The Katie C. Sawyer Podcast

This conversation covers the history, growth, and impact of the White Marlin Open tournament. It explores the involvement of the tournament directors and their dedication to the event. The chapters also discuss the progression of the tournament, the introduction of Calcutta's and prize money, and the point structure for catch and release. The conversation highlights the economic impact of the tournament on the local community and the creation of Marlin Fest as a companion event. It also touches on the conservation efforts and the role of the tournament in preventing the white marlin from being listed as endangered. The chapters conclude with a discussion of the directors' roles and responsibilities in organizing the tournament. The conversation with Madelyne Duffy, the Tournament Director of the White Marlin Open, covered various topics related to running the event and the challenges faced in the fishing industry. The chapters include discussions on running the event as a family, sticking to ethics and integrity, challenges of working with family, the threat of offshore wind, crowded fishing grounds and speed restrictions, dealing with drama and controversy, memorable moments of the White Marlin Open, the impact of sonar technology, the small boat category, the importance of the white marlin category, female involvement in the tournament, and the appeal of the ocean.   Takeaways   The White Marlin Open is the world's largest and richest billfish tournament, with a significant economic impact on the local community. The tournament has grown organically over the years, with the addition of Calcutta's and the establishment of Sunset Marina as a game changer. Conservation efforts, such as the use of circle hooks and length minimums, have been implemented to protect the fishery. Marlin Fest provides an opportunity for spectators to experience the tournament and support local businesses. The tournament directors are involved in all aspects of the event, from rule changes to trash collection.

Summary Curtis De Silva, a professional fisherman, shares his experience fishing in Madeira and the Southern Caribbean. He recently caught a grander blue marlin in Madeira and discusses the fishing techniques and spread used. Curtis also talks about his father, Captain Frothy, and their fishing background. He compares the fishing conditions and challenges in Madeira and the Southern Caribbean, including dealing with seaweed in the Caribbean and paperwork in Madeira. Curtis also mentions the differences in migratory patterns and water temperatures that contribute to the size of fish in each region. The conversation with Curtis De Silva focuses on his experiences fishing in Madeira and the Azores. The marine life in these areas is spectacular, with abundant bait, birds, and various sea creatures. The conversation covers topics such as the underwater banks and seamounts in the Azores, the impact of sea surface temperatures on fishing, the decision to pull boats out of the water during the off-season, the challenges of fishing in rough swells, the boatyard in Madeira, and the international fleet in Madeira. Curtis also shares his favorite fishing memories with his father and his passion for billfish. Fish with Curtis: search @madierasportfishing on facebook or instagram   Takeaways Curtis De Silva caught a grander blue marlin in Madeira, weighing 1048 pounds. Fishing in Madeira is characterized by calm waters and a close proximity to the shore. The fishing season in Madeira is from June to September/October. The Southern Caribbean has tournaments for sailfish and smaller blue marlin. Challenges in the Southern Caribbean include dealing with seaweed and rough weather. Fishing in Madeira is relatively easy, with the main challenge being locating blue marlin. Madeira has a large average size of blue marlin compared to other fishing locations. Paperwork and documentation are meticulous in Madeira. The migratory patterns and water temperatures contribute to the size of fish in each region. The marine life in Madeira and the Azores is spectacular, with abundant bait, birds, and various sea creatures. The Azores have underwater banks and seamounts that attract fish, including blue marlin. Sea surface temperatures can impact fishing, with extreme high temperatures affecting the Azores and Madeira. Boats are pulled out of the water during the off-season in Madeira and the Azores due to the slowing down of the marlin migration and the risk of damage from rough swells. The boatyard in Madeira is situated under the airport runway and provides services for boats. Madeira has an international fleet with charter boats operated by local and foreign captains. Curtis De Silva has a passion for billfish and targets big blue marlin in Madeira. Fishing with his father and catching his first blue marlin are some of Curtis' most cherished fishing memories. Releasing fish is a common practice in billfishing, and recreational fishermen play a role in understanding fish migration patterns. Curtis De Silva also runs charters in the Southern Caribbean, specifically in Grenada. Keywords: fishing, Madeira, Southern Caribbean, blue marlin, grander, Captain Frothy, techniques, spread, challenges, seaweed, paperwork, migratory patterns, water temperature, fishing, Madeira, Azores, marine life, sea surface temperatures, underwater banks, seamounts, boatyard, fleet, billfish Transcript: Katie (00:00.43) Today's guest is my friend Curtis De Silva from Trinidad and Tobago. Curtis has spent his entire professional career fishing between the Southern Caribbean and the island of Madeira. In fact, he has fished the last 15 seasons on the island of Madeira and a few weeks ago, weighed the first and as of July 2nd only grander of the 2024 Blue Marlin season. In this episode, we're gonna dive into the story about that fish, as well as what it takes to fish the Eastern Atlantic islands of Madeira and the Azores, how they compare to the fishery of the Southern Caribbean, and looking into a little bit on the relationship between Curtis and his father, legendary Captain Frothy from the Pesca Grossa, as well as why fishing is so important to him. It's always a pleasure to sit down and talk to Curtis and it's another great episode in the books. You're not going to want to miss it. Katie (01:06.734) Welcome to the Katie C. Sawyer podcast. Today I'm sitting with my good friend, Curtis De Silva. Curtis, where are you tuning in from? Hello. How are you going, Katie? Good. I'm tuning in from sunny Calheta, Madeira. That's right. Madeira. You guys, Madeira is an autonomous island owned by Portugal in the Atlantic Ocean. Curtis and I met a couple of years ago while we were fishing there with the On Location. Now, Curtis, you I want to get into your background. I want to get into your story. But first, I can't skip these important details. You had a really good fishing day just recently, just a few days ago. You want to tell us about it? Yeah. Yeah. Well, you could jump right into that story if you'd like. Yeah, it's a pretty good one. So I think it was Monday this week. We went out on My dad's fishing boat is called the Pesca Grossa. And we had some clients that flew in from the States. They were on their honeymoon. They were keen to go one day blue marlin fishing. So we were fishing on board, you know, the 30 foot, just a little 30 foot sport fishing boat out here in Madeira And yeah, maybe about four o 'clock or so we hooked up onto a good fish, you know. it was actually a really interesting play. One of the better ones I've seen in my life. so one, one fish came up on the teaser on our right teaser, really short to the boat, maybe 10 or 15 feet from the back of the, the, the boat. And I threw the pitch out and it did not switch on to the pitch, you know, so it faded off onto our left long. What were you pitching? Just a mackerel, about a two pound Spanish mackerel, chin weighted, with a 10 o' circle hook. Yeah, so that fish faded off, you know, and hit the left lure and left long. Missed it completely. And about maybe a moment later, maybe five or 10 seconds, another fish came up and just crashed, but the short, the right short, you know? Katie (03:33.326) Teal off a bunch of line. We got the lady angler in the chair, you know, it may be about a 40 minute fight or so. We had the fish, three sides of the boat. When it was there, we just, we decided to take it. We decided to take it on board. Cause it was, it was a pretty big fish. When I larger ones we've seen both side in a long time. So we decided to take him. Yeah. Pretty big fish. A grander. How much did that fish weigh? Yes, it was 1048, 170 some kilos. I can't remember exactly in kilos, but it was 1048 pounds. It was really amazing to see that there was actually two of them. The first fish that showed up, how big was that one? Average Madeira size when I was there for the one season was somewhere between five and 700 pounds. A good size fish is 800. We were looking for the grander ourselves. We never found it. We never, well, Drake saw it. We've talked about that before, but we never found it. So how big was that first fish that showed up? So the first fish was probably very similar in size, you know? Stop. Yeah. So two big girls crashing on your baits. So what is your spread like? I mean, you have short teasers. You said you you're doing a like a macro pitch with teasers close to the boat. So those don't have hooks in them. And then you have or I don't know what you call them because then you called it the short lure. The right short is where you caught that second fish on. So you have a J hook in that one, right? That's right. So we fish a pretty simple spread over here. You know, we fish one 30s and we would have four four four lures with hooks in them. Any water at all times, you know? So left short, left, left and right short and left and right long would all have, you know, 10 OJ hooks in them. That's how we target them with 550 pound mono leader. And then you're also pulling teasers? Yeah. So we pull two teasers right up close to the boat. Yeah, that's basically all Madeira spread. That's awesome. What lures did these fish show up on? Katie (05:55.134) well, they actually showed up on my dad's lure. My dad makes these lovely lures. Now, I'm not sure what the name of this particular one was, but it was one of the Captain Frothy series lures. That's so special. That is so special. Okay, so Curtis, congratulations on your grander. Was that your first grander? I mean... Thank you. That was the first one I weighed on a scale. I believe I caught a couple before. But we released them, but this is the first one that we scale, Peroni scale and wait. That's amazing. Congratulations. And for your group to be on their honeymoon, like, my gosh, you said they had one day of fishing and it was at 4 PM. I'm assuming that you go into the dock at five. Like that is some good luck for those anglers and to have such a good crew. Now you said you were fishing aboard Pesca Grossa. You guys might've heard of this boat because of The legendary captain Frothy. Now Frothy is Curtis's dad. Curtis, you want to give us a little bit of background on Frothy as well as yourself, where you guys come from, what your history is, your professional history in the sport of billfishing? Sure, absolutely. I could give you a little background. I'm starting with my dad. So my dad has been a Harvard fisherman since he was a young, since he was a boy. He always was very passionate about it. He ran a very successful charter operation in Trinidad and Tobago for most of the 80s and 90s and early 2000s having about three or so boats going out quite regularly on a daily basis. He came here, he was fortunate, he came here in the 90s, he fished here in the 90s a bit and he caught, he was well caught on his first day here fishing. thousand pound blue marlin and brought it to the scale and weighted as well in the 90s. Yeah on his first trip here. So he g

Summary: In this conversation, Fly Navarro shares his passion for fishing and media. He discusses his background growing up in Palm Beach County and his experiences fishing in the Caribbean and Hawaii. Fly also talks about his transition to freelancing and creating content, as well as his involvement with the Blue Marlin World Cup. This part of the conversation focuses on the Blue Marlin World Cup and the logistics of the tournament. It also discusses the cost of entry, the minimum weight requirement, and the use of certified scales for weighing the fish. The conversation then delves into the emotional moments and the perspective of fishing. The story of the Apex boat is shared, highlighting the power of stories in the fishing community. The importance of people and the connections made through fishing are emphasized. In this conversation, Fly Navarro shares his passion for fishing and the joy he finds in sharing the sport with others. He emphasizes the importance of enjoying the moment and releasing the death grip on the fishing rod. Fly Navarro also discusses the satisfaction he derives from bringing new anglers into the sport and helping them achieve their fishing goals. He encourages young listeners to pursue their passions and not be afraid to take risks. Overall, Fly Navarro's love for fishing and his desire to promote the sport shine through in this conversation.   Takeaways   Fly Navarro is a passionate angler and media creator, constantly seeking new fishing experiences and opportunities. He emphasizes the importance of staying connected through Wi-Fi and using social media to share his fishing adventures and promote the sport. Fly's background includes fishing in the Caribbean and running a boat in Hawaii, where he gained valuable experience and knowledge. He is dedicated to introducing fishing to new people and opening doors for others to enjoy the sport. Enjoy the moment and release the death grip on the fishing rod. Share the joy of fishing with others and help them achieve their fishing goals. Encourage more women and families to participate in fishing. Don't be afraid to pursue your passions and take risks. Transcript: Katie (00:00.206) Next week is the fourth of July, not only a very important holiday in the United States, but also the day of the Blue Marlin World Cup, the only international blue marlin tournament of its kind where for one day only the biggest fish weighed in any of the oceans around the world takes the win. Today, I'm sitting down with Robert Fly Navarro, the tournament director of the Blue Marlin World Cup. As we discuss the ins and outs of this tournament, what makes it so unique? his career and the various endeavors and experiences that make Fly who he is. Katie (00:42.99) Hey, what's up you guys? Welcome to the Katie C Sawyer podcast. I'm your host Katie. And today I'm sitting with the man behind much of the sport fishing media and what we know, Robert Fly Navarro. Fly, thank you so much for being here today. 100 % my pleasure. And thank you so much for your patience while we had all our technical difficulties. And you know, it is what it is. We're here, the content's being produced and that's all that really. matters because I really like now touch on this because you have some a slogan that you live by and that's why we're both here today. What is it? I got a lot of slogans. Which one? There's a lot of slogans I live by. I only get one. I only get one ticket for this ride, so I make sure I'm having the best fucking time of my life. There you go. Well, my personal favorite, if we're going to go that far, is the one where If you can expose one person efficient every single day, then then you're living your life. Right. that. Listen, that's that is my that's my business slogan. I wake up every day and my goal is to introduce fishing to one new person every single day. So that, yes, that is my goal. I absolutely love that. And I find it extremely admirable. But before we get into a lot of different things that I'm excited to be talking to you about coming into this big tournament season. Tell us a little bit about your background. First, where are you tuning in from today? Where did you grow up? You have two parents that are Cuban and I want to hear about Childhood Fly. Okay, so there's certain things about Childhood Fly that I'll share and there's certain things I won't. But yes, I'm the... And this is something I repeat over and over and over. I am the son of two immigrants from a communist country. And it's one of the reasons why I am such a big fan of America. I do a lot of work with our military. I'm on the board of directors for a nonprofit that gets active and retired veterans out fishing and hunting. So I am a huge pro -America guy. And anybody that's spent time with me understands that. Katie (03:04.398) But it mainly it comes from my parents and my grandparents because of the fact that I heard how bad communism and socialism is. And unfortunately, I also got a chance to see what socialism does because I was in Venezuela when Hugo Chavez got voted in and I saw a wonderful country literally get destroyed in less than 20 years. So yeah, I'm a big America first kind of guy, a big freedom of speech kind of guy. A lot of people have died for our freedom. So I do a lot of stuff to make sure they know how much I appreciate what they've done and they being both men and women, cause we got a lot of ladies out on the front line making sure we can sleep at night. So where did you grow up? I grew up right here where I'm at right now. I grew up in Palm beach County. I still live in Palm beach County. I've fallen, it's a weird thing. If you look at statistics, they say something like 60 % of Americans still live within 10 miles of where they grew up. And that's me. My high school is less than 10 miles away. My first job is less than 10 miles away from where I live. But I spend like 250 days on the road. I travel all over the world. I average about 200 ,000 miles a year. Freaking flyer mom. Yeah. No. Yeah. You've got all the perks. Yeah. I definitely do. It's pretty bad when I go into the airport and they all know me. My girlfriend thinks it's the funniest thing. I've traveled with some of her friends. We all go and Mr. Navarro, how are you? What's going on? She's like, really? I'm like, yeah. And now it's gotten to the point. I was just flying back from Doha in Qatar. That's a cool airport. I've never seen anything like it. There's playgrounds everywhere, little like museums. So great. Any of those airports in the Middle East are phenomenal. But I got on my plane as I'm sitting on my seat. The flight attendant walk up to me. She goes, you were on my flight a few weeks ago, weren't you? I'm like, yeah, I know exactly who you are. So that's how much I'm on the planes. I know the flight attendants. That's why I try to be so nice to them. Katie (05:30.318) because if you're not, they'll remember you on the ride back. Actually, I just try to be nice to everybody. I want people to treat me nice, so I treat them nice. Yeah, I mean, 100%. And that's part of being a part of this community is scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. Everyone's out there. We're all fishing. We're all looking for a good time and especially in the sport fishing space in the recreational angler space, you know, like everyone's got a boat owner. Everyone's working hard to make sure that they do a good job and sharing information out there is so pivotal. How do you feel about that? Did you grow up? Wait, hold up. You're distracting me. Did you grow up fishing the Caribbean? So I didn't start fishing the Caribbean until I took this profession, this road down a profession. I was in college, I was 18 years old, I was making a whopping $4 an hour and a friend of mine, his dad was a boat captain and he's like, what are you doing this summer? And I said, well, I gotta work, I gotta make some money to pay for college and when I'm not working, I'm gonna go fishing. That's what I did every summer. And he's like, well, I want you to go with me to Mexico. And I'm like, okay. I go, but I don't know anything about working on big boats. He goes, I'll teach you. But I need somebody that's bilingual. And English is my second language. So once I went down to Mexico and people figured out that I spoke two languages, I was gone. Yeah. I was, I mean, literally, I was gone. They grabbed me and I ended up going through the canal for the first time, going fishing Panama and Penas Bay, went up to Costa Rica. my gosh, chills. That's exactly what happened. Yeah. So and then shortly thereafter, I moved to Venezuela and I started fishing out of there for four, I lived in Venezuela for four years. And yeah, it was great. I mean, I absolutely loved it and spent 20 years of my career fishing out of central South America, St. Thomas. I know you told me to stop before, because we were starting to talk about St. Thomas. No, now's the time. Bye. And then I got an opportunity to run a boat out in Hawaii. So I flew out to Hawaii and I ran a boat for two years. Katie (07:45.134) And after that, I came home and I went into business for myself. Question. I have a handful of questions. The first one is, did you ever finish your university degree? I got a two year degree to be a teacher. I wanted to be, what I really wanted to be was a high school guidance counselor. I have this thing and most people know I don't have children, but I have a thing that I want to open doors for as many people as possible, especially our youth. And I know a few years ago I started a program and we're looking to relaunch it called Kids in the Fly Zone where we give kids the opportunity to learn how to fish, learn how to go hunting, meet other people that like to do it because sometimes your parents don't enjoy it. Maybe your parents don't like to fish and hunt. Or just aren't exposed in that scene. There's plenty of people that didn't grow up in it. Yeah, they just didn't gro

Summary Jeremy Higgs, assistant director at the Center for Fisheries and Research Development at the University of Southern Mississippi, discusses his work in fisheries research. He talks about his background and how he fell in love with the research opportunities in the Gulf Coast. Jeremy explains his role at the Research Center and the various projects he manages, including larval shrimp studies, offshore billfish work, bull shark life history study, and oyster reef work. He also discusses the importance of oyster reefs for the ecosystem and the sport fish species that rely on them. The conversation explores the different species of fish studied in fisheries research, including swordfish, marlin, tuna, mahi, wahoo, and more. The researchers discuss the unique characteristics and behaviors of these fish, such as their feeding habits, visual adaptations, and growth rates. They also touch on the importance of studying these rare event species and the collaborative efforts between scientists and anglers. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the handling and donation of fish samples after they are brought back to the dock. Keywords fisheries research, Gulf Coast, larval shrimp, billfish, bull shark, oyster reef, ecosystem, fisheries research, swordfish, marlin, tuna, mahi, wahoo, feeding habits, visual adaptations, growth rates, rare event species, collaborative efforts, handling fish samples, donation Takeaways The Gulf Coast offers a wealth of research opportunities in fisheries, both inshore and offshore. Oyster reefs play a crucial role in the ecosystem, providing habitat and food sources for sport fish species. Jeremy Higgs manages various research projects, including larval shrimp studies, billfish work, bull shark life history study, and oyster reef work. Collaboration with fishermen, scientists, and other institutions is essential in gathering data and understanding fish species. Sampling and analyzing fish specimens at fishing tournaments provide valuable insights into reproductive biology, age determination, and diet composition. Different species of fish, such as swordfish, marlin, tuna, mahi, and wahoo, are studied in fisheries research. These fish have unique characteristics and behaviors, including feeding habits, visual adaptations, and growth rates. Studying rare event species is important for their long-term management and conservation. Collaboration between scientists and anglers is crucial in gathering data and samples for research. After sampling, the fish are handled and donated to organizations for various purposes, such as rehabilitation and feeding birds of prey. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:26 Research Opportunities in the Gulf Coast 04:19 The Importance of Oyster Reefs 08:13 Managing Research Projects 15:12 Collaboration in the Scientific Community 32:12 Exploring the Diversity of Fish in Fisheries Research 34:08 Understanding the Feeding Habits and Adaptations of Pelagic Fish 37:57 The Significance of Studying Rare Event Species 41:44 Collaboration between Scientists and Anglers in Fisheries Research 56:38 Handling and Donation of Fish Samples in Fisheries Research   USM Center for Fisheries Research and Development   Transcript: Katie (00:00.206) What's up, you guys? Today's podcast is a special treat. Today I have Jeremy Higgs, the assistant director at the Center for Fisheries and Research Development at the University of Southern Mississippi. I met Jeremy on site at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic last year as he was taking all of these incredible samples from these massive blue marlin coming to the dock. Stay posted. You're not going to want to miss it. Katie (00:33.134) Welcome to the KDC Sawyer podcast. I'm your host Katie. And today I have the pleasure of sitting down with Jeremy Higgs. Jeremy, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for the opportunity to be on the show today. I really appreciate it. Now, Jeremy, you're the assistant director over at the research center. How long have you been at USM? I've been with USM about 14 years. Different roles in my time here as research technician up to where I'm at now as assistant director of fisheries. That's awesome. Where did you come from before USM? I did my undergraduate work at Southwestern College in a little town in Kansas. We had to do a summer field session at a marine lab. There was a flyer in our lobby and it was for the Gulf Coast Research Lab and it was a first SHERC class. I came down here on a fluke and absolutely fell in love, did a summer of coursework here, and then did an internship and then came back to do graduate school. and then start working in fisheries. That's awesome. Now, did you use the word fluke as a pun or was that just... That was coincidental. Is it that... For the listener, a fluke is a flat fish. Am I right? It is. And the whale tail, the tails of marine mammals. how cool. I didn't know that. That's awesome. Well, that's all she wrote. That's really cool. So what made you fall in love with USM? So the campus here is absolutely gorgeous. The Gulf Coast is amazing. And after being here for the summer, I realized there's a lot of research opportunities in this area, not only inshore but offshore. And the folks that we got to work with, like Jim, who's, you know, he really is a big figure here on the coast and the work he's done. So it was easy to get excited and to see passion from other people. And it really just kind of drew me into the entire environment down here. That's so cool. I got the opportunity to visit you guys on campus last year and I was blown away by how beautiful it is there and what a special thing you guys have going on. Your whole team seems really into the process, the research and being out on the water as well as in the lab. It shows that you guys are passionate about it. We have an absolutely phenomenal team working with us in CFRD as well as other colleagues here at GCRL and along the coast. It's a truly unique place to work and Katie (02:55.566) a great opportunity to delve into this field. Beautiful. So Jeremy, tell me a little bit about what you do at the Research Center and some of your day -to -day life, but as well as some of your projects. So things have changed a bit over the years. I don't go in the field as much as I used to, but when I do there for fun projects, a lot of my day -to -day now is managing other programs that are going on, so different grants for the research that we are being... that we are conducting. These range from larval shrimp studies to help inform about the opening of shrimp season every year, all the way up to larger offshore projects such as the billfish work that we do in the Gulf as well as elsewhere around the world. So currently I'm working on a bull shark project, a life history study. We also have... some of our long -term monitoring projects that we're looking at some of the data, look at abundancies and distribution of different species. And so just a little bit of everything, even some oyster reef work from time to time. those oyster reefs, they're super important. You know, a lot of people don't realize how important they are for the ecosystem. They're a very diverse community and you wouldn't think about it on a reef, but there's so much space in between the oysters and in the sediment around that that is a There's just a huge community that exists there that not only keeps the reef reef healthy, but also provides a lot of food sources for important sport fish. So we have a lot of small crabs and shrimp that are on the reef that the trout and red drum love to munch on. So like it's a really, really important community. How does that end up affecting the sport? Like the offshore is that does that affect the offshore fishery at all? Not not so much. Our reefs are pretty inshore. As the salinity increases, you lose the viability of the oysters once you get too far south of the islands here. All of our reefs are inside the Mississippi Sound, so it's really just for inshore sport fish species, I would say it's the most benefit out of it. That's cool. Oysters also serve a huge purpose in terms of filtering the water, keeping the water pH levels. Katie (05:18.221) as they should be? Absolutely. Oyster reefs are wonderful filters of a natural environment. So a healthy reef has a lot of good water quality around it. Even though in our area, everything is very murky, so you would never tell, but when the reefs are very viable, they're continuously filtering. That's how they feed. And so they pull a lot of the nutrients and sediments back out of the water. Now, I love that you said that the water is so murky there, because I learned something in your lab last year that just kind of blew my mind and also made so much sense. Now I'm from a small town on the Texas Gulf Coast and we have an incredible inshore fishery as well. I'm not a very good inshore fisherman, but I do like to do it in my pastime and in my free time. And what I learned about was the size of the ear bones. Now we're going to get into otoliths a little bit later, but the size of the ear bones, which are otoliths, of the red drum and why with that murky water. Do you want to share that a little bit? Yeah. So. The ear bones in fish or the otoliths help with a lot of different things. Fish can listen for sounds to hunt or whatever it may be. If you're in murky water, you have to rely on your hearing a lot more than your visual senses. Your ear bones generally get larger in that case so you can have better sound reception as well as if it's a species that makes noise. The drums... with their name, they drum, and so it helps up with that sound perception. And then if... That's so cool. Yeah. If you move offshore where it's clear, beautiful water and even a huge fish, they like a marlin, the otoliths are very tiny, microscopic almost, because they don't need them. They're visual hunters, so they don't need that sense as much. That is so

Jeremy Cox, Captain of the Lolita fishing team and co-founder of the Mongo Offshore Challenge, shares his fishing journey and the success of their recent fishing trip. The conversation covers topics such as Jeremy's fishing background, the Mongo Offshore Challenge, and their recent catch of a 704-pound blue marlin. They discuss the tournament format, the significance of the catch, and the importance of preserving and studying these fish. Jeremy also talks about the excitement of lure fishing and the thrill of anticipation. The conversation highlights the joy of fishing and the special moments shared with family and friends. The conversation revolves around the experience of catching marlin in the Gulf of Mexico and the importance of sustainable fishing practices. The guests discuss their recent catch of a 700-pound marlin and the challenges they faced during the fishing trip. They also touch on the significance of donating the meat from the catch to charities and zoos. The conversation highlights the love and passion marlin fishermen have for the species and their efforts to protect and conserve them. The guests also discuss the science and research that can be conducted using these rare event species. Additionally, they talk about the process of catching live bait in the Gulf of Mexico and the strategies they use to keep the bait fresh and alive. In this conversation, Jeremy from the Lolita Fishing Team discusses the evolution of live baiting in offshore fishing. He explains how the use of live bait tubes has become a common practice and how it has improved the ability to keep bait alive for longer periods. Jeremy also talks about the importance of fresh and frisky bait in attracting fish and shares tips on handling and caring for bait to keep it in optimal condition. He emphasizes the significance of structure, such as oil rigs, in creating fish aggregating devices (FADs) and attracting a variety of fish species. Jeremy also mentions the potential for future expansion of the Mongo Offshore Tournament to the East Coast and internationally.   Mongo Offshore Challenge East Coast Registration https://www.reeltimeapps.com/live/tournaments/2024-mongo-offshore-east-coast/register   Mongo App: Iphone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mongo-offshore-challenge/id1516755470 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.reeltimeapps.mongo&pcampaignid=web_share   Keywords   fishing, blue marlin, tournament, Mongo Offshore Challenge, Gulf of Mexico, Lolita fishing team, catch, celebration, preservation, marlin, Gulf of Mexico, sustainable fishing, catch and release, fishing tournaments, conservation, live bait, tuna tubes, live baiting, offshore fishing, bait tubes, fresh bait, frisky bait, handling bait, oil rigs, fish aggregating devices, FADs, structure, Mongo Offshore Tournament   Takeaways   Jeremy Cox shares his fishing journey and the success of their recent fishing trip The Mongo Offshore Challenge is a season-long tournament that awards the biggest fish caught in various categories The Lolita fishing team caught a 704-pound blue marlin during the Hurricane Open tournament The catch was celebrated with family and friends, and the fish was donated to science for research purposes Lure fishing provides a unique thrill and anticipation for anglers Preserving and studying these fish is important for understanding their reproduction and population Marlin fishermen are passionate about the species and work towards their conservation and sustainability. Donating the meat from caught marlin to charities and zoos is a way to reduce waste and benefit the community. Catching live bait in the Gulf of Mexico can be challenging, especially during the day when the bait goes deep. Tuna tubes are used to keep live bait fresh and alive during fishing trips. The conversation highlights the importance of responsible fishing practices and the role of fishermen in scientific research and data collection. Live baiting has evolved over the years, with the use of live bait tubes becoming a common practice in offshore fishing. Fresh and frisky bait is essential in attracting fish, and there are techniques to handle and care for bait to keep it in optimal condition. Oil rigs serve as fish aggregating devices (FADs) by providing structure and attracting a variety of fish species. The Mongo Offshore Tournament is a popular fishing tournament that focuses on the Gulf of Mexico, but there are plans to expand to the East Coast and potentially internationally. Transcript: Katie (00:00.206) In today's episode, I'm sitting down with Captain Jeremy Cox as we dive into the Gulf of Mexico blue marlin fishery with big fish stories, tips on how to handle and maximize the health of your bait and why the oil rigs play such a valuable role in the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. Katie (00:27.886) Welcome to the KDC Sawyer podcast. I'm your host Katie. And today I'm sitting with the captain of the Lolita fishing team. He's also the co -founder of the Mongo Offshore Challenge. Jeremy Cox, thank you so much for taking the time to sit with me today. No problem. Thank you so much for having us. It's my pleasure. Well, we've been talking about doing this for a long time and I'm really glad it worked out the way it did because you guys just had a heck of a fishing trip out of Grand Isle, Louisiana last week, which I really want to get into you guys. Spoiler alert. They caught a 704 pound blue Marlin, but Jeremy, tell us a little bit about you. Where are you from? What's your fishing experience and how did you get to where you are today? so, let's see. I'm, I was born in Maryland. Actually, my, my family's from Maryland. move my. family moved us to Pensacola, Florida back in the early 80s. And so I grew up in Florida. I was raised in Florida. I think I was two years old when we moved to Florida, Pensacola. And man, first fishing memory is like four years old. My brother, JD, which is also co -founder of the Mongo, he's my older brother by seven years. He took me fishing in a lake behind, you know, in our neighborhood behind our lake. caught a bass like the first trip and I was hooked. I was like man this is the thing now I probably pestered him every day after that can we go fishing can we go fishing you know we're going fishing and so that progressed into an addiction of fishing and my mom took me on a fishing charter when I was 10 years old out of Ocean City Maryland and I saw the mate you know back there with us and you know this guy driving the boat which was you know I learned was a captain and and we caught some tuna and I was like, these guys do this for a living? And my mom's like, yeah, this is what they do, you know? And I was like, man, I want to do that when I grow up. So my brother had a baseball scholarship. He went off to college and played baseball and moved to Birmingham, Alabama. And me and him always talked about owning our charter boat. So I got into the fishing industry. Like my first job was first fishing related jobs working at a place called Boaters World. They're out of business now, but. Katie (02:50.766) very like West Marine, it was around for years and it was a big box store for marine supplies and marine sales. So I worked there and figured that'd be a good opportunity to meet other fishermen. So long story short, met other captains and landed a mate job and started mating and me and my brother, that's what we were gonna pursue is our own charter boat career. And you know, I'm skipping a lot of stuff, but Hurricane Ivan hit in 2004 and sort of... hit us back to reality. It's like, man, we saw all these charter boats lose their whole livelihood with their boats getting wrecked and the whole season sort of thrown out the door, at least in our little town. And we're like, maybe that's not the smartest idea for us. We didn't have a lot of money anyway. We wanted to get in those charter boat things. I mean, so I had a lot of friends in the private industry. And we were charter fishing. We were mating and captain. By that time, JD moved down to Pensacola. And we were both mating on different boats. And I did some captain work. started in the private sector. So I was like, man, that's probably the better route, more secure, you know, and then it's, you know, you got somebody else paying for everything and you get paid to go fishing, paid to kick, you know, a lot more waxing and toilet fixing than fishing, but yeah, it's all part of the, all part of it. Yeah. So, but it's awesome. So, you know, that's, that's how I got into the captain, you know, and in that whole time, you know, I was doing sales, you know, I worked for a Long time I worked for a distributor. We sold fish and tackle to tackle stores. And then I was a tackle sales rep for a while. We represented a dial and play Jake and other other brands. And I did that for collectively for about 12 years while I was doing captain work on the side in the private world. I had an orange beach, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida, Destin, Florida. But now currently I run the Lolita to 72 foot Viking out of Destin, Florida. and been working for this family for this is the ninth summer. Great family. They're awesome. Yeah, we're like fam. They treat me to treat us like family and just a great, great time. And yeah, this weekend. So we, we called the art person. Yeah. no, no, no. I haven't interrupted you. Sorry guys. We're not there yet. We're not there yet. No, that's so cool. So are you out of Orange Beach now? Are you based out of Orange Beach now? I'm. Katie (05:15.47) We keep the boat Lolita, we keep it behind Bo Shamps and Destin. That's where we keep the boat year round. That's right, you just said that. No, yeah, we come to Orange Beach a lot. We're sort of a traveling boat in the summertime, so we're rarely home during the summer, but the wintertime's fall through spring, we're parked behind Bo Shamps. We spend a good amount of time in Grand Isle, Louisiana. The owners have a camp there

In this Episode, host Katie C. Sawyer interviews Captain Chris Donato, a big Marlin fisherman in Kona, Hawaii. Chris shares his fascinating background, which includes fishing in various locations around the world. He discusses the Kona fishery, known for its lure fishing, and the deep marlin culture in the area. Our Favorite Lures Lure Making 101/102: The Kona Fishing Chronicles - Book Fishing Hawaii Style - Volume 3 - Book Fishing Hawaii Style - Book   The conversation also delves into the logistics of shipping boats to the Southern Pacific and the different types of lures used in Kona. In this part of the conversation, Chris Donato discusses the different types of lures and their characteristics, including plungers, tube lures, scoop face lures, and bullets. He also shares the historical origins of lure fishing in Kona and the transition from live bait fishing. Chris explains how to choose lures for the spread based on their aggressiveness and loudness. He also discusses the feeding behavior of marlin and the factors that affect lure performance. Finally, he provides tips on adjusting lures for optimal performance. In this conversation, Chris Donato discusses various aspects of lure fishing. He explains how the orientation of a lure can affect its swimming behavior and the importance of adjusting lure position based on wave conditions. He also compares vinyl skirts to rubber skirts and shares his preference for rubber skirts. He discusses the benefits of teasing fish and the challenges of heavy tackle bait and switch fishing. Finally, he introduces GZ Lures and GZ Tackle Co. as platforms for providing the best fishing equipment and educational content.   Takeaways   Kona, Hawaii is known for its rich marlin fishing culture and lure fishery. Shipping boats to the Southern Pacific can be a challenging and stressful process. The Kona fishery offers opportunities to catch big blue marlin, with the best months being July and August. The marlin culture in Kona is characterized by a deep history, ego, and a focus on big fish. Lure fishing in Kona is a popular and effective method, with a variety of lure types used. There are different types of lures, including plungers, tube lures, scoop face lures, and bullets, each with its own characteristics and performance. Lure fishing in Kona transitioned from live bait fishing, and lures became more popular due to their effectiveness. When choosing lures for the spread, it is important to consider their aggressiveness and loudness, with the most aggressive lures placed closest to the boat. The feeding behavior of marlin can vary, with some periods of aggressive feeding and others of territorial behavior. Factors such as water conditions, lure design, and rigging can affect the performance of lures, and adjustments may be necessary to optimize their performance. The orientation of a lure can affect its swimming behavior, and adjusting the position of the lure can optimize its performance. Rubber skirts are preferred by some anglers due to their durability and color variations. Teasing fish can lead to proper bites and better hookups, but it requires skill and technique. GZ Lures and GZ Tackle Co. aim to provide the best fishing equipment and educational content for anglers. Transcript Katie (00:00.238) Today's podcast guest is proficient in the art of big blue marlin fishing. We're gonna sit down with Captain Chris Donato and go through different types of lures, what they're used for, how you can make them work the way you want them to, and what to look for in the spread. Stay tuned, it's a chat you're not gonna wanna miss. Katie (00:27.662) What's up, you guys. Welcome to the Katie C Sawyer podcast. I'm your host, Katie. And today we have big Marlin fisherman, Chris Donato, joining us on the scene. Chris, thank you so much for taking the time to sit down with us today. Yeah. Thanks for having me. So you are checking in from Kona, is that right? Yep. Yep. We're here in Kona. I love that. So I personally have never been to Hawaii. I've never fished the Kona scene, not even close. I just have heard a lot about it. I'm really excited to have you here. You have an extremely fascinating background that I think might be a conversation for another time. You've done some incredible things. I want you to go over that a little bit with us. Then I really want to dive into the world of lure fishing, which correct me if I'm wrong, but Kona is known for its lure fishery. Yes. Everybody that's - what everybody's pretty much doing. Unless they're just fishing for ahis or something with live baits, it's pretty much all lure fishery. The conditions just make it easy for us. We're like in a swimming pool and the way the fish feed here and everything. I mean, it's kind of like the birthplace of like modern lure fishing for the most part. And yeah, that's it's it's the spot to do it. That's for sure. I'm particularly excited because it's it's not like you've spent your entire life fishing Kona. You've spent, I mean, you're originally from New Jersey and fished the East Coast, grew up sometime in Florida, correct? Spent time in Florida. Yeah, South Florida. Yep. And then you ran several charter operations in the Southern Pacific in Samoa and... Yeah, Samoa and then Vanuatu. Vanuatu. Man, that's amazing. So give us a little bit of like a rundown. I want to know... what your age range was, what you were doing. We're going to dive in in a separate episode of what makes Chris Chris, but give us just a professional rundown of your experiences. Yes, I won't draw it out too much because it's a whole thing we could go down. I pretty much just grew up pretty much fascinated with the - Katie (02:44.462) South Pacific and fishing and surfing to surfing was probably what brought me more so into that area. Um, you know, I, I went to Costa Rica a bit and did that, but then I, I did a trip down to, uh, French Polynesia. I actually was the first time and actually wasn't fishing. I was actually working on a sailboat. So it's kind of embarrassing to say, but I was pretty young. I was like 17 or 16 or something. I was pretty young and I just wanted, I had an, I had an to do it and I was like, I want to check this out. This is great. No, come on. What a way to get exposed to it. That's amazing. Yeah, so it was like sailing and surfing and checking that part of the world out. I was like, wow, this is insane. I always love fishing. I obviously thought, obviously, there's a lot of fish here. It took a little while for me to end up getting back down to that part of the world. fishing wise, I went and surfed a lot, but I would just go surf and come back or whatever. And then I was fishing in Florida and long story short, I ended up being involved in a surfing resort with, with a buddy of mine in Samoa. And so we started building it up and we have a little skips. We go out to all the reefs to surf. And so I was one year like, okay, I'm going to bring down all my Florida stuff. Cause the seasons were a little bit different. Like, um, and I would go down there when I wasn't fishing in Florida, I would take time and go down or whatever. So I was like, I'm going to bring down a bunch of stuff and just go fish with our little like panga style boats and check it out. What's the time of the year and how old are you at this point in time? Um, at that point I was probably 19. Yeah. Somewhere around that. I think I was pretty young. Um, cause I was, yeah, I was in college. Yeah. Yeah. I was about 19, I think. Maybe, maybe just turning that, but, um, I don't, to be honest, you know, someone was a little bit like here in terms of like seasons. I mean, you can fish there year round. Uh, it just gets really rough in our summer, which is their winter. Um, and then, um, you know, I get that it just kind of gets kind of choppy and rough and windy and trade winds blow. And, you know, I caught my grander there in November. So I kind of say that that was the season, you know, but I, you can fish there year round really. Katie (05:08.845) Congratulations. Yeah, thanks. That was a big monkey to get off my back for sure. Anyways, yeah, so I just went down there and just like brought some stuff and just I got my ass handed to me. I mean, I thought I knew what I was, you know, I thought I knew Bill Fish and stuff and I had like, I think my biggest was like a 50. And I'm on a panga by myself cruising around doing what I probably shouldn't be doing. After your experience, what were you doing in South Florida? Sail fishing and sword fishing? Sail fishing and sword fishing. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Maybe in white Marlin or something. Yeah. So it was, yeah. And I had done some, I'd done offshore stuff, but like, I just wasn't to that extent. And so, yeah. So at that point it was like, okay, this is the place. It took some time and just things just evolved. And next thing you know, I'm down there. I'm running a 43 foot Cabo there and then, um, ran a boat in Vanuatu. And then we cruised around the islands and it just turned into a pretty much what I did up until 2016, um, was just down in the South Pacific for the most part. You know, I come back forth, but yeah, that was it. So just loved it down there. How old were you? In 2016, what's the time frame there? How many years were you doing that? Gosh, I think maybe 15 years. I was in Samoa. That's amazing. Yeah. I'm not the best with IDA. But yeah, so I'm 41 now, and I moved out here in 2016. So throughout your late teens, your 20s, and into your 30s. Let me get my calculator. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, I'm a knucklehead when it comes to that type like timeframes and stuff that some are really not the best with it. But but I was down there for a while. And then I had the 37 Meriden I had someone that came in and was Joe who actually was my crew for a long time. He works on the series now. And he really he was in like the film industry for a while like working as like, I forget what the word I like. Katie (07:

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL CONGRESSMAN:    https://www.boatingunited.org/take-action/congress-protect-boaters-speed-restrictions/?   Summary   In this conversation, Katie C. Sawyer and John DePersenaire discuss the proposed rule for the North Atlantic right whale situation and its implications for boaters and seaboard communities. They highlight the importance of speed for recreational fishermen and the economic impact of the proposed rule. They also emphasize the need for collaboration and the use of technology to address the issue. The regulatory process and timeline are also discussed. The conversation discusses the dual path process of rulemaking, with an interagency review and a public side. The role of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) is explained, along with the challenges of the public not being aware of any changes made to the rule. The formation and work of the Whale and Vessel Safety Task Force is highlighted. The current stage of the rule being in OIRA's hands is discussed, along with the strategy for the ongoing public comment period. The involvement of the Small Business Administration and the importance of a comprehensive approach are emphasized. The potential of recreational anglers as an untapped resource is mentioned, and a call to action is made to reach out to local congressmen and participate in the Boating United action alert.   Takeaways   The proposed rule for the North Atlantic right whale situation has significant implications for fishermen, including economic impact and access to fisheries. Speed is essential for fishermen to reach fishing grounds and maximize their trips, and the proposed rule would greatly restrict their ability to do so. Collaboration and the use of technology, such as artificial intelligence and marine electronics, can help reduce the risk of vessel strikes on whales. The regulatory process for the proposed rule involves public comments and review by various agencies, with the final decision taking into account economic impacts and other factors. The rulemaking process involves both an interagency review and a public side, with the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) playing a key role. The public is not made aware of any changes made to the rule during the interagency review, creating uncertainty. The Whale and Vessel Safety Task Force is working on a comprehensive approach to reduce vessel strike risk and protect North Atlantic right whales. The current stage of the rule is in OIRA's hands, and there is an ongoing public comment period.a The involvement of the Small Business Administration and the need for a balanced approach that considers both industry needs and whale protection are important. Recreational anglers have the potential to contribute valuable information and technology to mitigate the risk of vessel strikes.   Transcript   Katie (01:42.718) What's up, you guys? Welcome to the Katie C. Sawyer podcast. I'm sitting down with John DePerson here today. John, tell us a little bit about yourself and who you are. John DePersenaire (02:26.149) Yeah, sure. Thank you, Katie. And thanks for having me on. So my name is John DePersonere and I'm the Director of Government Affairs. So that's a really broad title and it really encompasses a lot of different aspects of my portfolio of work. So obviously things like regulatory issues, government affairs issues, things that have to do with either regulatory or legislation that impacts us as a manufacturer in the marine industry, but also how our customers use the boats. So like fisheries management, that's all really important part of that. as well, but also then on the sustainability side, looking at things like efficiency, looking at our energy use, looking at our waste stream, all those sort of things, supporting efforts to support fish habitat and some other projects that we're doing. So it's a really broad scope of work and it's really, really interesting. Katie (03:23.458) That's awesome. That's a huge responsibility on your end. And like you said, broad. Before I started fishing, I was working, not even close, but I was working as director of environmental health and safety for an oil and gas company. And it's just like there's like this entire channel of products that you're supposed to manage. And you're like, I like this is so, so broad. But that's amazing. I'm really, really honored to be sitting with you here today. Thank you so much for giving your time. I really want to jump into what's going on. on right now with the North Atlantic right whale situation and the proposed rule that was set forth in August of 2022 and how that's affected us and what we can see moving forward. So can you just give us a little bit of a status on what's going on with the right whales and what the what rule was proposed as a reaction of that? John DePersenaire (04:17.536) Yeah, so, you know, this is an issue the industry has really been following carefully for the past year and a half now. And as you said, you know, this proposed rule came out in August of 2022, and it was driven by NOAA. So NOAA has a an office within it's called the Office of Protective Resources. And their job is to carry out and implement. the mandates of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. So with North Atlantic right whales, they are, there's no question that they are in pretty serious, dire concern in terms of a population size. And just, you know, recognizing the history of that species, it really was one of the targeted, most targeted species in commercial whaling for centuries, which really- drove down the population, but also imposed some sort of ecological constraints, which just made it much harder to rebuild when commercial whaling stops. So like when you fish a, or not even fish, but when you hunt a population down that low, you start to have genetic issues. And we see that like with, you know, upland hunting and things like that, you try to manage for a strong gene stock. And so that was one of the constraints. So that like, you know, if you look at reproductive output for North Atlantic right whales, it has been trailing off. And so it just makes it that much harder to rebuild. So they know the two main sources of mortality for North Atlantic right whales are entanglement with fishing gear, mostly lobster pots up in Massachusetts and North and also up in Canada where they spend their summers and vessel strikes. And so NOAA has been trying to... up with management measures that addressed those two sources of mortality. And so the rule that came out in August, that was directed towards the latter, that was directed towards reducing risk of vessel strikes. And what that did was it expanded upon an existing rule that was in place starting in 2008. And what it did was it dropped the size class of vessel that would be subject to vessel speed rules. It expanded the areas that would be subject to the seasonal management areas. John DePersenaire (06:39.036) And it also expanded the vessels. So it dropped it down from 65 and above down to 35 feet and above. And so what that really did was originally the 2008 rule was really focused more on the ocean-going vessels, so like the container ships, the tankers, some of those really high displacement, high tonnage boats. It also captured some of the recreational fleet as well. but the intent was really the bigger ocean growing vessels. And so this step now starts to bring in a massively different segment of the fleet now. And you're starting to bring in center consoles and a whole bunch of boats that have probably never even seen a North Atlantic right whale. And so this is all about reducing risk. And this is what is somewhat different than what we typically deal with fisheries management. Katie, I know you're really versed on highly migratory species, you know, and so a lot of times we're dealing with, you know, quota setting and, you know, really specific percent reductions, trying to get to a sustainable biomass and things like that. So we can tailor regulations based on that percent reduction we have to achieve. This is a little bit more nebulous in the sense that we don't actually have that number that we need to reduce risk by. And so that's a really challenging thing. for us to look at. And so we're just not versed in trying to figure out how we come up with a solution to that. And so when we first saw the rule, we're like, oh my God, this is gonna impact a vast number of boats. For a lot of people, it's gonna go into effect November 1st and last through the end of May. So those are really, really important times of year for up and down the coast now. I mean, as you know, like we have some of the best tuna fishing off of... New York and New Jersey now in November and December, which is crazy to think, but I mean, it's just, those are no longer months when people have their boat out of the water and up on the hard for the winter. It's, you know, we're fishing all the way through January. And so that becomes a real, real big impact. Also guys that move their boats from say our area down to South Florida in the fall, you know, they're gonna be subject to this. And so what, you know, typically is a... John DePersenaire (09:02.128) know, two, three day trip now becomes something massively different when you're going 10 knots. And so there's all sort of implications that we have to think about in terms of impacts of this. But one of our biggest criticisms was obviously, you know, a recreational boat hitting a North Atlantic right whale is an extremely rare instance. In fact, we have some third party analysis that really shows that it is like that one in a million chance. I mean, that really is numbers of boats and the numbers of strikes that are attributed to those boats under 65 feet. But the other thing that we were we were sort of upset about was that there was really no alternative in there that took into consideration technology, right? And

Join TBF Today!!  https://billfish.org/become-a-member/   Be a part of TBF’s tagging program! https://billfish.org/research/tag-and-release/   Episode Summary   In this mini episode of the Katie C. Sawyer podcast, Katie follows up on her previous chat about sail fishing in southern Florida with Mike Calabrese. She brings on Peter Chaibongsai and TJ Morrell from The Billfish Foundation to discuss the tagging program and what it has revealed about sailfish populations and their migrations. They talk about the movement of sailfish from southern Florida to the Yucatan and other areas, as well as the use of satellite tags to track their movements. The conversation highlights the importance of data collection and the involvement of recreational fishermen in contributing to scientific research.   Keywords   sail fishing, southern Florida, kite fishing, trolling, Bill Fish Foundation, tagging program, sailfish populations, migrations, satellite tags, data collection, recreational fishermen   Takeaways   Kite fishing is a predominant style of fishing in southern Florida. Sailfish populations in southern Florida are known to travel quite a bit, with historical records showing them going all along the coast and even as far as the Caribbean. The Billfish Foundation conducts a tagging program to collect data on sailfish and other billfish species. Satellite tagging provides valuable information on the migration patterns and behavior of sailfish. The majority of data collected by The Billfish Foundation comes from recreational fishermen.   If you have a question you would like to receive data for, email TBF at tag@billfish.org along with a description of the data you would like and what it will be used for. A new website is coming soon that will make this process easier!

In this conversation, Mike Calabrese discusses his history and experience in fisheries throughout the globe. He explains the technique of kite fishing in South Florida and the importance of bait culture. Mike also discusses the sailfish migration and their preferences for different types of bait. In this conversation, Mike Calabrese discusses the differences between kite fishing and trolling for sailfish, highlighting the advantages and challenges of each method. He also explains the impact of seaweed and grass on fishing success and the relationship between seaweed and baitfish. Mike shares insights on water clarity, cold weather, and its effect on fishing. He delves into the technique of hooking a fish while kite fishing and the importance of angles. Additionally, the conversation discusses teaser fishing and the importance of quality dredges. Mike then introduces Firetailz, which offers lightweight and durable artificial dredge baits for fishing.   Videos by Dave Collier   https://www.firetailz.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fire_tailz?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== ----more---- TRANSCRIPT Katie (00:03.18) What's up you guys? Welcome to the KDC Sawyer podcast. I'm your host Katie and today I'm sitting with Mike Calabrese. Mike, thank you so much for joining us. Where are you sitting in from? Mike Calabrese (00:15.719) Hey, Katie, glad to be here. I am at my home today in Jupiter, Florida, South Florida. Katie (00:21.838) Is that where you're from originally? Mike Calabrese (00:24.327) Somewhat, I'm from a little further south, Pompano Beach, Broward County, and my work and stuff on boats had brought me up this way the last few years, so decided to call Jupiter home. Katie (00:36.524) Jupiter is a really, really pretty place. What's your experience? Give us a little bit of rundown of your fishing history, your experience in the field. Mike Calabrese (00:40.071) Great town. Mike Calabrese (00:47.268) Oh boy, okay. So growing up in South Florida, obviously near the water, fishing was always a thing as a kid. Started out freshwater, bass fishing in the canals where I grew up. And then that elevated into my buddy's dad was in a boat rental club. We used to take a boat out and go catch mahi. And then I went to a high school where I met some friends with boats and that led to... some tournament fishing with some friends from high school, which we got pretty good at, and ultimately took up work on boats in my early 20s, kind of undecided as to a career, had a connection on a boat, and the rest is history. Never look back. Katie (01:32.879) So you're fishing, you're fishing with predominantly southern Florida for a good chunk of your early years, correct? Or your early in the industry years. Mike Calabrese (01:42.947) Yep, that's right. I worked for a program that we pretty much did South Florida kite fishing and then we go to Key West a lot. But mostly Florida before a new job and taking on some travel in my mid -20s after the first job I had which is mostly South Florida based. Katie (02:02.832) Where did you go once you started traveling? Mike Calabrese (02:06.469) Um, so after the first job, I went to school to get my captain's license. I met a fellow there, uh, who was also a fisherman. We became friends in class. And, uh, after this class, uh, he reached out, asked me if I wanted to help deliver a boat, um, from Stewart to Panama, I believe. And, um, I had nothing else going on. I said, sure, let's do it. And, um, met a captain there. It was an American custom yacht. Uh, had a good trip. ended up going back for another delivery which brought me from Costa Rica to Cabo San Lucas where I ended up meeting another boat that was in need of a crewman and that was a boat called the Patriot, a big 80 foot Monterey, Captain Terry Stancil and his wife Bonnie and the timing was right there. I met them in Cabo San Lucas and came back a little while later to start my work there for several years I worked on the Patriot. That was a great learning experience, great program. Fished the Gulf of Mexico and then eventually we towed the boat with a mothership across the Pacific down to Tahiti onto the Kingdom of Tonga and then New Zealand was the distance of that travel. It was a very outstanding trip, yeah. Katie (03:26.707) That's so cool. That's amazing. Okay. So when did you start in Cava with Patriot? Like, what year? Mike Calabrese (03:37.67) That would have been probably around 2005, 2006? Yep. Katie (03:44.147) And so, what were you fishing there? Were you fishing like the finger bank, Gordo? What were you fishing in Cabo? Mike Calabrese (03:49.894) I had missed the big striped marlin season there up the way there at Mag Bay. They had done it previously before I got there. I was actually there for a little while and then we brought the boat back to the Gulf of Mexico that summer. We caught some striped marlin out front, but never the big number stuff that folks are seeing now. Katie (04:09.94) Were you... Was that your first exposure to like marlin fishing? Mike Calabrese (04:15.237) Uh, somewhat. Um, I did have a stint with a friend of mine who, uh, family had a boat and I second mated that, uh, in St. Thomas for a season, which was another great learning experience, blue marlin fishing in St. Thomas. Uh, but other than that, yeah, I had minimal, minimal marlin experience until that point. Katie (04:35.541) So the St. Thomas Marlin fishery is pretty, I've never done it myself, but it's like, I don't want to say rat blues, but like small blue marlin, correct? Like kind of similar to Costa Rica or am I off? Mike Calabrese (04:45.477) Huh? No, St. Thomas is actually known for bigger average quality size fish. Probably 250 to 500 is, you know, but it gets a little rougher there. The fish are angry there. They're very aggressive. Good average size fish, probably average three plus and aggressive and good teaser bites and people love it there for the angry fish. And it would be probably starting in June, but it seems... Katie (04:55.158) Okay. Katie (05:11.095) What's the season in St. Thomas? Mike Calabrese (05:17.701) you know, a little later, the best times I would say would be August, September, October, perhaps lately. Late summer. Mm -hmm. Katie (05:23.704) Nice. Super cool. So, man, I hadn't realized that you were towed on a mothership across the Pacific Ocean. That's a story for another time. I'm going to try not to focus on that because I have a million other questions I want to ask you. But you kind of you caught me off guard. You blew me away there a little bit. But OK, cool. So growing up in South Florida, you were doing the now you mentioned the kite fishing. That's something that. Mike Calabrese (05:38.413) Yeah, okay. Katie (05:53.081) I actually didn't know even was a thing until well after I had started kite fishing for Yellowfin Tuna in the Pacific with Artificial. And I came in, this is for the listener, I came into, back to the Gulf of Mexico and was starting to work with an organization that had me in South Florida for a little while and I called Mike up and I was like, hey, I need to understand this kite fishing industry. Like, why are we? why are we flying kites for sailfish and why only here? So Mike, can you give us some some insight on that? Mike Calabrese (06:31.268) Yeah, so I mean, I certainly didn't invent it or anything like that. I guess down in Miami in the 1950s or so, a fellow figured out how to build and fly a kite and dangle some baits from it with release clips. Basically in South Florida, it's kind of a function of our geography. We have a very steep drop off off the coast. It drops off pretty quick. Therefore the lane that the fish tend to hang out and travel in is quite narrow. So for example, typical sailfish depth here, a lot of places, call it 100 to 200 feet of water. As you get down to South Florida, it's a fairly tightly compressed lane. With that being said, trolling can be difficult to stay in that area, to maximize your fishing in that lane. This fella, I know Bob Lewis was one of the first guys to build a kiter. Those are the first kites from Miami there. Great idea. What it does is it enables you to, almost like an outrigger, get multiple baits away from the boat and also fish them on the surface of the water where sailfish like to come up and feed. It's very visual. You get to see the bite often. It's a fun way to fish. It's pretty efficient. Yeah, it's a fun way to fish. Katie (07:57.821) That's cool. So what you guys are doing is you're using the kites to put the baits in a very specific area because there's only a small surface area where these fish are most likely going to be congregating and feeding. Mike Calabrese (08:13.636) Right, so, you know, that's the thing about any fishing is you never exactly know where the fish are gonna be as far as depth of water, location. But basically we'll take the wind direction, wind direction combined with current, and that's how you decide to where you're gonna put your boat and how your kites are gonna angle behind the boat and what depth of water they're gonna be in. So we'll fish two kites. typically, you can do more, some people fish three. But we'll take two kites and we'll, those are each on their own kite rod, which is an electric rod, short, like a teaser rod, and that has braided kite line on there and clips that catch as the kite goes out. And typically we'll fish three rods per kite. We'll take little split shot sinkers and we'll weight the kites in the corners to, kick them either left or right and once again depending on the wind direction how much kick or bank do you need to essentially we're making a fence for these fish that are migrating south at the same time as the boats drifting north we're almost intercepting schools of fish and your three kite baits are designed as you know you basically want to cover as much ground as possible to cut off these fish moving south. as your

In this podcast episode, Katie interviews Chloe Mikles, a PhD student studying bluefin tuna. They discuss Chloe's research on bluefin tuna and blue marlin movement ecology and population structures. Chloe explains the process of tagging fish and the importance of tracking their migration patterns. Katie and Chloe also talk about the bluefin tuna fishery in North Carolina and the international management of bluefin tuna populations around the world. Chloe shares her background and interest in studying bluefin tuna and discusses her PhD work on population differentiation. They also touch on the handling and care of tagged fish and the differences between handling bluefin tuna and billfish. In this conversation, Katie and Chloe discuss the tagging and tracking of marlin and tuna throughout the Atlantic Ocean. They explore the use of satellite tags and archival tags to collect data on the fish's behavior, including their location, depth, and temperature, and why it is important. They also discuss the challenges of tag recovery and the importance of collaboration with fishermen. The conversation highlights the physiological adaptations of bluefin tuna and their exceptional ability to cross the ocean. The rebound of the bluefin tuna population is also discussed, along with the importance of fisheries management and the economic impact of the fishery. Chloe offers advice for young scientists, emphasizing the importance of following one's passion and staying open to opportunities.   Takeaways   Chloe Mikles is a PhD student studying bluefin tuna and blue marlin movement ecology and population structures. Tagging fish is an important part of Chloe's research to track their migration patterns and understand population differentiation. The bluefin tuna fishery in North Carolina is regulated by size limits and quotas, and the fish are harvested for commercial purposes. International collaboration is crucial for the management of bluefin tuna populations, as they are highly migratory and cross the jurisdictions of many nations. Proper handling and care of tagged fish, such as minimizing air exposure and swimming the fish before release, help reduce mortality rates. Satellite tags and archival tags are used to track the behavior of marlin and tuna, providing data on their location, depth, and temperature. Tag recovery missions can be challenging, as the tags are small and can be difficult to locate in the vast ocean.   Bluefin tuna are endothermic fish, able to regulate their body temperature and withstand a wide range of temperatures. Foraging hotspots and oceanographic conditions play a role in the feeding patterns and migration of bluefin tuna. Collaboration with fishermen is crucial for successful research and fisheries management, as they have valuable knowledge and observations of the fishery. The rebound of the bluefin tuna population demonstrates the effectiveness of strict management regulations and the importance of sustainable fishing practices, despite the many challenges that can be derived from these efforts.   Find Chloe on instagram at @coastal_chloe ----more---- TRANSCRIPT   Katie (00:22.905) Hey, what's up you guys? Welcome to the Katie C Sawyer podcast. I'm sitting here with Chloe Mikles, a remarkable young woman that I have been fan-girling over on the internet for years now. Chloe, thank you so much for being here with me. Chloe (00:37.698) Thank you so much for having me. Yeah, I feel like likewise, I've been fangirling over you for years too. So it's always fun to sit down and talk with you. Katie (00:45.849) That's so sweet. I really appreciate it. All right, you guys, Chloe is a PhD candidate at Stanford University, working with Dr. Barbara Block, a legend, studying bluefin tuna and blue marlin, movement ecology and population structures. Chloe, can you tell our listeners just like a brief synopsis of what that means? Chloe (01:07.882) Yes, so yeah, we oftentimes get caught up with like tossing in a lot of scientific jargon with our work. So Basically, I am in graduate school and for my dissertation work. I am learning from my advisor Barb Block and I am doing everything from going out into the field to tagging the fish which is the most fun part and probably what we'll talk the most about and then reading a bunch of papers to the scientific literature and I do some lab work as well, and then it all ends up, the culmination of the PhD is basically writing a bunch of scientific papers that summarize our findings. Katie (01:47.477) So what kind of questions are you asking about these populations? Chloe (01:53.258) So you can start off like very, you can go from very simple to very complex, basically, these questions. The most basic question is, we're putting tags on animals to see where they go. And you can make that more and more and more complex. So for example, from Marlin in North Carolina, blue marlin have been tagged all over the world, but not that many have been tagged off the coast of North Carolina. So by focusing efforts regionally in different locations, we can get a better idea of where the fish that pass through there go. And basically like if their migration patterns are different, if there are different populations of fish that are traveling elsewhere and just trying to learn more and more about these fish because it's so hard to study the ocean. I mean, it's not like, you know, a deer or a mountain lion or something where you can actually like watch where they go and track them or, you know, put a radio color on them and see where they go. The ocean is really hard to study. Everything's underwater. Everything's innately then more cryptic. Um, the technology is much more difficult to actually get something that can track animals underwater. So the more tags that we put out and the more data that we collect, it's like, we're constantly learning more about these fish every single time. Katie (03:07.065) really love that you just like compared the ocean towards land mammals and land predators out there and animals that we've been studying and trying to manage for a long time. We still have so far to go to properly manage our wildlife on land and the ocean is that much more difficult to do. So we'll get into that a little bit a little later because I want to really touch on what you're doing and what kind of questions and answers we're getting from that. But for the sake of Chloe (03:18.536) Mm-hmm. Chloe (03:22.764) Right. Chloe (03:26.322) Exactly. Chloe (03:32.415) Yeah. Katie (03:36.979) I'm a blue marlin girl. Let's focus our energy on the bluefin tuna because it's just there's such fascinating animals and I have so many questions for you. So first off let's start with where you started. Where did you grow up? Chloe (03:38.982) I know. Cool. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Chloe (03:55.074) So I grew up in North Carolina and that is, yeah, that's a big reason why I've chose to study these fish for my PhD. So my family had a place on the coast of the Southern Outer Banks. And I just grew up there always being so fascinated by the ocean. And then kind of like in my most formative years when I was an undergrad and like right out of college, I made, you know, I made some of my best friends in my life and was fishing constantly. And... that reason, like, I love animals. I have always been passionate about studying them. It probably could have been anything, but the fact that, like, in those years I became so obsessed with offshore fishing, that's, yeah, that really did it. I know. Yeah. So... Katie (04:38.381) I got chicken skin. I feel that. I feel that on so many levels. So you did your undergrad at Cornell, right? You had a, didn't you have a full ride scholarship swimming? Chloe (04:51.17) So I did swim there for four years. The Ivy League actually doesn't provide like athletic scholarships, which is interesting. Yeah, but yes. So I swam at Cornell for four years. I majored in animal science. My original plan was to be a vet because I loved animals. And then I was doing a couple of internships with North Carolina State University and their Marine Station on the coast, actually working with both like fisheries biologists and Marine veterinarians. Katie (04:53.111) No big deal. Chloe (05:21.038) And I was like, this is so cool. Like I didn't realize that there was a career where you can actually study the ocean. Like I was getting paid as an intern. I mean, not much, but I was getting paid as an intern to go offshore and tag Mahi. I was like, this is so much fun. This is so cool. Um, and then as far as bluefin tuna, um, I just saw firsthand how important that fishery was to the local community. And it was like this amazing seasonal thing where every winter, Katie (05:35.441) Yeah. Chloe (05:50.994) It's like everyone would be commercial fishing for them. Like you would get your hardcore commercial fishermen who fish all year round fishing for bluefin tuna. But then you would get people who just do different jobs, um, take off weeks to partake in the commercial bluefin fishery for a couple of weeks. And yeah, it's a really different, I think it's a very unique commercial fishery. It's very different from most places in the country and the world. Um, it's a very short season, but Katie (06:07.493) That's fascinating. Chloe (06:19.934) I saw how much money it brought in to the local community, how excited people were, like, you know, there'd be little kids coming to see the bluefin brought in. And it was just like this, and it coincides with, you know, Thanksgiving and Christmas. So it's like this holiday season, just an extra excitement to the holiday season. Katie (06:39.013) Definitely. Tell us a little bit. So there's three populations of bluefin. There's the Atlantic bluefin, the Pacific, and the southern bluefin, correct? Chloe (06:48.806) Yeah, so those are three different species. It gets very complex when you start, yeah. So there are different species of bluefin tuna and then they're within the At

This episode is here to kick off the Katie C. Sawyer Podcast channel and give you, the listener, and idea of what you can expect moving forward.   Katie didn't grow up in the fishing and hunting industry, so how did she end up living a life that completely revolves around it? Find out here.