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Houston Big Game Fishing Club's
Monthly Newsletter
On the Wire
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THE LONE STAR SHOOTOUT
IS FULL SPEED AHEAD
WITH RECORD REGISTRATIONS!
The Shootout returns to Port O'Connor from July 23-28, and the fleet is filling up! There are only a few preferred slips remaining at Caracol, so act now and register today!
CLICK HERE to enter online or download the 2019
entry form and enter today... register before June 28th and save $300 on your entry fee AND receive a custom embroidered boat mat with your boat's name!
Look for a more complete update and more exciting news on the Shootout in the next few days... W
e look forward to seeing you July 23-28 for
The Biggest and Best in the West...THE LONE STAR SHOOTOUT!
Have questions?
call Randy Bright at 713-816-2165 or the Club office at 409-744-2307.
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Captain's Corner
Written by Captain Kevin Deerman
I'm going back to a subject that many gulf tournament participants are still discussing, which would be the live baiting versus trolling debate.
Over the past couple of weeks Orange Beach, Alabama has hosted two tournaments in which both of the 1st Place Blue Marlin were captured while trolling. The initial was the 658.2 pound Blue that was caught in the first few hours of the Orange Beach Billfish Classic by the "Relentless Pursuit" which held the lead for the next two days against the fleet of 48 boats (many of them live bait fishing). The following week during the Mobile Big Game Fishing Club tournament, "Annie Girl" took 1st Place with a 699.2 pound Blue, and "Get Reel" boated a 460 pound Blue putting them in 3rd. Both of these fish were also caught while trolling.
I believe teams should fish the way that they feel more comfortable with and constantly work to improve these methods, whether it be live baiting or trolling, instead of suggesting rule changes to benefit one or the other. On the other hand I still don't see any problem with adding lure only side pots if it increases tournament participation.
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The Learning Curve
Written by Captain Troy Day
Conservation & Education Committee - June 2019
Check out this article on white marlin physiological effects (by analyzing blood samples) and post-release mortality from catch and release, done with fish in the canyons off the northeast coast. Interesting that their goal was to determine whether their reaction to being caught was related to fight time, size, or water temperature. They found a higher mortality than other similar studies, which they attribute to having to pull the fish out of the water for the blood sample and tagging. More interestingly, fish that had short fight times typically did so because they jumped and "sprinted", leading to more oxygen deprivation, therefore making them more likely to not survive, as they were not able to survive the 2 minutes or so out of water.
The study backs up the law requiring billfish released in the US to remain in the water, but, in my opinion, it also provokes a little thought that when we get a hot, jumping marlin which we can catch quickly, maybe we should think about spending a few more minutes reviving it, as they have an "oxygen debt" and may need to catch their breath for a minute. We've all seen the fish that are really tired and slowly sink out when we let them go.......this study found that those fish have a higher risk of mortality.
Here's the link to the article:
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Record Number of Applications Received for Scholarship Program
We are proud to announce that a record number of applications were received for this year's Scholarship Program, and the Committee is in the process of reviewing the submissions. They will present their recommendations to the Board of Directors and we will announce the awards soon, so stay tuned!
Your membership continues to make an impact, and the Club is proud to have donated over $200,000 in scholarships to local Texas students since 2005 thanks to the generosity of its members and donors!
*** Your membership matters! ***
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Club Awards Program
The points keep racking up in the Club's Yearlong Awards Program Tournament... along with a world record! Club Member and 2019 inductee to the IWFA Women's Hall of Fame, Pam Basco, landed a 32 lb. spearfish on 16 lb. Fly Tippet in Kona, Hawaii which earned her 1,000 bonus points for a world record in the Club's Annual Awards Program!
The leader board has been updated, and there are still many open categories! Here are the current tournament leaders as of May 28, 2019:
TEXAS DIVISION
Top Wahoo
1st - Wilton Bull - 61.12 points
GULF COAST DIVISION
Top Private Boat
HIGH COTTON, Owner Pete Bell - 500 points
WALK WEST, Owner Riley Rhodes - 500 points
INTERNATIONAL DIVISION
Top Private Boat
1st - HUNTRESS, Owners Darryl and Lori Schroeder - 22,900 points
2nd - NO COMPROMISE, Owner Alan Roberts - 10,200 points
3rd - CAJUN QUEEN, Owners Jack and Ann Fletcher - 2,300 points
Top Male Angler
1st - Darryl Schroeder - 3,600 points
2nd - Perry Forrester - 2,100 points
3rd - Taylor Norris - 1,800 points
Top Female Angler
1st -
Cinda Forrester - 2,700 points
2nd - Pam Basco - 1,000 points
3rd - Michaela Norris - 900 points
Top Swordfish
1st - TITAN UP, Owner Bill Hunt - 750 points
for full results, program details and verification forms.
Tight lines, All!
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2019 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
Robert Rickett, President
John Bowen, 1st Vice President
Allan Legge, 2nd Vice President
Randy Bright, Treasurer Troy Day, Secretary
DIRECTORS
Jack Beal
James Helm
Kevin Deerman
Marty Griffith
Randy King
CONTACT THE CLUB
Phone: 409-744-2307 * Fax: 409-744-2313
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