October was a unique period. The tenth month featured the tournament that never was and pretty good fishing. Outstanding wahoo fishing in Bimini arrived with the advent of autumn and as usual the vampires who pursued swordfish were successful. As the temperatures cool fishing should improve just in time for the beginning of the billfish season. As the ghosts and goblins fade away and the jack-o-lanterns melt down we can look forward to the first annual Kevin Llorente billfish tournament, red hot sail fishing and continued wahoo activity. The month of the turkey should give our local anglers lots to be thankful for.
The first annual Miami Marlin Tournament which started out with such high hopes never got off the round and died without even a whimper. When Jack Agramonte first came up with the idea of a marlin tournament off the South Florida area there seemed to be a groundswell of interest among local anglers. When the date was set many were anxious to sign up until it was noted the date clashed with the Columbus Day Regatta, a minor sailboat event with the world’s largest seagoing three day cocktail party attached. Unable to compete with an event featuring bikini lovelies and fueled by demon rum the tournament was put back two weeks but alas the momentum was lost and with time running out it was decided there were not enough contestants to make the event worthwhile. Jack Agramonte did his best to make this new tournament a success he even brought in Tony Albello, the Merlin of billfish tournaments, but it was not to be. Maybe next year. In the meantime in the American tradition we have to have some one to blame for this failure. I guess it would be safe to say this idea, like everything else, did not fly because Bill Clinton did it.
There was no shortage of marlin action in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. Harry Tellam of Key Biscayne fished on his brother in law Jim Lambert’s Merritt Boat Reel Tight and caught and released seventeen blue marlin, some in the 500 pound category. Sam Jennings not to be outdone released twenty five fish last month in the same venue. Veteran angler Sam was fishing from his Revenge with Captain Mike Lemon. Jennings, holder of the Bahamas blue marlin record’ is proving this year that fishing in St. Thomas is red hot all year long and not only on the August moon.
Alan Finneston jetted down to Venezuela to fish with Dr. Harry Shuffledbarger on the good doctor’s fishing machine the H.T. Hook. With Captain L.R. Hastings at the helm and capable Ronnie Reibe in the pit Alan caught and released eight blue marlin and ten whites in four days.
Captain Frank Godwin guided his boss Alan d Ollizara on night patrol when they captured a swordfish in the eighty pound range. They were fishing from Alan’s Ryko Sugar Baby.
Local chart boat captain Jose Alverez had a productive month. He guided Lazaro Hechevarria to a trophy wahoo off Bimini. Then later he took comely Venezuelan tourist Alexia Baaez for a day in the gulfstream and caught the young lady a “slammer” dolphin”. The lady was trolling a feather from a twenty pound spinning outfit. Captain Alverez will soon be offering three day charters in Bimini from his Seavee Ali Cat named after his teenage daughter “the Hindu”. Captain Alverez is highly regarded in Bimini and is known as America’s unofficial ambassador to the tiny island.
International Captain Peter Bristow sent Captain Bill Harrison this picture of a average wahoo caught in Madeira. Captain Peter also reported ‘the weather has been the pits with nothing under twenty knots for the past six weeks and that fishing was OK with an odd big fish out there.” Captain Peter will be in Miami for the big Miami International Boat Show.
AS I SAID LAST MONTH. Don’t forget the first annual Kevin Llorente Memorial Billfish Tournament this month from the 16th to the 19th at the Grove Harbor Marina. For information call 305 854 6444. This is he first year of long series of events honoring Captain Kevin who left us too soon but will be with us in spirit at his tournament.
Key Biscayne entrepreneur and philanthropist John Deaveny’s marine manager Whitney Reiter reminds us that the Jeb Bush Florida Classic Billfish Tournament will take place December 13th and 14th at the Pier 66 Marina in Fort Lauderdale. This event will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. For information call the C.F. Foundation’s Deborah Barnard at 954 739-5006. This could be an historic event, it might be Jeb’s first step to higher things and then on to Iowa and New Hampshire.
News from Crook and Crook: Julio Benitez is now officially Captain Julio Benitez. Julio just passed his captains test on the first try [not an easy task] Julio is now free lancing on the side running two boats in his spare time.
Head cashier Ruth Reyes daughter Natalie is being pursued by many talent agents. The seventeen year old singer is wowing all her listeners with her voice and original new sound.
Manager Jack Agramonte is taking a well deserved vacation to recharge his batteries. Jack is hunting with Ecuadorian hunting champion Luis Isias and the ever popular Captain Ricky Lindner in the wilds of South Carolina. The trio are hunting for deer, does and native fauna. It is rumored that Agramonte is toying with the idea of staging a halibut tournament off Miami. He figures just because no one has seen one does not mean they are not there.
News Flash – Joan Vernon reports that the only legal circle hooks for tournament use as of this moment are those made by Eagle Claw. Ms. Vernon is on most of the fishing and tournament boards and has been in the forefront of the adaptation of circle hooks in fishing tournaments.
That’s it for this month fans. As usual I close with the quote of the month;
Crook and Crook’s Sunday cashier, Mast Academy student the provocative Natalie H. was mentioning a special she had watched on television featuring white sharks. Crook’s jack of all trades, Fernando Vasquez told her “sharks are transitory “He might have added so is life, fame and N.F.L dominance.
Captain Frank Godwin guided his boss Alan d Ollizara on night patrol when they captured a swordfish in the eighty pound range. They were fishing from Alan’s Ryko Sugar Baby.
Local chart boat captain Jose Alverez had a productive month. He guided Lazaro Hechevarria to a trophy wahoo off Bimini. Then later he took comely Venezuelan tourist Alexia Baaez for a day in the gulfstream and caught the young lady a “slammer” dolphin”. The lady was trolling a feather from a twenty pound spinning outfit. Captain Alverez will soon be offering three day charters in Bimini from his Seavee Ali Cat named after his teenage daughter “the Hindu”. Captain Alverez is highly regarded in Bimini and is known as America’s unofficial ambassador to the tiny island.
International Captain Peter Bristow sent Captain Bill Harrison this picture of a average wahoo caught in Madeira. Captain Peter also reported ‘the weather has been the pits with nothing under twenty knots for the past six weeks and that fishing was OK with an odd big fish out there.” Captain Peter will be in Miami for the big Miami International Boat Show.