Marlin March 2021

The worldwide fishing community reeled with several losses since our previous issue; among them, Capt. Chris Sheeder, who lost his fight with pancreatic cancer in early January. Chris was well-known not just for his fishing prowess, but also his likable, self-deprecating personality. While he had released over 25,000 billfish in a career that took him from Hawaii to Midway Island, the Canary Islands and eventually Central America, it was never about him; it was always about his team and his anglers. I first met Chris many years ago in Guatemala, shortly after Jim Turner opened Casa Vieja Lodge, and we immediately hit it off. Over drinks at the bar one night, he told the story of fishing off Midway with his younger brother, Mike, another notable captain in the Guatemala…

A SHARKY SITUATION I read with great interest the Opinion column in the February issue regarding the shark population and wanted to comment. Here on the southwest coast of Florida, we’ve hardly ever had an issue with sharks until recently. Over the past few years, we’ve been losing a few groupers and red snapper to sharks while bottomfishing, but on one overnight trip out to the Steps last summer, we had several yellowfin tuna get bitten as well. Some of these sharks were real giants too—7 to 10 feet. One of my crewmembers remarked that it would not be a good time to go for a swim. We were the only boat for miles and miles around, and yet the sharks found us. Or maybe they were with the tuna…

INVERTED Venezuela will always hold a special place in the hearts of those who were fortunate enough to fish there, including photographer Scott Kerrigan. “In 2007, Pat Healey invited me to shoot aboard Viking 68 with Capt. Mike Brady for the day,” he says. “This white went ballistic right behind the boat and nearly jumped in with us, but Brady powered ahead just as the fish flipped upside down. The light circle hook held just long enough.” LOCATION Kerrigan was fishing the famed La Guaira Bank. TECH SPECS CAMERA: Canon ID MKIII LENS: Canon EF 70-200mm 2.8L ISO: 320 APERTURE: f/13 SPEED: 1/1250 sec…

• Now in his 18th year with the International Game Fish Association, Jason Schratwieser is just the eighth president since the IGFA was founded in 1939. Prior to assuming the top leadership position in January 2020, he led the organization’s conservation efforts in a number of key areas and also had the opportunity to mentor under several past presidents, including Michael Leech, Rob Kramer and most recently, Nehl Horton. A passionate angler in his own right, Schratwieser is poised to lead the IGFA into a bright new era ahead. What are some of the most significant conservation challenges the offshore-fishing community faces these days? Billfish stocks are not managed well globally, and the majority are overfished and/or are experiencing overfishing, largely as a byproduct of commercial fishing efforts. We have…

• Now in its 84th year, West Palm Beach, Florida’s Silver Sailfish Derby is celebrated as the world’s oldest sailfish tournament. In keeping with those historic traditions, which includes the presentation of the Mrs. Henry R. Rea perpetual trophy—a magnificent silver sailfish sculpture awarded to the top individual angler, which dates back to the event’s origin in 1935—this year’s tournament was a mix of nostalgia and excitement as the participants eagerly awaited the first day of fishing. While early January can be a toss-up when it comes to the weather off Palm Beach, this year’s fleet of 47 boats was greeted on Day One by reasonably good conditions. The first release occurred just 14 minutes after the call for lines in echoed across the VHF radio: Ian Goldstein on the…

• The first leg of the 2021 Quest for the Crest Sailfish Series, produced by Bluewater Movements, was Operation Sailfish, which attracted 47 boats and was held out of Sailfish Marina on Singer Island, Florida. At stake this year was a cash purse of $533,000 and the champion’s engraved dog tags. Amid challenging conditions and tough fishing, the Showtime/Remix team clawed their way through the ranks to emerge as the event’s top boat, pocketing $67,500. The team released eight sailfish on time, five of which came from angler Frankie Villasante, who was also named the tournament’s top angler. Fielding a new Viking for this year’s tournament series, Capt. Trey Claus and Team HMY waged a back-and-forth battle with Showtime/Remix throughout the event but fell just short in the end to…