 904/819-0360. Entry fees are not due until you fish or by April 1st.

More Details at www.FishSKA.com/tour 38

www.FishSKA.com

ANGLER | April 2013

Come Fish the 2013 SKA Professional Tour! POINTS Total points from these events are broken down as follows:

fore your first event. Your size boat dictates where you will be placed for points. Two-day events team must declare the day and/or days fishing prior to captain’s meeting if one or both days will count. All Captains of Pro Teams must register for SKA membership Three-day events such as the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo for this year’s Tour as a Pro Tour Captain. Crew members must and the Jacksonville Fishing Rodeo, only day one and day two register for Competition Membership. At no time can any perwill count. (Friday and Saturday) Fish must be weighed on the son be on board a Pro Tour team without being a Competition day the fish is caught. If you declare two days, then break down Member of the SKA. on day one and can’t get repaired for day two you will be allowed to undeclare day two.

If there were more or less participants in both the Open Class or Small Boat Class payouts would be adjusted.

Either/Or day events such as the Jolly Mon, Fall Brawl & East Coast Got-Em-On, will be scored by the big fish of the event.

The SKA Professional Kingfish Tour Team of the Year will receive the large loving cup trophy for the Captain at the awards ceremony. Team members will all receive smaller cups after the event. All members of the team will go into the record books and get the recognition they deserve.

The Small Boat teams will have their own PKT class. If you want your points to go in the Open Class, you must declare this be-

2013 SKA Pro Tour • Pro Point scale based on finishing position in each declared tournament calculated from largest to smallest fish overall. Points are NOT based on fish weights.

events can count each day.

• To be considered a team member, each person on the team must fish at least • Pro Championship will count as each three declared tournament days. If a day tournament finish. This year the Pro local is used from outside your local DiChampionship will automatically be vision or residency and does not fish his an either / or event as will the National or her other two Pro days, points will be • Pro points will only be accumulated Championship. Higher point values will eliminated for that event. This enforces once the Pro entry fee has been rebe awarded in this event per the Pro the local knowledge issue. ceived by the SKA. No retroactive points Point Scale. (If a team elects to fish only will be awarded. one day and weighs two fish, your larg- • Each tournament director will file a est fish will determine where it will be document showing finishing order, ac• Pro points will be awarded per tournaplaced as the day it is weighed. If your cording to weight of fish, at the end of ment. Each day of fishing counts. One largest fish is caught on day one, then it each tournament day. day event counts as one day. Two-day will count on day one. If you weigh your • The Pro Tour will begin in January in fish on day two, then your largest fish the Key West Harbour / Murray Marine will count for day two.) event and end with the Championship

Contingencies for the Yamaha Pro Kingfish Tour Championship! Pro Kingfish Tour Team of the Year $5,000 Pro Kingfish Tour Championship $5,000

• Pro point scale awards higher point values to teams finishing in the top 10% of each category. • • Pro teams will be awarded 20 points minimum for each declared tournament or tournament day. • In the event of a tie in the Team of the Year point standings, the team placing the highest in the Pro Championship will move ahead. • Team of the Year points will be based on a team’s best 5 finishes of 8 declared days fishing plus their finish at the Pro Championship.

in Biloxi, Mississippi on November 4th thru 6th with the awards on the 7th. ALL PRO TEAMS FISHING THE TOUR MUST DECLARE AND PAY THEIR REGISTRATION FEE BY NO LATER THAN APRIL 1ST, 2013.

PROFESSIONAL KINGFISH K H 20 TOUR 13

CHAMPIONSHIP Biloxi, Mississippi

*Must be in a Yamaha powered boat and meet eligibility requirements. See official Rules for details. April 2013 | ANGLER

www.FishSKA.com

Rookie Team? N r a o f t i o y n d a a l e s ! R t e G ■ by Christine Rodenbaugh

or teams fishing the SKA Mercury Tournament Trail for the first time, the experience can be a bit intimidating. But remember, every team fishing the trail had a rookie year. It’s a time to learn and grow as fishermen and as a team. Set your sights high because in 2012, five rookie teams attended the Nationals! The season is just starting and qualifying for Nationals is yours for the taking.

Seek out resources. Go to the captain’s meetings and introduce yourself. Veterans may not share all of their secrets, but most will give you some tips and should also direct you to the SKA staff on site to make sure you fill out the proper paperwork for the tournament. The SKA Tournament Registration Form is a requirement at each and every tournament to ensure your points are properly credited. Be sure to check the respective boxes if you

n, Ryan 2012. Capt. Scott Smith, Kelly Fisher, Keith Loga Team Instigator made it to the Nationals in the 50-pound Club! Bright caught this great 53.71 on Day 1 to join 40

The Bonehead Team of Capt. Michael Scott , Jr., John Scott, Sr., Christopher Bass, Will Coley , and Rob Stryker qualified for the 2012 National Cham pionship in their rookie year.

have a lady, junior, or senior on board. Top finishers in these categories are recognized on three levels: tournament, divisional, and end-of-the-year. Another great resource is online at FishSKA.com. Past tournament articles from Angler magazine are online in the archives section. Look all the way to the right on the navigation bar and hover over “About.” Then scroll down to “Archives.” Choose a year to view—2012 is logical—and click. Access articles by clicking the “Mercury Tournament Trail” block where you can view all the articles from the year or click a division number to view only articles from the division you are fishing this year. If you want to see points from your division,

www.FishSKA.com

click the division number under the “Trail Points” header. To view articles on topics ranging from the history of kingfishing, to tournament tactics, sponsorship, and more, again hover over “About” on the main navigation bar and scroll down to “About King Mackerel.” Terry Lacoss has been writing for Angler magazine as well as several other fishing magazines for many years. He also wrote the only book on king mackerel fishing, “Mastering King Mackerel,” published by the SKA in 2009. You can view a few pages in the SKA online store, order a copy by calling the SKA office, or buy a copy from SKA staff on site at a tournament. In short, the SKA site is a virtual clearinghouse of ANGLER | April 2013

valuable information regarding all aspects of tournament fishing. Following are highlights from the rookie year of two teams that attended the 2012 SKA Mercury Tournament Trail National Championship in Biloxi.

TEAM BONEHEAD Team Bonehead started out the 2012 season as rookies with two team members who had never even fished a kingfish tournament. Nobody on the team had fished an SKA tournament. Their experience included just a few artificial reef tournaments out of Mexico Beach. With captain Michael Scott, Jr. at the helm of their 36’ Yamaha powered Contender, the team qualified for Nationals out of Division 4. Scott says, “The team Bonehead had a great time fishing the SKA trail last year and we are looking forward to this year getting under way.” Will Coley, John Scott, Rob Stryker, Christopher Bass, and Jacob Sapp make up the rest of the team. Scott decided to get a team together as a way to spend more time with his father. He had fish bass tournaments, but his dad prefers saltwater fishing. The team established two goals: 1. weigh a fish in every event entered and 2. qualify for Nationals. They weighed fish in three out of four events fished and brought a king to the docks both days of the Nationals. Mission accomplished! They attribute their success to a few teams that offered advice and pointed them in the right direction to find bait. “The other factor for our success is that we just went fishing and had some luck,” says Scott. While luck, good or bad, can always be a factor, history proves that most successful teams have worked hard, done their homework, and persevered. The team had never fished the Upper Gulf until they traveled to Biloxi for Nationals. They learned a lot and had a great time in the city and on the water, even though the runs are longer than they are used to off the Georgia coast. The team took advantage of the vendors on site in Kingfish City and chose Raymarine electronics upgrades based on interaction with the representative. Their goals remain the same for 2013 with the addition of seeking a tournament win. They finished just outside the money in a couple of 2012 events. Their strategy hasn’t changed much for 2013, but their equipment April 2013 | ANGLER

The Bonehead team qualified out of Georgia’s Division 4 and traveled to Nationals their rookie year.

certain has. “At the beginning of the 2012 season, we fished on a 26’ Sea Chaser,” relates Scott. “It is a great boat, but it is not built to compete on the SKA trail. We found out that we were at a big disadvantage fishing from this boat. By the end of the Division 4 tournaments, we were looking for a larger platform with more fuel than the Sea Chaser. I found a 36’ Contender in North Carolina in our price range. The first trip in our new boat was to Biloxi. We love this boat,” he concluded. Future goals on the SKA Mercury Tournament Trail for the Bonehead team include tournament wins, of course, continuing to qualify for Nationals annually, and picking up some sponsors to represent. Qualifying for Nationals in their rookie year was a good first step to achieving these goals and more. Keep an eye on this team; they’re focused and determined.

tory gave them the confidence to believe in their chance to qualify for Nationals in their 2012 rookie year. Smith says,”We worked hard as a team and felt very fortunate to be a part of the field in Biloxi. We have a talented group of guys on the boat and we all work well together. Our goal is to win every event we enter.” Like Bonehead, Team Instigator started the 2012 season in a 26’ center console. Since they were in a smaller, slower boat than much of the field, the team cites prepa-

ration as a key element to their success. Regardless of the size of your boat, preparation is always a requirement in competitive fishing. Smith credits his crew as well saying. “Capt. Keith has a great deal of experience and is a key reason that we have been successful. He’s the best fisherman I’ve ever been around. We always have a game plan and we all have our responsibilities on the boat whether it’s catching bait, rigging rigs, watching lines, fighting fish or skippering the boat… we know how to work with one another.” Teamwork is yet another trait of the most successful teams on the Trail. Preparation, teamwork, luck, and determination are all a part of winning tournaments and qualifying for Nationals. But Smith has another piece of advice for the rookie teams of 2013: “Have fun and enjoy yourselves!” Smith went on to say, “Time is limited when you’re tournament fishing, so always pre-fish and have a game plan going into each event. Give yourselves enough time before the tournament to prepare and create a strategy, and always be safe!”

TEAM INSTIGATOR Scott Smith of Charlotte, North Carolina, and his crew of Keith Logan, Kelly Fisher, Ryan Bright, and Scott Smith, Jr. are Team Instigator. Smith is a medical device sales manager by trade. Logan is a close friend and captain who owns Feedin Frenzy and North Myrtle Beach Charters out of Holden Beach and North Myrtle Beach respectively. Fisher is the guy every team appreciates; he can tie rigs with the best of them and likes putting engines back together. He’s director of recruiting at BDO. Smith’s brother-in-law, Ryan Bright, is a Texas businessman and an important part of the team. To ensure the future success of the team, Smith’s one-year-old son, Scott, Jr., rounds out the team. Team Instigator won the 2011 Fall Brawl, but they were not SKA members at the time. That vic-

Team Instigator finished 14th at the 2012 SKA Nationals wit h an 86.23 aggregate. The tea of Nor th Carolina’s Diviision 9. m qualified out What a great rookie year!

Michael Crosby 2012 Rookie Team of the Year: Nauti-Gale. Capt. Robert Beck, Robbie Beck, Ben Craft, and team. this for out eye an keep 2013, in rookies longer No Biloxi. in title the at took a shot

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Logan had fished an SKA National Championship before, but the rest of the team had no idea what to expect. “The atmosphere was electric from the moment we arrived at the Isle. The folks at the marina and ships store were very helpful and welcoming and made our experience very pleasant,” related Smith. “We really enjoyed our stay,” he said. Smith had never fished out of Biloxi and found the Upper Gulf fishery amazing. The team arrived early to pre-fish a few days and find bait. They ruled out several potential locations

before competition began and connected with fellow North Carolina teams to get tips on potential spots. Preparation paid off and big baits attracted a 53-pounder on the first day of Nationals. That fish put them on the board the first day and in the 2012 SKA 50-pound Club! Their 2013 strategy won’t change much, but the team continues to improve with experience. The fact that preparation and pre-fishing are paramount to success was reinforced last year and will be a hallmark of the team strategy in the upcoming The Shaken Knot Stirred/King’s Ransom team of Capt. James Bond, Jr., Timothy Hogan, Brennen DaSilva, Mark Herrmann, Chris Noble, and Austin Noble had a great rookie year.

The North Carolina team Hook Um Up made Nationals their rookie year and brought this nice 30-pounder to the scales in Biloxi. Capt. Russell Howard, Christopher Howard, Emmanuel Bryant, Judy Howard, Laura Mellor, and Kayla Howard make up the team.

season. Like the Bonehead team, Team Instigator also plans to move up to a bigger boat. In addition to the goals of being a contender in every event they fish, winning at least one event, and returning to Biloxi in November. Smith says, “It’s my goal to keep our sport healthy and prospering. I love our sport and this industry and look forward to many more years of fun!” That’s truly music to the ears of everyone who shares the passion of competitive king mackerel fishing. And it’s exactly the attitude

required of every SKA member as well as the staff.

As marine LED bulb replacements get brighter and more expensive, there may be one constant current circuit that drives a few LED dots, laid out in patterns that help radiate the light in the proper direction. So by now, you’re wondering why underwater LED lights are so bright. You can drive the LED to extreme brightness by overpowering it. Underwater lights are cooled by all the water around them and their life is shortened, too. Bright LED floodlights usually have aluminum cooling fins around the case. The shade of white from older LED bulbs is an unflattering blue hue, but improvements are being made in recent years. Marine LED bulbs are usually not marked for whiteness but you would prefer 3000 to 3500 degrees Kelvin if you want to copy the whiteness of incandescent bulbs. Brighter and less expensive LED bulbs will measure around 4000 or 4500 degrees. There is a lot of information on LED color shades in the household literature, and in the aisles of your local home improvement store. If you want to shop for LED

marine bulbs online, you can check Yachtlights.com or DRSA. com or a few others. For technical details, go to marinebeam. com or ask a boat builder. By the way, the third type of LED control circuit is called a Buck Converter (medium price). You probably will never see one unless you are a boat builder. Many inexpensive bulbs use a Linear Regulator which is a step up from a simple resistor next to the LED dot, but you will probably never see it mentioned in the product description on the Internet or in a marine store. For LED marine fixtures, of course you would go to your usual boating store. Hopefully you can understand the questions to ask now, and you will understand why it’s worth the price of good LED fixtures and bulbs. If you use the less-expensive LED fixtures, just keep an eye on the heat it puts out and install it properly. ■

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE It’s April. We have one tournament under our belts and 44 more opportunities to see you in the winner’s circle. Whether your team is fishing the trail for the first time or the twentyfirst time, each of you has what it takes to qualify the National Championship. Now get to work, get on the water, and we’ll see you in Biloxi! ■

Minetola cont. from pg. 34 things or burn them around the resistor. So, naturally somebody came up with little “constant current converter” circuits to provide a steady voltage and current to the LED. It costs more, and at the same time you would use an LED that was tested for precise current requirement. Then you can add a bit more cost to have a more pleasing white color rather than the cold blue of a cheap old LED, and now you have a good marine LED bulb. You now have a bulb that pays for itself with energy savings, won’t overheat and burn your boat, and lasts for longer than you will own the boat.

POLARITY An LED won’t give off light if you reverse the positive and negative connections. You can mis-wire an incandescent bulb and it will still light up. In low voltage lighting it doesn’t matter, although in high voltage wiring there are some minor safety reasons to use some care. If you are using the common, relatively inexpensive LED bulbs, make sure you test for polarity by turning the light on before 42

you reassemble the fixture covers. Many LED bulbs in 12 volt circuits have pins or bayonet bases that can be inserted either way. Although you have a 50% chance of getting it right, I seem to average out on the losing end of this gamble over time. I won’t report the average number of times that I forget to test polarity before re-assembly. You will notice that high-end LED bulbs also have a little circuit that allows for reversed polarity. While you’re looking closely, you’ll notice that the better LED bulbs can handle 12 or 24 volts. That’s an indicator of low running heat and the better circuitry that I am referring to in this article.

BRIGHTNESS AND COLOR One little LED won’t have the brightness of a halogen bulb, so a typical marine LED bulb replacement will have multiple LED dots in a cluster. The inexpensive clusters have a little resistor for each LED yellow dot because it’s cheaper to buy them that way from nearly any one of the 3000 LED manufacturers in China.

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John Minetola applies his knowledge of electrical and electronic engineering combined with 35 years of experience in the marine industry to write articles for Angler magazine January– June revealing the latest, innovative products available to sport fishermen. ANGLER | April 2013

April 2013 | ANGLER

www.FishSKA.com

)5$1&(6 /$1*)25' 0(025,$/ ),6+,1* 72851$0(17 1HZ /RFDWLRQ -HQVHQ %HDFK 'RFNV -HQVHQ %HDFK %RXOHYDUG ,QGLDQ 5LYHU 'ULYH Â&#x2DC;Â&#x2DC; 'RZQWRZQ -HQVHQ %HDFK )ORULGD

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ANGLER | April 2013

Beaufort, SC, Saturday, June 29TH

*SKA Off-Shore Tournament Family In-Shore Tournament See website for early registration discount, entry fees, info and applications: www.bftwaterfestival.com or Mike Sackman Mike@mikesackman.com *SKA membership not required for participation in either Tournament

April 2013 | ANGLER

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DIVISION 10

40,520

June 8, 2013 2013

Young Guns SKA Team Grabs Top Spot at the 2012 Slam

2012 Pu rse - 104,600 $

The best tournaments live here! www.bluewatermovements.com Like our page!

for info: 954.725.4010 | www.saltwaterslam.com 46

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ANGLER | April 2013

18 Species! Inshore

Redfish Speckled Trout Flounder Sheepshead Whiting Black Drum

Offshore

King Mackerel Barracuda Dolphin Cobia Menhaden Vermilion Snapper Mangrove Snapper Grouper

Fresh Water

Largemouth Bass Freshwater Catfish Bream Speckled Perch

Each Pays 3 Places! 1st - $1,000 2nd - $500 3rd - $200 Plus $250 Daily Big Fish Fri. & Sat.!

Everyone who weighs an eligible ﬁsh in the Rodeo has a chance to WIN a 21’ Contender Boat, Mercury Motor & Loadmaster Trailer OR a Pool valued at $20,000 OR a Yamaha Powered Gheenoe OR a Tripp Harrison Giclee! Some Restrictions Apply $45.00 + sales tax for General Tournament Entry

KINGFISH @79AFEJ $375*

April 2013 | ANGLER

Division 5 SKA Event On-site Registration at Metropolitan Park Marina (New Park Location) 1pm to 8pm on Thursday, June 6th You may also preregister at your local Gate Store or at Strike-Zone Tackle starting May 1st. All SKA Div 5 & Pro participants must enter the Kingfish Jackpot. For Rules & Information Call 904/819-0360 or go to www.JacksonvilleRodeo.com *Kingfish Jackpot Entry: $375 + sales tax. Everyone on vessel must also have a $45 (+ sales tax) Rodeo Ticket www.FishSKA.com

The S

1 a 9 t m h o t A r e nnua S a t l ar so

s Kingﬁ ou hT

rna m en

Division 6

t April 12-13, 1013

• Marina Jack • Sarasota, FL

Top Prize $10,000

Call Sandy Blowers 941-232-2474 or Email sanday@saramana.com

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ANGLER | April 2013

Members Helping Members Check out the products and services offered by these SKA members! If you need it, chances are one of your fellow members can provide it.

established

1991

North & South Carolina

LINWOOD CLARK MASONRY PO BOX 33341 RALEIGH NC 27636

BRAD CLARK 919-291-3466 or 150*26*43466

LINWOOD CLARK 919-291-3465 150*26*33465 linwoodclark@bellsouth.net

DONNIE BARNES 919-291-3685 or 150*26*33685 ANNETTE THOMAS 919-422-6904 Contact Donnie or Annette if we are fishing

910/579-0752

Upper Gulf 640 A.O. Rappelett Rd. Golden Meadow, LA 70357 Office Phone: (985)396-8557 Fax: (985) 396-8560 Restaurant (985)396-8552 Conv. Store (985)396-8550

Good Luck & Safe Fishing!

SYN-FAB INC.

marina X cabins X slips bar & grill X ice X live bait fuel X marine supplies 24 hr. security X tackle

VeniceMarina.com 504/534-9357 fax 504/534-9323 venicemarina@bellsouth.net SKA Members Only: To see your ad on this page call Bobby or Deona at 904/819.0360 April ANGLER 2013| |April ANGLER 2013

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49 49

Members Helping Members Check out the products and services offered by these SKA members! If you need it, chances are one of your fellow members can provide it.

established

1991

Florida

Clayton & Anne Kirby • Independent Distributor ID # 935876

Clayton 904-838-3230 • Anne 910-443-9064 claytonkirby@bellsouth.net • www.monavie.com www.monavieonthemove.com • www.brighart.com

mustard seed G

Christine Rodenbaugh chris@msg123.com www.msg123.com

KEY WEST WATERFRONT Homes— Featured Listing Beautiful Spacious 3BR/2.5BA in prestigious Key Haven. 2600 Sq. Ft. Boaters DREAM Quick boating access to the Gulf or Atlantic. Perfect vacation home or year round residence. For Beth Eliot, REALTOR® information 305-746-2525 about this beth@betheliot.com home or Key www.BEinKeyWest.com West waterfront properties call Beth today!

LO GO DESIGN WEB SITE DESIGN ADVERTISING DESIGN FULL COLOR PRINTING

www.liquiﬁx.com “The best marine lubricant I have used.” Captain Terry Lacoss/Amelia Angler

Go to www.msg123.com for SKA members-only pricing!

Laurie Crowley • (904) 219-4390 Dan Crowley • (904) 219-2739

Commercial & Residential Concrete & Block

CROWLEY’S CONCRETE, INC.

Construction Free Estimates

540 20 Mile Rd. Ponte Vedra, FL 32081

YOUR KINGFISH STORE This Space Available Call Bob at 904/819-0360

orkman, Jr... Call Dave W 1/4 Mile East of St. Johns Bluff • 11702 Beach Boulevard 904-641-2433 – Store Hours: Mon. – Fri. 9:00-7:00 – Sat. 9:00-5:00 – Sun. 11:00-4:00

Georgia Coastal Marine Center

Exclusive Dealer

n tructio s n o c d l sod • athletic ½e

po box 1912 tifton, ga 31794 tel 229-386-8061

Paul Massey pcmassey56@bellsouth.net fax 229-386-1207

, Your Leader in New & Pre-Owned Center Consoles. , CMC Financing ,

Capt. Howard Poe 121 Marina Dr. St. Simons Island, GA 31522 866-231-6767 toll free 912-268-6423 Off. 912-577-0552 Cell 912-268-4234 Fax coastaloutdoor1@comcast.net www.coastalmarinecenter.net

Custom Rigging Available • In-house Financing

SKA Members Only: To see your ad on this page call Bobby or Deona at 904/819.0360 50

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April 2013| |April ANGLER A NGLER 2013

Members Helping Members Check out the products and services offered by these SKA members! If you need it, chances are one of your fellow members can provide it.

established

1991

National

Can we build one for you?

10105 Cedar Run Tampa, Florida 33619 UESTION Phone: 813.689.3096 Fax: 813.654.3267 E-Mail: loadmastersales@verizon.net www.loadmastertrailer.com

Q Q

UALITY

Call for an appointment to Tune Up your trailer.

Without

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“Engineered, not just built.” MADE IN THE U.S.A.

Alden Thornton National Saltwater Sales Manager Fishing Team Manager

(252) 202-1818 AldenThornton18@gmail.com www.nor-techboats.com

2703 29th Avenue East Bradenton, FL 34208

(941) 748-2397 Fax (941) 747-2819 www.mycotrailers.com

Precision Crafted

Performance aluminum boat trailers engineered to protect your investment on the road and off—see the difference! Call Andy Dormois at 407-493-3404 or e-mail us at adormois@aol.com

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TKO’s NEW GRAND SLAM SERIES Special Offer for SKA Members. LURES START LURES FOR ALL PELAGICS! @ 24.95 Troll at any speed on surface or deep with optional $100, FREE strobe light activation for an amazing neon attraction, SHIPPING which is deadly to a predator fish! TKO Lures feature inlaid chrome front, keeled rattler head, brass noise weight. All lures produce high and low frequency sounds, have movable eyes, and are manufactured in the U.S.A. with the highest quality standards. Magnum Two Eye Series Since 1985 www.TKOlures.com 281-852-2330 or e-mail gccafreeport@aol.com

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51 51

2013 SKA

POINT STANDINGS Please note that tournament points are downloaded from the SKA database near the 10th of each month. For the latest point standings, go to the Southern Kingfish Association Web site at www.FishSKA.com, click Tournament Trail, then Points, then your division. PROMARINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38.38 YELLOWFIN / MERC/YAM KEVIN HANNON

NAUTI-GALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28.45 CONTENDER / YAMAHA ROBERT BECK

ANTHEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.02 INVINCIBLE / MERCURY HECTOR RIVERA

DIV 10 | Small Boats

thru Key West

UNDER ARMOUR / CALIENTE . . . 51.62 YELLOWFIN / MERCURY ARIK BERGERMAN

UNREEL FISHING TEAM . . . . . . . . 56.44 REGULATOR / YAMAHA STEVE SQUIRES

OIFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.36 YELLOWFIN / YAMAHA BRANT MCMULLAN

TRIPLE J . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36.96 YELLOWFIN / MERCURY PAUL MYERS, JR.

GETCHA SOME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28.20 CONTENDER / YAMAHA ROBBIE YANCY

ALL IN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.86 WELLCRAFT / EVINRUDE TERRY MCCRAY

LIL DEVIL.COM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54.46 SEA HUNTER / YAMAHA MICHAEL JACQUIN

X-TENDED PLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49.56 YELLOWFIN / MERCURY GLENN BAILEY

SEAFOOD KITCHEN . . . . . . . . . . . . 32.85 CONTENDER / YAMAHA RUSSELL STUART

THE LAW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26.47 FOUNTAIN / MERCURY JEFF DRAKE

SET 4 LIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18.44 CAPE HORN / YAMAHA LOUIS ARRAZOLA

PENNY-LESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53.29 CONTENDER / MERCURY MIKE WOOD

YOUNG GUNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47.09 FOUNTAIN / MERCURY LANCE IRVINE

LIQUID FIRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32.04 INTREPID / YAMAHA MARK HENDERSON

REEL ANARCHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26.43 CONTENDER / YAMAHA FLOYD MILLER

JUDY BEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.62 CONTENDER / YAMAHA PHILLIP BROCK

BANDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52.70 INVINCIBLE / SUZUKI RONALD MITCHELL

MILLER TYME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44.88 SEA HUNTER / YAMAHA DOUG MILLER

REEL NOLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32.03 SEA VEE / MERCURY CHRIS OSCEOLA

NATIVE PREMONITIONS . . . . . . . 26.26 CONTENDER / MERCURY LEON WILCOX

WEE DOGGIE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51.68 FOUNTAIN / YAMAHA JOEY CRISP

PROMARINE / KINGPIN . . . . . . . . 41.70 JUPITER / MERCURY CHAD HICKMAN

AUGGY ONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29.26 CONTENDER / MERCURY MARCUS DAVILA

REEL REBEL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25.39 CONTENDER / MERCURY DENNIS McLAUGHLIN

BADA BING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43.62 COMPETITION / MERCURY SAMMY PAPIA BRUTE DUSKY 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36.91 DUSKY / MERCURY DICK RUSSELL GATORFAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27.31 CONTENDER / YAMAHA DAVID ALBRITTON STILL KICKIN' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23.28 YELLOWFIN / MERCURY CHAD LAMMERT III J3 LATE START . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.18 YELLOWFIN / MERCURY JOHN JACKSON

LUNASEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38.74 CONTENDER / YAMAHA RICH SUJAT

SUNDANCE KID. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29.09 YELLOWFIN / MERCURY SCOTT LAMBETH

BOATSDIRECTUSA.COM . . . . . . . . 22.41 CONTENDER / YAMAHA ERIC NEIDORF

DIV 10 | 24' & over

thru Key West

Why Aren't The Points Posted On Monday Morning Right After The Tournament Is Over? All the paperwork and pictures from the tournaments are shipped overnight to the office on Monday by our field directors. This information doesn't arrive until late Tuesday morning. The membership director goes right to work. First, all new or renewal membership applications must be entered into the database. Next, all the points are entered. Then every name on the SKA Registration Form must be entered, sometimes two to three hundred. Also, there could be two, three, or even four events on any given weekend, adding to the workload. We have the staff to perform the task that has to be done, but it does take time. Thanks for your patience!

Support the RFA! Join Today! RFA MEMBERSHIP MAIL FORM Enclose a check or bank/postal money order payable to “The Recreational Fishing Alliance” for the amount of your membership donation and mail it to... Recreational Fishing Alliance Membership Attn: Toni Stefano PO Box 308 New Gretna, NJ 08224 NAME ______________________________________________________________ ADDRESS ____________________________________________________________ CITY _____________________________ STATE ______ ZIP CODE ______________ EMAIL ADDRESS ______________________________________________________ PHONE (Day) _________________________ (Eve) __________________________ Is this a renewal? ❑ Yes

❑ No

If yes, member #: _____________________

Please check the amount of the membership donation you are submitting: ❑ $35 - 1 Year National Membership ❑ $90 - 3 Year National Membership “X” here____ if you want to receive your free RFA “Making Waves” newsletter. If paying by credit card: (check one) ❑ Visa ❑ MC

❑ AmEx__

Exp. Date:_____/_____/_____

Card Number: ________________________________________________________ Signature: ___________________________________________________________ SKA Angler magazine

2013 PRO POINTS AS OF JAN 27 BANDIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .320 INVINCIBLE / SUZUKI RONALD MITCHELL PENNY-LESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .310 CONTENDER / MERCURY MIKE WOOD LIL DEVIL.COM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .310 SEA HUNTER / YAMAHA MICHAEL JACQUIN YOUNG GUNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210 FOUNTAIN / MERCURY LANCE IRVINE LUNASEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .170 CONTENDER / YAMAHA RICH SUJAT UNDER ARMOUR / CALIENTE . . . . .140 YELLOWFIN / MERCURY ARIK BERGERMAN OIFC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130 YELLOWFIN / YAMAHA BRANT MCMULLAN

www.FishSKA.com

REEL NOLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 SEA VEE / MERCURY CHRIS OSCEOLA MILLER TYME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 SEA HUNTER / YAMAHA DOUG MILLER BOATSDIRECTUSA.COM . . . . . . . . . . .40 CONTENDER / YAMAHA ERIC NEIDORF JUDY BEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 CONTENDER / YAMAHA PHILLIP BROCK LIQUID FIRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 INTREPID / YAMAHA MARK HENDERSON NATIVE PREMONITIONS . . . . . . . . . .40 CONTENDER / MERCURY LEON WILCOX PROMARINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 YELLOWFIN / MERC/YAM KEVIN HANNON

PROMARINE / KINGPIN . . . . . . . . . . .40 JUPITER / MERCURY CHAD HICKMAN THE REEL WON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 YELLOWFIN / YAMAHA ROBERT WOITHE, SR. MONSTER ENERGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 DEEP IMPACT / MERCURY JASON SOLANO SEAFOOD KITCHEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 CONTENDER / YAMAHA RUSSELL STUART SPICED RUM III. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 CONTENDER / YAMAHA WILLIAM WUMMER

ANGLER | April 2013

C Boats 24' & Over 2007 33t Contender. Boat in excellent shape. Always covered and stored inside. Loaded from Tailwalker Marine and located there also. 2x250 Yamahas 450 hours. Heavy duty magictilt trailer. Asking 119k. Contact Mark 704-363-4332 2005 Hyrda-Sports 33 vx (express) Power: 3 225 Yamaha four strokes with 800 hours, 5kW generator Electronics: Garmin 3210 gps/radar Furuno gp7000F sonar/ gps Sleeps 6, Bathroom, Microwave, refrigerator Asking $100,000 OBO Please contact Austin at 225-3249500 or ajoh133@lsu.edu 2006 31 Contender Open Twin 275 Verados, approximately 500 hours with new computers and superchargers. Brand New Garmin 740 with radar, Furuno 582L, Sony stereo with ipod insert, coffin box, gore leaning post livewell and t-top. Top gun outriggers 910-264-2010 dindav@atmc.net 2007 Angler 204 CC T-top, Garmin combo unit, VHF, radio and bases for Penn downriggers. life vessels/ throw cushion. 150 Yamaha with 224 hours. Well maintained, economical family boat. Comes w/magic tilt trailer. $21,000. 910-451-6271 or 252-728-6106 after 6pm 2010 Ameracat 31' center console, loaded 31' Ameracat, twin 250 Evinrudes, aluminum tri-axle trailer, 4212 Garmin, radar, auto pilot, full wrap (can be removed), T-top, 200 Hours. Demo at any time. 772-882-9186 $99,900 water ready.

April 2013 | ANGLER

Boats Under 24' 2007 Triton 220LTS Mercury Verado 225hp, low hours, T roof w/ 6 rodholders, 80# MinnKota troll w/ quick release, PowerPoleXL with remote, ICOM304 VHF, AM/FM/6CD Player, dual axel trailer. 910-581-1544

Marine Engines 2012 Yamaha Triple F300's with warranty through April 2016. Like new condition with 600 hours. Price $55,000. Please contact Mike Williams at 919-270-0111 or email mwilliams131@nc.rr.com YAMAHA F300S. Only 65 hours, 5 year warranty, just serviced and 100% ready to be installed on your boat. We can help with install or any additional accessories you need. $56,000 Call Steve 561-2526105 or email boatking@earthlink.net 3 2007 Mercury Optimax Stroker 300hp outboards. With upgraded Latham power steering system and all cables, swtiches, shifters, oil tanks and controls. 410,419 & 440 hrs. Serviced since new by Sea Marina. Richard 352-339-1606 2012 Mercury Pro XS 250 HP 20" 2012 Mercury Pro XS 250 HP 20" shaft, less than 200 hours excellent condition, $11,999. Two years remain on the three year warranty. Located on Amelia Island Florida. call Terry Lacoss 904-753-3776 Motor runs good 15oo hours putting a newer Verado on boat looking to sell.

it has been a great engine just time to go four stroke. It has a 17" mirage prop. Make an offer. Call Carl. 910-540-7119 2011 Yahmaha 350hp Four Stroke CLEARANCE SALE Under Warranty! PRICED TO SELL IMMEDIATELY!!! I am purchasing a new Yamaha 250 to reduce weight on the back end... 23K will negotiate. 910547-2523 Need Powerhead Yamaha OX66. Looking for a powerhead for a 250 hp Yamaha OX66 or full engine if priced right. Email or phone if you have one. Thanks. 919776-6142 275 mercury verado 25 and 30in High hours motor only $5,800 each call Mark 843-345-5290 2010 Mercury 300HP Verado Triple Set 2010 300HP Mercury Verados, Warrenty till May 2015, hrs~625, Call Gary 786-2823101 40k 2005 225 Hp Mercury Optimax --$3500.00 Please call 954-830-4049 Steve Twin 250 Yamaha 4-strokes Warranty thru Dec 2016. Current 65 hours. Command Link hookup. 25" shafts. $38,500 pr.Call Boyce at 910-443-3081 Wanted a pair of 3 200-275 outboards 4 stroke or direct injection. 250-748-3800 2007 Evinrude ETEC 225 HP. Little Over 400 Hours. Motor is in immaculate condition and still has warranty until May of 2012! Ashley $8,000 OBO. Cell: 305-8791911 or email: dezip123@aol.com!

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Verado or Optimax Engines. Brand New. All HP sizes available. Call Jamie at 954650-5982.

Miscellaneous 2012, Ameratrail, tri-axle trailer- 18,000 GVWR Trailer has electric brakes on all axles and is in immaculate condition, well kept and rinsed thoroughly. Asking $11,000 Call Brant McMullan 910-3672945 TOURNAMENT SCALE Measurement Systems Intl. crane scale Model #4300/5 Porta Weigh Plus 500 lb. capacity Excellent condition. $1800.00 OBO(941-270-2181) Nav Pod Model PP5156 Grand Prix Series with 20-40 swivel base. Pre-cut for Lowrance LCX-104C. Cut out dimension 10-1/2" wide x 7-1/2 high. New in the box $185.00 OBO(941-270-2181) Penn International II Gold Reels, Rods 4-30TW, 1-50TW,new 40 lb line from Strike Zone,all have 72" AFTCO bearing rods. $2,800.00 for all 5. Call Carl Titus@ 904-545-9004. NewMar NS-12-20 Start Guard brand new in box, never used. Protect your electronics from amp draw down during engine starting. Cost $249. Will sell for $169. Manufacturer warranty included. 732-899-9988 Six Penn x200 torque reels on Star med action rods. Great shape and sound great with that big king pulling drag. dnobles9@gmail.com 843-457-0060

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