2014 Custom Shootout Tournament by Savvy Graphics Jackie Marsolais

Custom Shootout Tournament 2014

Rybovich • Jim Smith • F&S • Garlington • Jarrett Bay • Tribute Mark Willis • Bayliss • Whiticar • Richie Howell • Paul Mann Merritt • Release • Scarborough • Spencer • Freedom • American

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Letter from the Tournament Director

Dear Participants: One of the most important things we should remember are peoples names. Even the second best selling book, “How to win friends and influence people” by Dale Carnegie says so. One section is dedicated to, “Remember that a person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language”. I try my best to memorize everyone’s name… from the owners and their guests, to the Captains and the mates and even the employees of the resort. I do pretty well, but find as I get older I have a brain freeze once in while and just mess it up. So, please forgive me if I get it wrong or forget, but there is one name I will never forget and it motivates me every year to work hard at keeping this tournament special. Her name is Cheryl Roy. Cheryl was the heart and soul of the Custom Shootout. Steve and Cheryl Roy helped start this tournament, along with Harry & Cindy Schufflebarger in 2001. The first tournament was held in Chubb Cay in January to help raise money for the victims of the 911 terrorist attacks. They filled their boats with lots of donations - t-shirts, hats and silent auction items. The silent auction included artwork, fishing tackle, fishing trips - even a fighting chair! The kick-off party was full of many of the same people that fish the event today. All of the items were sold and by the end of the 13 boat tournament, they had raised $100,000. Helping them with the tournament taught me how to give back to the sport I love and at the same time, raise money for a few selected charities. Cheryl Roy passed away from breast cancer and each year since then we have donated the majority of the funds raised to breast cancer research. There are many charities that need money and have asked for money, but Steve told me that it has to be a “national” charity as our boat owners and sponsors are scattered across the USA. There are many great moments that I really enjoy throughout the tournament, but writing that check at the end of the year is the most rewarding. So I will always remember Cheryl’s name and her leadership. At the same time, I hope to meet many more of you and remember your name, too.

Thanks for letting me do this!

Capt.Skip Smith

4 | The Custom Shootout

The Custom Shootout | 5

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SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Tuesday, May 13th: 6 p.m. Pre-kickoff party! Dinner & Cocktails

Sponsors will be there to display their products.

Sponsored by Smith-Merritt Insurance

Friday, May 16th: 6 a.m.-7 a.m. Breakfast Sandwiches delivered 8 a.m.-4 p.m. 2nd Day of Fishing 4:30 p.m. Papa’s Pilar Rum punch dock greeting 7 p.m. Honor the Custom Boat Builders

Wednesday, May 14th: 3 p.m.-6 p.m. Registration and boat bag pick up 7 p.m. Kickoff Party! Dinner & Cocktails,

Saturday, May 17th: 6 a.m.-7 a.m. Breakfast Sandwiches delivered 8 a.m.-4 p.m. 3rd and last Day of Fishing 4:15 p.m. “Fastest Custom Boat Race” 7 p.m. Awards Dinner at the Boat Harbour Tent 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Silent Auction

Captain’s Meeting

7 p.m.-9 p.m. Silent Auction Thursday, May 15th: 6 a.m.-7 a.m. Breakfast Sandwiches delivered 8 a.m.-4 p.m. 1st Day of Fishing 4:30 p.m. Papa’s Pilar Rum Punch dock greeting 7 p.m. Grill Night! Bring your meat, fish, chicken, etc.

with Dinner & Cocktails

Sponsored by Travelers and Lucantha Marine Insurance

and our Chef will grill it for you. We will have side dishes available.

The Custom Shootout | 7

RULES & REGULATIONS Tournament Format: The Custom Shootout is an â&#x20AC;&#x153;Honor-Systemâ&#x20AC;? format governed by the rules set forth by the Tournament Committee. The format is intended to generate team strategy, sportsmanship, and fun for all. 1. Anglers: Up to 4 anglers permitted per boat. All anglers must be registered prior to the start of the Tournament.

7. NO WIRE LINES & NO ELECTRIC REELS (except kite & teaser reels). 8. Dead & Live Bait are permitted and you must use CIRCLE Hooks with all natural bait. 9. Maximum of 6 lines (with hooks) are permitted per boat at any one time.

2. No paid Captains or crew can be anglers. (paid within the past three years) 3. Fishing Days: Thursday-May 15th, FridayMay 16th, and Saturday-May 17th. All boats must register at marina on or before May 14th. 4. Fishing Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Boats may leave the marina at daylight. Boats must check in the marina each evening. Fishing hours per schedule at registration. 5. Fishing Boundaries : A 60 mile radius from Boat Harbour Marina. Use your GPS numbers at the dock to abide. 6. International Billfish Tournament guidelines apply. See enclosed documents. Maximum line to be used:130 lb.

10. RADIO PROCEDURES. All billfish must be called in to the committee boat upon hook-up and release (or loss of fish). VHF Channel TBA 11. We recommend you take Digital photos or video verification of each billfish released. The photos or video should clearly identify the species of the billfish, complete the official release documents, sign and turn them in to the tournament director at the end of each fishing day. 12. Protests: The Custom Shootout is an honor system tournament. Each boat is responsible for his/ her performance. Any person witnessing rule violations should enter a protest in writing to the Tournament Committee no later than 6 P.M. the day of the alleged violation. Tournament Committee decision shall be final.

SCORING Blue Marlin release = 400 points White Marlin = 150 points Spearfish = 150 points Sailfish Release = 50 points BONUS SCORING: "Shootout Grand Slam" (Blue, White, Sailfish, released during the 3 days of fishing) = 200 bonus points BONUS SCORING: "One Day Grand Slam" (Blue, White, Sailfish, released during one day of fishing) = 400 bonus points You can only get one Bonus per tournament!

8 | The Custom Shootout

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AWARDS & PRIZES Mfg Perpetual Trophy: Carey Chen Glass Sculpture (located at the IGFA) Courtesy of: The Tournament Top Boat: Kent Ulburg Sculpture, and Custom Money Clips from Vanmark Jewelry Courtesy of: Florida Detroit Diesel-Allison MTU 2nd Place Boat: Mike Hoffman Original Painting Courtesy of: Travelers Insurance Co. 3rd Place Boat: Matt Shunk Original Painting Courtesy of: HMY Yacht Sales Top Angler: Kent Ulburg Sculpture Courtesy of: Sunset Marina Top Lady Angler (Cheryl Roy Memorial): David Wirth Circle Hook Trophy Courtesy of: SATCOM Direct TOP TAG & RELEASE TEAM: Carey Chen giclees (3) Courtesy of: Dometic Top Captain & Crew: Carey Chen giclees (3) Courtesy of: Smith-Merritt Insurance "Fastest Boat" Award: Michael Hoffman Original Painting Courtesy of: Treasure Coast Propellers Largest Mahi-Mahi: Global Fish Mount Courtesy of: CAT Pantropic Largest Tuna: Global Fish Mount Courtesy of: CAT Gregory Poole Largest Wahoo: Global Fish Mount Courtesy of: CAT RingPower Custom shootout series: Kent Ulburg Sculpture Courtesy of: Lucantha Marine Insurance

custom shootout marine artists 2014 Matt Shunk 2012-2013 Carey Chen 2011 Guy Harvey 2010 Craig Smith 2008-2009 William Townsend 2004-2007 RJ Boyle 2002-2003 Brian Leidy The Custom Shootout | 11

PAST SHOOTOUT WINNERS 2013 Boat harbor, abaco, Bahamas • 1st Place: Reel Pushy • 2nd Place: Jichi • 3rd Place: Arc Strike • Top Angler: Wally Whitley • Manufacturer Award: Spencer • Fastest Boat: Ravaganza, Jarrett Bay 2012 Boat harbor, abaco, Bahamas 1st Place: Wave Paver • 2nd Place: Plane Simple • 3rd Place: Bear Trap • Top Angler: Jr Davis • Manufacturer Award: Garlington • Fastest Boat: Reel Joy, Revenge •

2011 Harbour Island, Bahamas 1st Place: Chasin • 2nd Place: Double Dog • 3rd Place: Ravaganza • Top Angler: Don McKinney • Manufacturer Award: Spencer • Fastest Boat: Reel Joy, Revenge •

2010 Harbour Island, Bahamas 1st Place: Sandman • 2nd Place: Brier Patch • 3rd Place: Svengali • Top Angler: Lester Petracca • Manufacturer Award: Spencer • Fastest Boat: Reel Joy, Revenge •

2009 Harbour Island, Bahamas 1st Place: HT Hook • 2nd Place: Owls Nest • 3rd Place: Sandman • Top Angler: Al Eldridge • Manufacturer Award: Tribute • Fastest Boat: Reel Joy, Revenge •

2008 Harbour Island, Bahamas 1st Place: Que Mas • 2nd Place: MIMI • 3rd Place: Reel Joy • Top Angler: Paul Spencer • Manufacturer Award: American • Fastest Boat: Mimi, Spencer •

2007 Harbour Island, Bahamas 1st Place: Alican • 2nd Place: Jack O’ Hearts • 3rd Place: Meant 2 Be • Top Angler: Scott Frohman • Manufacturer Award: Tribute • Fastest Boat: Jack O’ Hearts, Jim Smith •

2006 Harbour Island, Bahamas 1st Place: Wave Paver • 2nd Place: Cutnail • 3rd Place: Blank Check • Top Angler: JR Davis • Manufacturer Award: Garlington • Fastest Boat: Jack O’ Hearts, Jim Smith •

2005 Harbour Island, Bahamas 1st Place: Black Out • 2nd Place: NUCO2 • 3rd Place: Frantastic • Top Angler: Jim Black • Manufacturer Award: Merritt • Fastest Boat: Double Dog, Hines-Farley •

2004 Harbour Island, Bahamas 1st Place: Rosemary • 2nd Place: Miss Allied • 3rd Place: Double Dog • Top Angler: Terry Sherman • Manufacturer Award: Rybovich • Fastest Boat: Double Dog, Hines-Farley •

2003 Chub Cay, Bahamas 1st Place: Salem Wolf • 2nd Place: Miss Allied • 3rd Place: China Girl • Top Angler: Roger Hammond • Manufacturer Award: Rybovich • Fastest Boat: Double Dog, Hines-Farley •

2002 Chub Cay, Bahamas 1st Place: HT Hook • 2nd Place: Jack O Hearts • 3rd Place: ARC Strike • Top Angler: Harry Schufflebarger • Manufacturer Award: Tribute • Fastest Boat: Freedom, American •

CUSTOM SHOOTOUT STATS Top Builder • • • • • •

Tribute - 3 wins Spencer - 3 wins Rybovich - 2 wins Garlington - 2 wins Merritt - 1 win American - 1 win

Top Engine Mfg • Detroit/MTU - 6 wins • CAT - 6 wins Race from the edge • Revenge - 4 wins • Hines-Farley - 3 wins • Jim Smith - 2 wins • American - 1 win • Spencer - 1 win • Jarrett Bay - 1 win

2013 Custom Shootout Series WINNERS Congratulations to: 1st Place: Reel Pushy / Spencer 2nd Place: Wave Paver / Garlington 3rd Place: Plane Simple / Spencer Previous Winners: 2011: Ravaganza 2012: Coral C Th 2014 series consists of fishing at least 2 of 3 tournaments:

You must fish The Custom Shootout,then you have choice of: The Gold Cup,and only one of the following: (you must select one by July 10) Bermuda Big Game • White Marlin Open • USVI Boy Scout Tournament or The Mid-Atlantic $500,000. For more information, contact Skip Smith. Email Skip@SkipsTournaments.com

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14 | The Custom Shootout

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16 | The Custom Shootout

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pantropic.com Jeff Dana • 305-477-3329

smith-merritt.com Skip Smith • 954-784-1807

costadelmar.com Dave Bulthuis • 800-447-3700

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The Custom Shootout | 17

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Marking a Century of Boat Building and Innovation By Jan Fogt One hundred years is a long time – especially in the boat building business. Not Rybovich or Hatteras can make such a claim. Ten years after the first marinized diesel engine was introduced, Franklin LeRoy Merritt was learning his craft at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard as a carpenter in 1914, building ocean going merchant marine vessels Following World War I, he and his young family traveled to Florida aboard their live aboard 52-foot houseboat in search of work, which he eventually found on the Miami River at the new Merrill-Stephens Boat Yard. By 1929, he’d built his first boat, a 38-foot sportfisherman that his youngest son Allen won two Cat Cay Tuna Tournaments with in the 50s before the boat was sold to Walter Voss Sr. Few purpose-built sportfishing machines were built in the 1920s and 30s before Roy Merritt created his version of the ideal sportfisher. Back then most were reconfigured cruisers. With its huge cockpit Merritt’s Caliban was a true sportfisherman. By 1935 Merritt had a fleet of five offshore boats in charter off Fort Lauderdale in the winter and Freeport, Long Island, New York in the summer; a fishery Merritt helped to develop after catching the first giant bluefin tunas there in the early 1930s. Among the boats in his fleet was a 38-foot Matthews sedan cruiser he bought new and redesigned as fishing boat. “Dad rebuilt it for fishing, taking the trunk cabin off and raising the deck so it had more freeboard, which streamlined it. The boat looked so sharp that Matthews and other companies like Elco copied his design. That was the first raised deck sportfishing boat ever,” adds Capt. Allen Merritt, who a few years later began his own fishing career at its helm at age 14. Steaming seasonally between New York and Florida, Roy and Ennis Merritt raised two sons and three daughters. Franklin LeRoy (Buddy) Merritt was the oldest; Allen was the youngest. “We lived a vagabond lifestyle for almost 30 years

with my parents spending six months in Florida and six months in New York. The only thing that ever stopped them was World War II.” With no fuel available for recreational fishing, the Caliban fleet was dry docked during the war, he explained. Buddy enlisted in the Coast Guard; the rest of us got by commercial fishing for the war effort, he adds. In 1947, Allen’s parents made their final trip south after selling their charter business on Freeport’s Woodcleft Canal. While heading south to Fort Lauderdale that year on a surplus PT boat they bought for the move, they serendipitously stopped along an unspoiled section of the Intracoastal Waterway where Roy had spotted a for sale sign on a marshy 8-acre tract he eventually bought and turned into a boatyard. It took Merritt two years to clear and then dredge and fill the property that we know today as Merritt Boat and En-

gine Works at 2931 NE 16th Street on the Intracoastal Waterway in Pompano Beach. In those days the nearest place you could haul a boat was Fort Lauderdale or Palm Beach, Allen explained. “That’s why my father started the yard. With some two dozen boats at the Hillsboro Inlet Docks a half mile away, they were busy from day one, taking care not only of me and my

The Custom Shootout | 21

brother’s charter boats but headboats like the Helen S and Candie Kidd too.” Although Roy Merritt was a ship’s carpenter by trade, at the yard he rarely used those skills for anything other than remodels, of which there was more than enough to keep him busy. Truth be known, had it not been not been for a tenacious customer that kept after Roy to build him a boat, the Merritt boat building tradition might not have endured. Tuna fishing wunderkind Buddy Merritt is widely credited with originating the characteristic design and styling of Merritt boats, but his father was the one that laid up the 34-footer that started it all. It’s no secret the general concept of the carval planked Merritt sportfisherman was inspired by Rybovich and Son’s first boat, the Miss Chevy II launched in 1947. Like the Rybovich, it was a day boat built

22 | The Custom Shootout

for a Fort Lauderdale land developer who, unable to afford a Rybovich, approached Merritt about the project. Built at a cost of $16,000, the man called it Miss BelAir for one of his subdivisions. While the fly bridge, console and deckhouse were copied from Rybovich the boat had its own styling thanks to input from Lee Woolard, a boat designer and builder they hired that previously had worked at Norseman. Instead of Rybovich’s broken sheer, it had a straight sheerline that 60 years later remains a timeless Merritt trademark. This was the boat Buddy Merritt started learning his craft on. As the story goes, halfway through its building his father appealed to his sons to help him and wife out in the yard, which had grown so fast so quick, neither could handle the work load. Allen by then was on full salary with Bill Carpenter and chartering as well and declined the offer but Buddy

agreed to give up his business to work at the yard if they would allow him to build boats and not have to oversee the service business. Buddy you see never enjoyed the people part of charter fishing as much as his loquacious younger brother. Unlike Allen, who admits to possessing minimal mechanical skills, he took after his “McGiver” father in that regard. An innovator in his own right, Buddy Merritt not John Rybovich was the first to use an elevated platform for spotting and baiting giant tunas off Bimini and Cat Cay. Buddy reinvented tuna fishing when he showed up at Bimini in 1950 on a boat with a 20-foot mast with footholds and a crossbar that he could sit or stand on. After determining its effectiveness, the next season he added steering and throttles via a large single pulley with an endless rope connected to the steering wheel on the bridge so he could maneuver the boat on fish. That changed everything, said Allen. “Everyone else was crawling up their outriggers like monkeys trying to get high enough to spot tuna schools while Buddy just sat there and steered his boat onto the fish.” Allen says his brother was always good at figuring out how to trick fish. “I profited from his experiments and knowledge,” says the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame Captain (along with his brother) who won an unprecedented eight Cat Cay Tuna Tournaments in the 50s and 60s. “Rybovich just took the concept to the next level with the 1953 Miss Chevy II and its all aluminum tuna tower,” explained Allen. The brother’s reign over the Cat Cay Tuna Tournament spanned some two decades with Allen Merritt and angler Bill Carpenter dominating first place and Buddy usually winning second or third, although he did win it once. During one of Allen’s many back to back wins, John Rybovich Jr., the master of ceremonies, paid them the ultimate compliment. “Ladies and gentlemen,

much as I hate to admit it, these Merritt boats have got this tournament sewed up.” Much like Apple’s dominance of the smart phone market, Buddy Merritt’s 37 foot sportfisherman was and still is widely regarded as the finest boat ever built for taking giant tuna over the Bahama Banks. A quote by Capt. Gary Stuve who was schooled in the art of tuna fishing by Buddy, says it all. “A 37-foot Merritt will turn on a dime and give you a five cents change. It’s the difference between driving a NASCAR vehicle on a fast track and a truck in the mud. No comparison.” Buddy’s idea was to build a boat ideally suited to the demands of giant tuna fishing. Compared to a Rybovich it had an unbroken sheer which many thought was ultramodern for the times and a much larger cockpit and flybridge. The biggest differences however lay below the waterline. Though somewhat rough riding in a headsea because of its deep entry and flatter aft sections, which Allen explains as more a function of the boat’s size than a design defect, it was the fastest and most maneuverable in the fleet. Key to presenting baits to wary tuna, the boat produced minimal wake at speed. Hull design along with the mechanical rack and pinion steering systems developed by Merritt machinest Carl Feddern is what gave the boat its sportscar handling. Buddy Merritt was responsible for 18 of the now 103 boats by Merritt Boat and Engine Works over the past 100 years. Buddy actually built 13 37s prior to his death from Lou Gehrig’s disease in 1971. Under Buddy’s direction, few compromises were ever allowed during construction. In the interest of keeping them light and fast, the boats were spartan. No air conditioning, no plush salon or galley and no

generators for living aboard. Creature comforts consisted of two simple crew’s bunks, a day head and cushions on the engine boxes. “That was the first good tuna fishing boat,” said veteran captain Clay Kyle. “It was long and narrow with hard chines and nothing but two engines and a chair so it ran like hell.” When Buddy liked something, he stuck with it, said Roy Merritt, Allen’s son and the company’s boat builder and CEO. “Buddy really liked the 37 to the point of almost saying no to Fletch Creamer and his captain when they asked him in 1964 to build them something bigger for traveling and living aboard.” The yard’s boat builder at the time was Len Broadhurst, designer/builder of Elwood Harry’s Dreamgirl run by Capt. Walter Voss. Dreamgirl was recognized as one of the best seaboats around so when Broadhurst offered the use of his plans for the 42-footer Buddy agreed to build the Hopalong. At the time, it was the biggest boat Merritt ever built. “She was a nimble 32-knot fishing machine,” said Capt. Bart Miller, who later purchased the boat and

shipped to Kona where as Black Bart it caught a 1,656-pound Pacific blue marlin. Although it ran great, the boat was not the prettiest Merritt, said Roy. “Buddy thought the house was too big for the hull. The owner however had wanted as much house as possible so we built what Creamer wanted but never again,” said Roy, who by this time, was working full time at the yard after graduating from high school. By 1957 Allen was managing service at the yard full time. With no charter boat at his disposal he and Roy would go snapper fishing weekends and nights after work on the yard’s work boat. One night they started talking about buying a hull and finishing it themselves as a personal fishing boat. “Dad was interested in buying a 42-foot commercial lobster hull until Len Broadhurst talked him out of it. Len didn’t think it was well suited to fishing at anchor because it had a round bottom and suggested we take the plans for the Hopalong and finesse them,” said Roy. Over the next two and a half years the 23-year-old with his father and Broadhurst worked on the boat building project three nights a week and Saturdays. “I had a hand in every aspect of its construction from planning and design to personally cutting every piece of framing and wood that went into it,” he said. “That was an invaluable experience for a future boat builder,” said Roy. As for the boat’s lines that ended up being a bit of luck, he (CONTINUED ON PAGE 29)

The Custom Shootout | 23

The Custom Shootout | 25

What is the IGMR? The IGFA Great Marlin Race (IGMR) is a partnership between IGFA and Stanford Univer‐ sity that pairs recreational anglers with cutting‐ edge science to learn more about the basic biology of marlin and how they utilize the open ocean habitat. The goal of the program is to de‐ ploy 50 pop‐up satellite archival tags (PSATs) each year in marlin at billfish tournaments around the world each year. This effort is im‐ proving our understanding of distribution, pop‐ ulation structure and biology of marlin while engaging anglers and the general public in the research process. By learning how these ani‐ mals use the pelagic ecosystem, we are provid‐ ing valuable information to the resource This map illustrates marlin races that are currently ongoing, planned managers and policy makers responsible for or have finished. IGMR has a goal of deploying at least 50 tags each ensuring their long‐term conservation. Tag year on marlin around the world. data reporting from several ocean basins si‐ multaneously gives us better understanding of billfish migratory behaviors to identify oceanographic features which shape the connectivity of populations across the globe. This information will be freely accessed by scientists and managers around the world to better protect billfish.

How does it work? The concept behind the IGMR is simple. Before, during and after fishing tournaments, angling teams are invited to sponsor PSATs, at the price of $4,500 each, to be deployed on fish caught and released during the event. One hun‐ dred and twenty days after each tag is deployed, it automati‐ cally releases itself from the Pop‐up Satellite Archival Tags fish and transmits informa‐ (PSATs) are at liberty for 180 days. tion to earth‐orbiting They report to the ARGOS satellite which transmit data to scientists at ARGOS satellites. The tag that Stanford University. surfaces furthest from its deployment site wins the race for that tournament. In ad‐ dition, many tournaments provide incentives for the individual or team The overall winner of the IGMR will whose marlin travels the farthest, like free entry for next year’s tournament. The be recognized at the annual IGFA overall winner of the IGFA Great Marlin Race – the sponsor of the marlin whose International Auction & Banquet. tag travels the furthest of all in a given year – will be recognized at the annual IGFA International Auction & Banquet in January.

Can I see the data? Tag sponsors, anglers and the general public can view the fish tracks of tagged marlin on the IGMR website (http://igmr.igfa.org/) through Google Earth‐enabled map. In addition, all tag data such as the fish’s path, depth profiles, and sea temperatures are freely avail‐ able to scientists and fisheries managers via an open access data sharing system.

Blue marlin tracks from the Puerto Rico IGFA Great Marlin Race can be viewed online at http://igmr.igfa.org/

What do the data tell us? The data generated from each tag includes time, date, water temperature, latitude and longitude, and pressure, from which scientists calculate depth. From each tag, scientists can generate figures showing the tracks of each fish (Figure 1), the proportion of time it spends at a certain temperature or depth (Figure 2) and certain environmental preferences and interesting observations in fish behavior (like diving behavior). For example, Figure 3 shows the tagged fish tagged a very deep dive well below the thermocline into waters less than 15oC. Data like these identify patterns in habitat use and allow scientists to draw conclusions about why marlin behave in a certain manner.

Figure 1. The tracks of blue marlin tagged off of Puerto Rico.

Figure 2. This figure shows the depths at which the marlin spent its time.

Figure 3. This fish made remarkable dives down to an incredible 600 m where the water was a frigid 6oC.

Want to hold an IGMR event or sponsor a tag? IGMR events require sufficient angler participation and fishing opportunities so that 10 PSATs can be successfully sponsored and deployed during/around the tourna‐ ment/event. If you are interested in hosting an IGMR event, contact IGFA Conservation Director Jason Schratwieser at jschratwieser@igfa.org

The International Game Fish Association is a not-for-profit organization committed to the conservation of game fish and the promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule making and record keeping.

Email: hq@igfa.org • Website: www.igfa.org

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23) adds. “I modified the cabin patterns from the Hopalong, streamlining them for a more pleasing appearance.” During the building process Buddy would often check on their progress and even lent a hand helping plank the boat. But it wasn’t until it was launched in 1968 and Buddy saw the boat running he decided he wouldn’t mind having one for himself. By this time, he’d been diagnosed with incurable ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. The yard worked overtime to complete Buddy’s 42-footer for him to take it to Newfoundland in the summer of 1969 for giant tuna fishing. During the trip anglers Elwood Harry, George Matthews and Gil Keech along with Buddy and his sons Richard and Stephen and mates Gary Stuve and Charlie Hayden caught 16 giants in a day, setting a record that stood for more than 30 years. Buddy died two years later in 1971 passing the baton to his 29-year-old nephew who has successfully steered the company through economic recessions and downturns and good times as well. Quiet and unassuming, Roy worked in his uncle’s shadow the first few years, yet the 42 which was stretched to 43-feet in 1975 with a even more streamlined deckhouse as Jo Jo Del Guercio’s No Problem was very much his own invention as are the 11 models to 86-feet launched since. Considered by fellow boat builders such as Pat Healey of Viking Yachts, to be one of if not the top custom boat builder in the country, Roy Merritt has made his own contributions to the sport and to the comfort of big game fishers, designing and building the first hardback fiberglass bucket harness for clients in the 1970s after one complained about ropes eating into his hips. “The guy said, can’t we do something to make it stiffer? I suggested we build it from fiberglass and after making a prototype in our shop we upholstered it and took it for test run. It worked great. After that we turned the manufacturing over to Capt. Fred Stone to build them for us. Not long after, everyone started copying the idea.” Merritt Boat and Engine Works

built the world’s first rocket launcher and was responsible for the modern day mezzanine found on virtually every custom sportfishing boat. Hearing John Fossil’s complaints of discomfort from sitting on hard tackle lockers while fishing in cold weather and rough seas off Florida, Roy took a napkin and sketched a lounge with seating and an oversized hardtop with built in heating and cooling for the 70-footer he was building for Fossil. With encouragement from mentors such as the late Jim Smith, Roy Merritt was part the vanguard from traditional plank on frame to cold molded construction, fiberglass and then in 1979 composite glass and core construction techniques that he first used to build the foredecks and cabin sides of the 46 with. Today the majority of any Merritt boat is composite construction. With weight to strength ratios and longevity in mind the vast majority of the yard’s new 86-foot sportfishing yachts are built with carbon fiber material and epoxies. Arguably more of a yacht than a pure fishing machine, the 86-footer is surprisingly nimble for its size, says Roy, which has caught the attention of captains and the boating press. Thanks to construction techniques, weights were well managed which led to fuel efficiency and top end performance of 38 knots, he said. The future of Merritt Boat and Engine Works belongs to the next generation, said Roy, who feels with his son Roy Merritt Jr. heading up the composite and infusion processes and taking a serious interest in design, is well in hand. “The first thing we explain to people when they come here to buy a boat is you might be thinking you are buying it but the boat really is on loan. The way we work here is cradle to grave. We design and build the boats, insure and service them and when it comes time to sell them we find good owners to take care of them. That’s why we build them to last. Thankfully it’s been a business plan that will help us stay in business forever.

The Custom Shootout | 29

2014 BOAT LIST Thanks to everyone fishing! BOAT NAME

MFR

OWNER

CAPTAIN

BOAT NAME

MFR

OWNER

CAPTAIN

Arc Strike

Mark Willis

Frank Novak

Mark McCarthy

Mimi

Spencer

Trey Irvine

Curtis Josey

Base Camp

Paul Mann

Gary Hendry

Elliot Cline

My Love

Merritt

Mike Bozzuto

Billy Elliott

Bear Trap

Spencer

John Stout

Ed Dwyer

My Lynn

Merritt

Bob Snyder

Kevin Scheffler

Big Dog

Mark Willis

Enriqui Tomeu

Mark Pagano

Never Enough

Whiticar

Walter Shikany

Trevor Cockle

Black Out

Mark Willis

James Black

Jose Montero

Never Say Never

Merritt

Jim Carr

Eddie Herbert

Blank Check

Jarrett Bay

Dan Doyle, Jr.

Danny Hearns

No Quarter Taylor Made

Michael Peet

Butch Davis

Bree

Merritt

Randy Ringhaver

Kyle Liane

Orion

Bayliss

Sean Healey

Justin Hudgens

C’est La Vie

American

Dino Chuest

Albert Miller

Plane Simple

Spencer

Jim Jensen

Jimmy Werling

Chasin

Spencer

Smyth McKissick

Bennett Griffin

Que Mas

American

Wally Whitley

Travis Butters

Chasin Tail

Spencer

James Takats

Donald Jonas

Reel Janie

Merritt

Allan Jones

Jeff Pezone

Coral C

Rybovich

Chris Berian

Ben Brownlee

Reel Lax

Garlington

Lester Petracca

James Barnes

Dream Time

Bayliss

Donald Adam

Rob Mahoney

Reel Pushy

Spencer

Robert Baker

Chris Workmon

Escapade

Weaver

Gregg Sage

Jeff Smith

Rose

Rybovich

Jay Hayden

Steve Futch

Gina Lisa

Jim Smith

Gina Addeo

Danny Scotti

Ryt Sea

Spencer

Glen Hasse

Robby Lawson

Give It Away

Dixon

John Aramedia

Brad Durkin

Skin Deep

Scarborough

Chris Haley

Destin Williams

Hit & Run

F&S

Byron Russell

Cory Gillespe

Soul Candy

Paul Mann

Todd Reaves

Jeremiah Nachtigal

Horse Play

Caison

Ryan Keany

Sweet Thing

Merritt

Keith Beaty

Michael Murray

In Flight

Merritt

Benny Klepach

Rob Anglin

Tenacious

Freedom

Kasey Swan

Danny Ford

Jaruco

Garlington

Ralph De la Torre

Tyler Andresen

Texas Tea

Spencer

Michael Savino

Pat Brogan

Jichi

Paul Mann

Luis Isaias

Gene Lebron

The Boomer

Whiticar

Bill Gardner

Scott Mantz

Layla

Jim Smith

Jim Derrick

Chip Soulek

Tru Blue

Spencer

Jerry Miller

Sean O’Neill

Lights Out

Bayliss

Bill Haugland

Chester Sims

Two Cats

Spencer

Doug Fabick

Stetson Turney

Lisa K

Paul Mann

Ernest Audet

Mike Deighan

Uno Mas

Bayliss

Brooks Smith

Sean Gallagher

Man e War

Bayliss

Jose Smith

Craig Baldwin

Wave Paver

Garlington

Jr Davis

Russell Sinclair

Marlin Darlin

Spencer

Bobby Jacobsen

Ed Wheeler

Wish List

Mark Willis

John Wolf

JP Wolf

BUILDERS ATTENDING American, Dominick LaCombe • Bayliss, John Bayliss • Garlington, Mary Jordan Jarrett Bay, Randy Ramsey • Jim Smith, John Vance • Mark Willis, Mark Willis • Merritt, Roy Merritt Paul Mann, Paul Mann • Release, Jim Turner • Rybovich, Mike Rybovich Spencer, Paul Spencer • Tribute, Rich Scheffer • Whiticar, John Whiticar 30 | The Custom Shootout

passionate about fishing since 1983.

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