Releases – July 19, 2018
Skippers with boats, gear, and bait are needed to take active duty troops fishing for the annual MAD event to be held in Southport on September 7-8, 2018.
MAD is a 100% volunteer and donor funded event for troops and their families who come in from all over the state. While the troops are out fishing, families are entertained ashore with activities for the kids and live music. In the afternoon, everyone meets back up at Southport Marina for a large catered picnic.
Of course, everything is free for MAD guests.
On the fishing side, boats large and small, inshore and offshore, are encouraged to participate. All events and the fishing departure point for boats are located at Southport Marina, where there is plenty of trailer space and an excellent boat ramp for your free use. If arriving by water for the weekend, although there’s no guarantee, every attempt is made to accommodate you with free dock space.
A typical event includes a Skippers’ meeting and dinner (free) on Friday night, an early Saturday morning departure, and return to shore around 2:00 pm where help is provided for fish cleaning. Finally, the picnic wraps up the day. Skippers and crew are all invited to attend the picnic, at no cost.
Skippers who sign up will be assigned troops before the event. This allows for important coordination between the skippers and their guests—things like planned departure times, rules of the boat, guidance on what you will provide, etc. On the morning of the event, skippers and troops check in with the MAD operations tent, and a group of volunteers makes sure the troops get to their proper vessels.
We frequently hear from skippers that the experience is as meaningful for them as for the troops. To volunteer, sign up at www.militaryappreciationday.org and choose Boat Volunteer Registration for the Southport event. Then follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SouthportMAD.
The point of contact is Hank Pomeranz, who can be reached at (910) 274-2400 or madsouthportpres@gmail.com.
More than 15,000 representatives from the domestic and international recreational fishing and boating community converged on the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando, FL, on July 10-13, for the 61st International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades, better known as ICAST.
ICAST is produced by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), the sportfishing industry’s trade association. This was Glenn Hughes’, former Vice President of Industry Relations, first ICAST as President of the association.
“This was a fantastic week for the sportfishing industry,” said Hughes. “More exhibitors enjoyed the largest number of attendees in our trade show’s history. Going hand-in-hand with increased participation is the tremendous coverage across all social media channels of the products found only at ICAST. This is great exposure for our exhibitors and for anglers eagerly looking for new products to enhance their fishing experience.”
Hughes further noted, “Ultimately, this show is about showcasing the gear, apparel, and accessories that help to make a day on the water both exciting and rewarding.”
ICAST, along with the International Fly Tackle Dealer Show and the Marine Accessories Pavilion, encompassed 220,000 net square feet of its new location in the North/South Building. ICAST hosted 626 exhibitors. There were more than 15,000 people registered for the show, including 1,154 people from 71 countries, which translates into a significant opportunity for exhibitors to do business on a global scale.
Garmin USA’s Panoptix LiveScope was voted by buyers and media as the best product in both the Electronics category and the overall Best of Show.
The ICAST 2018 Best of Category awards were presented on Wednesday, July 11, during the New Product Showcase Awards Reception at the Orange County Convention Center.
Best of Electronics and Best of Show – Garmin USA – Garmin Panoptix LiveScope.
Best of Boating Accessories – Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics, Inc. – Minn Kota Ultrex with MEGA Down Imaging.
Best of Boats and Watercraft – Jackson Kayak – 360 Angler.
Best of Eyewear – Costa Sunglasses – Baffin.
Best of Footwear – Rivers Edge Products – Fish Sandals.
Best of Lifestyle Apparel – AFTCO/American Fishing Tackle Company – Hexatron Performance Fleece.
Best of Technical Apparel – AFTCO/American Fishing Tackle Company – Hydronaut Heavy-Duty Waterproof System.
Best of Fishing Accessory – YETI – YETI Tundra Haul.
Best of Fly Fishing Accessory – YETI – YETI Panga Backpack 28.
Best of Fishing Line – PowerPro – PowerPro SuperSlick V2 Brand.
Best of Tackle Management – Tak Logic Lure Lock – Lure Locker.
Best of Terminal Tackle – Rapala – VMC NEKO Skirt.
Best of Saltwater Hard Lure – 13 Fishing – Octopi.
Best of Saltwater Soft Lure – LIVETARGET – LIVETARGET Fleeing Shrimp.
Best of Fly Reel – SEiGLER Reels – Seigler MF Fly Reel.
Best of Saltwater Reel – Shimano American Corporation – Tekota 500 Levelwind Reel.
Best of Fly Fishing Rod – St. Croix Rods – Mojo Trout.
Best of Saltwater Rod – St. Croix Rods – Mojo Yak.
ICAST 2019 will be held in the North/South Building at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL, on July 9-12, 2019.
The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) announced that a blue marlin satellite-tagged on July 21, 2017, during the Bermuda Triple Crown Billfish Championship has won the 2017-2018 IGFA Great Marlin Race (IGMR).
The winning billfish swam an estimated 5,089 nautical miles (nm) in total or 2,658 nm point-to-point from Bermuda to about 600 nm northeast of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. This is the longest distance ever recorded by an IGMR-tagged blue marlin in Bermuda.
“Congratulations to tag sponsor Mike Verzaleno whose generosity allowed us to track the incredible journey of the winning billfish,” said IGFA President Nehl Horton. “Strong support from recreational anglers is the key to the success of this innovative, citizen-science conservation initiative.”
The IGMR is a partnership between IGFA and Stanford University 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 deploy 50 pop-up archival tags (PAT) in marlin at billfish tournaments around the world each year.
Since 2011, more than 350 satellite tags have been placed on billfish during IGMR tagging events. In the 2017-2018 race season, 58 tags were deployed on 31 blue marlin, 18 black marlin, and 9 striped marlin in seven countries around the world.
Marlin tagged in Bermuda during the 2015, 2016, and 2017 Triple Crown Billfish Championship tournaments swam a total of 16,464 nm, and the winning fish accounts for 16 percent of this distance.
To learn more about the IGFA Great Marlin Race, visit https://igmr.igfa.org/Conserve/IGMR.aspx.
