Bahamas Wahoo Championship Newsletter 2000-2001

Twenty-six boats arrived in Bimini ready to hunt for wahoo expecting typical mid-November weather. Much to the surprise of every one, Mother Nature really cooperated with calm seas, sunny skies, and picture-perfect evenings. The wahoo also showed up on time for their major run in Bimini waters. Raul Miranda, Tournament Director at the Bimini Big Game Fishing Club, surveyed the field of entries and commented on the quality of the participants. "We have the finest group of wahoo fishermen in the world participating in this event supported by the best captains and crews."

Twenty-five of the twenty-six boats lined-up for the traditional Bimini Start on the first day of fishing under a new tournament format which allowed the team to pick their own lay day and fish three out of four days. Boats had to be past the ‘Terminator Line' by 5 P. M. to qualify for the day's fishing. The weigh-in of the first day was highlighted by very large wahoo, including an 80 pounder caught aboard Jugete out of Miami, Florida by Homero Meruelo. Jim Montgomery, Sorry Dear out of Vero Beach, Florida, weighed in a total of wahoo of 203 pounds and was able to take the lead of the first day over the defending champion, Duane Gossett aboard the Double Eagle who brought four wahoo to the scale including a 74.5 pound and a 52 pound wahoo for a total of 175.5 pounds. Overall, a total of 40 fish were weighed in for a total of 1046.5 pounds.

Another gorgeous day greeted the twenty-one boats who chose to fish that day. Once again, the crew of the Sorry Dear was able to bring 9 fish to the scale for a total of 247 pounds, thus continuing their lead. The heaviest wahoo was a 74 pound fish caught by Frank Gruber from Atlanta, Georgia on My Buddy. A total of 54 fish were weighed in for a total of 1543 pounds.

Sixteen boats answered the call for the third day of fishing while ten boats elected to take their lay day. Under absolute perfect weather conditions, Sorry Dear weighed in 333 pounds of wahoo giving them a new tournament record of 773 pounds for the three days of fishing. Carlos Sanchez of Deerfield Beach, Florida on Abbey Road managed to edge out Cutting Edge for second place, 171.5 pounds to 170 pounds.

On the fourth and final day of fishing eleven eligible boats lined up for the Bimini start and this would prove to be one of the closest days of the competition. The Reel Accurate, with Harvey Smades of Plantation, Florida, won the day weighing in 174 pounds of wahoo. Right behind his team, for second place, Marujita out of Miami, Florida weighed-in 172 pounds, just two pounds short of Reel Accurate. Bahamas Wahoo Championship defending champion, Double Eagle of Fort Pierce, Florida, also had a nice day with a total of 157.5 pounds.

After four days of fishing, of which boats could only fish three days, Sorry Dear was the clear winner with 783 points, setting a new record for any three day tournament held by the Bahamas Wahoo Championship. Second place went to one of the international teams fishing the competition, that from Trinidad and Tabago, which had chartered the Cutting Edge, based in Miami, Florida, and accumulated 371 points. Third place went to defending champions, Duane Gossett's team aboard the Double Eagle.

The Wahoo Tournament in Bimini was held "In Memorium of veteran Bimini charter boat Captain Bob Smith, a pioneer of wahoo fishing." Captain Bob died early in the spring of this year and wahoo anglers worldwide dedicated this tournament to him. In a welcomed announcement by all participants, the crew of the Sorry Dear donated $5000 to the Captain Bob Smith "fund" to be utilized for the betterment of the children of Bimini. A committee will administer the funds. "This is an extremely generous gesture on the part of the crew of the Sorry Dear," said Sue Graves, one of the organizers of the Wahoo Championship, "and it is a fitting gesture to the memory of Captain Bob. Following the excitement of the announcement, an additional $1000 was raised almost instantly for a total of $6,000, a figure which is sure to grow when other pledges are received. It is anticipated that the funds will be used to purchase computers for the Bimini All Age School in memory of Captain Bob.

Valued marine research wahoo samples were collected, as in previous tournaments, by scientists from Florida Atlantic University and the Florida State Department of Fisheries. Anglers competed for valuable art prizes including the first place award, an original work of art in progress by renowned artist Steve T. Goione. Wahoo sculptures by Pierre Pierce were awarded to the second place boat.

The Bahamas Wahoo Championship now moves on to Lucayan Marina Village on Grand Bahama Island where the second leg will be contested December 5-9, 2000.

For additional information and photographs of the event, please contact Sue Graves, 954-456-4468 or sgraves@fitertown.com. Full results and coverage can be found at www.bahamaswahoo.com and www.inthebite.com who provided extensive live coverage of the event.

The Organizing Committee of the Bahamas Wahoo Championship announces the schedule for the year 2000-2001 Championship. (See Below)

The Bahamas Wahoo Championship is entering its fourth season of competition and slight improvements have been made to the series.

• 1. There will only be one Tournament held per month, with sufficient time in between the tournaments for anglers to return to their homes and businesses and prepare for the next event.
• 2. A new fishing format will be established- fish three out of four days, with the anglers deciding which day to take as a lay day. This new format came about in recognition that some of the destinations are further away than others and a day of inclement weather could seriously curtail the fishing.
• 3. Fishing hours will be between 7:30 AM and 5:00 PM. These hours will allow boats the opportunity to fish the most productive grounds.
• 4. Additional Awards will be added to the overall Bahamas Wahoo Championship in order to reward more angling achievements.

The Organizing Committee is composed of Raul Miranda, Bob Hammersla and Sue Graves. They are assisted by Earl Miller from the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and newly joined Executive Assistant Phyllis Schatman.

The culmination of the Championship will once again be a gala awards dinner held in Miami, Florida the evening prior to the start of the Miami Boat Show. The date for the 2001 event is February 14th and the Awards dinner coincides with St. Valentine's Day, which will undoubtedly, makes this affair THE place to be!

The Bahamas Wahoo Championship is a cooperative effort between he participating resorts and the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. One of the main goals of the Wahoo Championship is to establish a wintertime fishery destination for the Islands of the Bahamas and make the Bahamas a year-round boating and fishing destination.

• The First Leg- The Legend! November 7 to 11, 2000

  Bimini Big Game Fishing Club, Bimini, Bahamas

  This is where it all started and where Wahoo legends are born. Hemingway's own Island in the Stream. The largest Wahoo tournament in the world!

• The Second Leg- The Exciting one ! December 5 to 9, 2000
  Lucaya Marina Village, Freeport, Grand Bahama Island., Combine superb Wahoo fishing with excellent facilities and the exciting nightlife and Casinos of Freeport. Duty Free Shopping. A great pre-Christmas destination.

• The Third Leg- The Challenging One ! January 16-20, 2001
  Walker 's Cay, Abaco, Bahamas. Fish for the monster winter Walker's Cay wahoo. Go for the 100 pounds plus Wahoo at the site of the Walker 's Cay Chronicles. Challenging fishing and welcoming hosts. A truly memorable fishing experience.

• The Fourth Leg- The Satisfying One ! February 6 to 10, 2001
  Abaco Beach Resort and Boat Harbour, Marsh Harbour, Abaco,Bahamas Enjoy all of the amenities of a world class resort with everything that Marsh Harbour has to offer. A great venue to wrap up the Championship. An ideal tournament to bring the whole family and spend a mini-vacation in February. Lots of daytime activities for stay-ashore persons.

• The Celebration ! February 14th, 2001 The Awards Dinner. Miami, Florida. THE function to be at the night prior to the Miami Boat Show. Great music and entertainment. A truly Bahamian celebration for all participants in the Bahamas Wahoo Championship.