Bahamaswahoo@hotmail.com
Results and press releases from the 1999-2000 Wahoo Championship Tournament
" Double Eagle", a 50 ' Viking based in Ft. Pierce, Florida is the winning boat of the 3rd Annual Bahamas Wahoo Championship, a series of four Wahoo only fishing tournaments in the Bahamas.
"Double Eagle", owned and captained by Duane Gossett, from Apopka, Florida built a commanding lead in the Championship by winning the first leg in Bimini and the second leg in Freeport. The boat amassed a total of 1,106.2 points in those first two legs and was able to coast to victory, earning the "Champion of Champions" trophy of the Bahamas Wahoo Championship.
The Wahoo catching skills of the crew of "Double Eagle" also extended to catching the heaviest wahoo 's of the competition and winning also the "Heavyweight Championship" trophy. The ten heaviest Wahoo caught by "Double Eagle" in the Championship weighed a total of 589.3 pounds, the average weight of each fish close to 59 pounds.
The Big Fish Award, awarded to that boat catching the heaviest Wahoo of the Championship went to "Reel Deal", a 72 ' Donzi owned by Cullan Meathe and based out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The Wahoo weighed 83 pounds and it was weighed during the first leg in Bimini.
Second place in the Wahoo championship went to Nino Martini's "Crescendo" with 667.6 points and third place to Joe De Paola's "Concrete Machine" with 535.5 points. Honorable mention in the Championship goes to Jose Arguelle's "Island Fisher" who courageously fished all four legs and was edged out for third place by 38 points.
Forty-two boats fished one or more legs of the 1999-2000 Bahamas Wahoo Championship.
The average weight of the Wahoo caught overall in the Bahamas Wahoo Championship was 29.7 pounds
Raul Miranda, a member of the Steering Committee for the Championship pointed out the influence that the weather played in the 1999/2000 event. " We only had four really good fishable days out of 12. Out of the remaining eight days, three were completely weathered out with the fleet remaining at the docks, and five days were marginal at best. "
Bob Hammersla, another member of the steering Committee. "I am very proud of the boats and crews that showed up and fished this year's Championship. We did have some adverse weather conditions, but everyone showed a lot of determination and seamanship abilities fishing under the conditions which they did. They are truly the best Wahoo fishermen in the world."
On a very positive note, Raul Miranda points out that the "playing field seems to have been leveled out. " As more and more boats start fishing for Wahoo, the crews are perfecting their Wahoo catching skills. A case in point is this year's winning boat, "Double Eagle". "Double Eagle" fished all four legs of the Wahoo Championship last year and they did not fare particularly well. So, Duane Gossett took his group of fishing friends back home, none of whom are professional fishermen, and they practiced and practiced and practiced all year prior to the start of the 1999-2000 event. A lot of credit in sharing Wahoo catching skills go to Capt. Ron Schatman and mate Sean Lang and the crews of the other winning boats who have unselfishly shared their knowledge and skills with newcomers to Wahoo fishing. There has been a tremendous spirit of cooperation amongst the anglers and crews in insuring that every boat that participates has a decent chance at catching some nice fish."
The apparent leveling of the playing field might mean that points of discussion such as boat speed, fishing times and boundaries may take a secondary position for next year's event. "Double Eagle" did win convincingly in Bimini and Freeport, but two relative newcomers to the Championship, "J Hook" and "My Buddy" won at Walker's Cay and Treasure Cay respectively. Capt. Ron Schatman, who seemed invincible after last year's Championship did not fare a well this year. "I taught them too well," says Ronnie, smiling from ear to ear!
A gala black-tie optional Awards Dinner for the 1999-2000 Bahamas Wahoo Championship is scheduled for the evening of February16th (the night prior to the start of the Miami Boat Show) at the Intercontinental Hotel in Downtime Miami. The complimentary Bacardi Rum bar opens at 7:00 PM. The Hon. C.A. Smith, Minister of Tourism for the Islands of the Bahamas will be the keynote speaker and will present the following Awards at the Dinner.
For more information and/or tickets to the Awards ceremony please contact Mr. Earl Miller or Ms. Rosie Gomez at the Bahamas Tourist Office, 305-932-0051.
For further information on any aspect of the Bahamas Wahoo Championship please contact:
"My Buddy", a 50' Viking owned by Frank Gruber from Dunwoody, Georgia, beat Bahamas Wahoo Championship leader "Double Eagle" to win the 4th and Final Leg at Treasure Cay Hotel and Resort Marina.
High winds continued to plague the participants in the Bahamas Wahoo Championship and only four die-hard boats were able to make the crossing for the 4th and Final Leg. "My Buddy" took the lead on the first day of fishing with 85.6 points, including a 56.6-pound Wahoo, which was the heaviest fish of the day. "My Buddy" added 72.0 points on day two under worsening sea conditions, including a 53.4 pound Wahoo which was the heaviest fish for that day. Day three of fishing was not meant to be and only one fish was weighed-in. The fish caught was a fine 53.7-pound Wahoo caught by "Double Eagle". This fish was the heaviest Wahoo caught on Day Three and vaulted "Double Eagle" unto second place for the Tournament. Third place went to Jose Arguelle 's Miami based "Island Fisher" with 53.7 points. "Island Fisher" had a remarkable catch of eight 40 pound plus yellowfin tunas caught on the first two days of the tournament. Worsening sea conditions kept most of the fleet dockside on the third and final day of the competition, including Capt. Ron Schatman 's "Sorry Kids".
Raul Miranda and Bob Hammersla, organizers of the Bahamas Wahoo Championship series complimented all of the management and staff of Treasure Cay for the outstanding job, which they did in putting on the tournament. "They really put on a first class show which was very much appreciated by the participating anglers and crews."
At the closing Awards dinner, Lynn June, Marketing Director at Treasure Cay Hotel Resort and Marina thanked all of the participants on behalf of the Resort. "We really enjoyed having you here and we look forward to seeing you once again in the very near future". Don Cornish, representing the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism Abaco office thanked everyone for visiting Treasure Cay and the Bahamas.
Overall Results
First Place "My Buddy" 157.6 points
Second Place "Double Eagle" 77.4 points
Third Place "Island Fisher" 53.7 points
Heaviest Wahoo "My Buddy" 56.6 pounds
An unexpected cold front brought winds of up to 50 knots to Walker 's Cay and slowed down the Wahoo fishing for the Third Leg of the Bahamas Wahoo Championship.
Thursday the first day of fishing was unbelievably calm, with hardly a ripple on the ocean. "J Hook", Bob Cristoph 's 58' Viking out of Miami Beach Marina led the fleet with two Wahoo, a 29 pounder and a 74.6 pound fish. The 103.6 points were tops for the day. Duane Gosset's "Double Eagle," who has been leading the Bahamas Wahoo Championship, brought two fish to the weigh-in station for a total of 83.4 points.
On Friday, the second day of fishing, four boats left the Marina and attempted to go fishing, but after an hour of 50-knot winds and vicious seas they all returned safe and sound to the Marina.
The wind conditions abated some what on Saturday, the Third Day of fishing, and five boats did manage to fish all day, but not under optimum Wahoo conditions, since the waters were quite stirred-up from the previous day's storm. "Sorry Kids" captained by Ron Schatman brought the only qualifying fish to the docks, a 20 pound Wahoo.
Bob Hammersla, Tournament Coordinator, echoed the sentiments of all of the participants when he said that there were "two elements that we cannot control- the weather and the fishing." Both Bob and Tournament coordinator Raul Miranda praised effusively the management and staff at Walker's Cay for the superb job which they did in organizing a first class affair. "They really made us feel at home and the attention that we all got plus the food functions were absolutely first class".
The Wahoo that were weighed-in at Walker's averaged a hefty 34.88 pounds per fish. Overall, 11 qualifying fish were weighed-in and the Heaviest Wahoo was the 74.6 pounder caught on "J Hook".
The Forth and Final Leg of the Bahamas Wahoo Championship will be held January 26-29 at Treasure Cay in the Bahamas.
The Awards ceremony is planned for the evening of Wednesday, February 16th at the Intercontinental Hotel in Miami.
The Bahamas Wahoo Championship is shaping up very interestingly after the first two legs. Our congratulations go to Duane Gossettt and his crew on the "Double Eagle". They fished every Leg of the Wahoo Championship last year and they "paid their dues". They practiced and practiced and practiced until they perfected their Wahoo catching skills and are now leading the Wahoo Championship with 1,106.2 points winning the first Leg in Bimini and the second Leg in Freeport.
Now, you have to remember that in this year's Championship you can drop your worst leg or a Leg that you did not fish. This year only the three best scores out of four (three best Legs) will count towards the overall winner. So, boats like "Crescendo" with 667.6 points, "Concrete Machine" 535.5 points and "Island Fisher" 447.1 points are still in the running. Matter of fact, we now start "the second half" of the Championship and it's a whole new ball game in the New Year.
For all of the results of leg one and two, as well as the up-to-date standings, please log unto our web page- www.bahamaswahoo.com. Don and Eileen Torok are doing an outstanding job of maintaining this web page and we are very thankful for everything that they have done for us. Hey guys...we have had close to 7,000 hits in less than six months...now, who could have predicted so much interest in Bahamian Wahoo fishing?
Walker's Cay is going to host the Third Leg of the Championship from January 12th to January 15th. This is the first time that the Wahoo anglers are going to fish Walker's and this really should be a very exciting and competitive Leg. The tales of "monster" wahoo off Walker's during the winter months are legendary and we are all really looking forward to this opportunity. Even if you have not done well in the first two legs, come on, give Walker's a try! Word is that Walker's is a level playing field as far as catching Wahoo is concerned and everyone should have a shot at great catches. Please call Walker's directly for reservations. The Hammer, Raul and Sue will be at Walker's to insure the quality of the event.
After Walker's we will finish the Championship off in Treasure Cay January 26th to January 29th. Last year we had a really good time at Treasure. The staff was absolutely fabulous and treated everyone like royalty. We saw a lot of boats bring the families to Treasure, and while the men went fishing, a lot of the families stayed behind and enjoyed all of the amenities of the resort. We had some very good weather last year and the fishing was excellent with a lot of big wahoo coming to the weigh-in station. Trust us, you cannot go wrong spending a few days at Treasure Cay at the end of January. You will be glad that you came.
After the Leg at Treasure it's off to Miami and to get ready for the Award' s Banquet. This Banquet is a Gala affair, black tie is suggested, and it is going to set you back $100 per person, but believe us, it is worth it! Even if you were not able to fish any of the legs, you are still invited to join us. It will be held at the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Miami the night before the Miami boat show, February 16th. Cocktails are courtesy of Bacardi rum, followed by an outstanding meal. Note that this is not your typical sit-down banquet dinner. Instead, we have different food stations and you pick and choose and repeat all of your favorites. Earl Miller and the staff at the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism do a superb job of organizing the event, with excellent music, dancing and a keynote speaker who we are hoping will once again be the Bahamas Minister of Tourism, the Hon. C.A. Smith. Short speeches, a short award's presentation, lots of food, drink, members of the media present, the participating resorts, about 150 to 175 people in total. It's a great event that puts you in the right frame of mind for the Miami Boat Show. Please do not miss it!
After the Miami Boat Show, the Bimini Big Game Fishing Club will once again host the mid-winter Wahoo tournament from February 23 to 26th, 2000. Here again, we have one very good tournament for the serious Wahoo fisherman and even though the results do not count towards the Championship, it's still a lot of fun to chase those huge mid-winter wahoo off Bimini in February.
Random thoughts on the Bahamas Wahoo Championship Legs to date.
That's it for now. We hope that you have enjoyed this Newsletter. Please let us hear from you at bahamaswahoo@hotmail.com. Have a good one!
"Double Eagle", a 50' Viking based in Ft. Pierce won the 2nd Leg of The Bahamas Wahoo Championship held at the Lucaya Marina Village in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island.
The three-day tournament was tightly contested. Both "Double Eagle" and "Concrete Machine" each weighed-in 16 eligible fish but, in the end "Double Eagle" edged ahead in the standings: 590.4 points to 535.6 points. Third place "Crescendo" was right on their heels with 14 qualifying fish and 442.2 points.
Helping "Double Eagle" edge out "Concrete Machine" for first place was the fact that they weighed-in two of the three heaviest wahoo of the competition, a 76.3 pounder on the first day and a 67.8 pounder on the last day. The Heaviest wahoo of the competition was weighed-in by Capt. Ron Schatman on "Sorry Kids", a 82.7 pounder.
Nineteen boats participated in the competition and 84 eligible fish were weighed-in for a total of 2,835.5 points.
"Double Eagle" is owned and captained by Duane Gossett from Apopka, Florida. The boat is based in Ft. Pierce. Fishing with Duane is his son, Wade Gossett as well as two friends, Willie Stratton and Mike Konnely. They are proud to point out to everyone that they are not fishing professionals and all of them have full time day jobs in diverse fields. When they do get together to go fishing they practice and practice until they have honed the skills which they will utilize.
The boats will now take a Holiday break and they will gather once again for the 3rd Leg of the Bahamas Wahoo Championship at Walker s Cay in the Bahamas January 12th to 15th, 2000.
Unofficially, "Double Eagle" has accumulated 1,106.2 points after the first two legs. "Crescendo" has 667.6 points after two legs while "Concrete Machine" has 535.6 points after only one leg. "Island Fisher" has 447.1 after two. For this series, only the best three out of four legs of the Championship will count towards the overall score so it is still possible for boats that did not fish the Freeport Leg to join the fray at Walker's Cay.
For further information, results or photos contact Raul Miranda at 305-234-7386 or Sue Graves at 954-456-1840 or bahamaswahoo@hotmail.com.
The winds never abated for the 1999 Wahoo Tournament held at the Bimini Big Game Fishing Club November 11-13, 1999. South Florida and the Bahamas had experienced eight consecutive weeks of blustery wind conditions which had an impact on the number of boats that registered for the Tournament.
Twenty nine of the finest Wahoo sport-fishing boats in the world made the crossing to Bimini under NorthEast wind conditions of 25 to 30 knots and 10' to 12' seas in the Gulf Stream. To most of the participants, the crossing was well worth the effort because they were rewarded with some outstanding Wahoo fishing throughout the competition. The fleet lined-up for the 8:00 AM Bimini-start on Day One and at the end of the day's fishing 45 Wahoo over the 15 pound minimum weight limit were brought in to the weigh-in station. The overall weight for Day One was 1,245 pounds for an average weight of 27.7 pounds per fish.
"Double Eagle", an Apopka, Florida based boat led the fleet on Day One with 6 wahoo totaling 236.8 points . They also weighed-in the heaviest Wahoo of the day- a 67 pound fish. "Champy", from Coral Gables, Florida trailed closely with 8 fish and 184.9 points. "Island Fisher" was in third place with 122.8 points. Sixteen boats weighed-in Wahoo on the first day.
The winds picked up considerably during the evening but the entire fleet lined up bravely for the Day two start of the competition. Today they would experience "true wahoo" fishing conditions with high winds and unpredictable seas. All of the efforts resulted in even better results for Day Two. Fifty-seven wahoo were weighed-in totaling 1,411.8 points. Twenty boats weighed-in fish the second day, this time led by veteran wahoo fisherman Tom Malone's "Justice" out of Atlanta, Georgia. "Justice", a 72' Striker brought 9 eligible fish to the weigh-in station for a total of 189.1 points. They were followed closely by Duane Gossett's "Double Eagle" with 5 fish and 169.3 points. Third place went to "Abbey Road", Jupiter, Florida, with 5 fish and 162.1 points. The heaviest wahoo on the second day of the competition was a 51.3 pounder on the "Double Eagle",
The evening festivities included the "Great Bean Bag Toss" competition which was won by "Hokey Pokey", another Atlanta, Georgia based boat. The wahoo cooking culinary competition attracted outstanding entries which resulted in winners in three categories. The First Category- Party Platter- was won by veteran restaraunteur Fred Levy on "Hattitude" with a Bahamian Wahoo Picatta.In the second category- Wahoo Hor's Doeuvres the winner was "My BuddY with a selection which included: Florida Fried Wahoo, Country Barbecued Wahoo, Chicken Fried Wahoo and finally, Wahoo a la Welden. In the third and final category- Main Entree, Jay Love on "JR" created a dish on the microwave oven "Yahoo Wahoo".
The winds never abated on the third day. Matter of fact, they became quite erratic and the boats that were fishing on the Northern end of the Island were in ten foot seas all day long. This, however, appears to be "ideal" wahoo weather and several boats came back to the weigh-in station with some outstanding catches. "Reel Deal", a 72' Donzi weighed the heaviest wahoo of the competition, an 83 pounder. This was followed closely by a 75.6 pound fish on the "Double Eagle". "Captain Video" , a 60' Bertram out of Hallandale, Florida weighed 7 wahoo for a total of 138.9 but they were inched out by the 8 wahoo on "Crescendo" which totaled 187.3.
The overall winner of the competition was "Double Eagle" which weighed-in 13 wahoo for a total of 515,8 points. Second place went to "Abbey Road", 11 fish, 342.6 points and third place went to "Island Fisher", 13 fish and 325.4 points.
Overall, 142 wahoo over 15 pounds were weighed in for a total of 3,738.9 points.
For further information or photos, please contact Sue Graves at 1-954-456-4468 or sgraves@fitertown.com.
| Tournament Calendar | Rules & Information | REGISTRATION | RESORTS INFO |
|---|---|---|---|
| RESULTS | AWARDS DINNER | NEWSLETTER | HISTORY |
| LINKS |
CONTACT INFO |
The Bahamas |
Bahamaswahoo.com |