skaevents

2.14.09 HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY. Nancy and I have spent our past 7 Valentine's Days at the Miami Show. This year we capped off the holiday with a sumptuous dinner at DeVito in South Beach. Before we headed out for dinner, we toured the show again and this time we wanted to check in with some of our SKA pals. One company that does a great job supporting the sport is SeaCraft and their support of the SKA Pro Team - Mad Mouse Captained by Ron Ferris is a great example of their support. We looked around the SeaCraft hulls and spent a few minutes with Rob talking fishing...

Nancy and I also had a chance to visit our pals at Raymarine and ran into Conrad Lau of the SKA Pro team Koolau. We learned a few new tricks on the Raymarine equipment tested the new C140 wide and commiserated about the fish that got away. We then attended a seminar in the 'Big Game Room' on the benefits of the Hilton Realtime Navigation system.....

We also had a chance to participate in an interactive fish off with Nancy in one fighting chair and me in another. In a piscatorial tug of war called 'Chair Fighting' -- this was fun for us both as well as the small crowd gathered in the area. Next we stopped by to say hello to Chris Carrol of Cape Fear Sportswear for a chat about all things fishing...Chris' company Cape Fear Sportswear has some of the best kingfishing T-shirts of anyone...

There is something for everyone at the show and the pictures below demonstrate this very nicely. The first is a new check-in and check-out boat that the SKA might consider deploying to keep everyone in line during the start and end of the day. Cleaning the boat after any SKA event is a full time effort and the show had plenty for those in need. Every SKA team needs a truck to haul the boat around with and the show had some BIG trucks to see. Finally any team that has ever needed to cast net bait that was in the surf line would want to use one of the amphibious Sealegs pogie chasers.......drive right up on the beach and then back out or visa versa.

All in all the show was a success for Team FishDancer..we accomplished each of our objectives, saw some of the best new SKA boats and had some fun along the way.

2.13.09 Friday the 13th and Day Two of the Miami International Boat Show. Today "THE' FishDancer and I wanted to check out the boats, have some fun and take a run on the new Contender 33Ts stepped hull. We started out by checking out the SKA equipment we used to fish the trail. Mercury and Contender both stalwarts of the SKA trails. The Mercury display was full of motors, technicians and show attendees and the Contender in the water display at Monty's Marina was non stop sea trial activity. The in water display had one of each of Contender's hulls including the 23T, 27T, 31T, 33T and ST and new 37T

One of the biggest buzzes around the show was the introduction of the Contender 37T....another new hull in the Contender T family that is already flush with great success with the 27T and 33T. The 37T is a large boat capable of handling quad motors and is sure to be a success on the SKA trail. It can be configured in a variety of ways and is capable of speeds in excess of 70 mph. After crawling all around the 37T at the display in the Miami Convention Center and then going on the 33ST it is truly amazing how large and spacious the 37T is. I laid down on the rear deck and stretched out my arms over my head and covered about 60% of the beam....WOW. We were discussing the beam with another SKA team and determined you could easily (although we are not too sure how comfortably) overnight on the deck with 3 people.

The layout is almost the same as the 33T with extended room in the bow and aft sections of the deck and the 10' 8" beam provides the angler with a sense of fishing aboard a sport fisher. The Contender factory has changed the finish inside the head, adding hatch covers for access and added some padding and all of the T hulls boast this upgraded look....

We also had the chance to sea trial the 33ST (stepped hull) to get a first hand understanding of the differences between the 33T and the 33ST. This has been a point of dock conversation almost everywhere we have been since the ST introduction at Biloxi. Let me start by saying that either is a great choice for any angling team and depends upon the individual preferences of the angler. I love our 33T and there was nothing in the 33ST that would change my mind about this new style hull. The takeoff on the 33STs is about the same as the 33T, the ST is a bit quicker overall (about 3-8 MPH depending upon motor configuration) and seems to be a bit more fuel efficient burning .9-1 gallons per mile at 66 mph. As with any stepped hull the ST rides a bit different but in the end the choice is up the individual either the conventional hull 33T or the 33ST are GREAT boats.

We also had a chance to visit with Invincible ....

and Yellowfin Yachts...where we crawled all over the new Yellowfin 29 pictured below....

We also had the chance to attend a seminar facilitated by Tom Hilton of Hilton's Realtime Navigator, met a few friends and finished the day with some cocktails at the Delano Hotel (pictured below)...one amazing fact from the show is that 2 rounds of 12 year old scotch and pina coladas at the Delano cost less than a personal pizza and Caesar salad we had for lunch at the boat show??????? YIKES!!!!!

Stay tuned for more reports and pictures......

2.12.09 Premier Day: There is nothing finer than enjoying 80 degree weather and warm breezes in February. There is no place better to engage in this activity, especially for the avid boater, than Miami Beach, Florida in February. Arriving in Miami around noon today 'THE' FishDancer and I strolled and enjoyed some of the show. Today was a good day to check into the hotel, stop by the press room, pick up our credentials and get a general overview of the show. We are staying at the Marriott at Biscayne Bay right next to the in the water portion of the show at Sealine Marina and can hop a shuttle back and forth the to Convention Center -- very convenient. This show is critical to the Miami area business community creating more than $800mm in economic benefit to the boating community and the area. This is a real economic stimulus. Below you will find a picture of the show floor from the convention center as well as a view of Sealine Marina as seen from the concierge lounge at the Marriott......stay tuned we will review the new SKA boats and motors in the next segment.....

Team FishDancer believes that many times the ability of the team to work through uncontrollable issues and make decisions during tournament week has a direct correlation to tournament success. The exception that proves this rule is our recent experience in Key West. Both Nancy and I knew that weather would affect the fishing as several fronts were forecasted to pass through the area during the tournament week. Although it seemed that the sea and wind conditions would be favorable to make long runs on either tournament day we had planned on the fronts affecting the bite as well as the ability of teams to locate and catch live baits. The plan was to bait fish and pre fish before the front came, hunker down during the blow and get ready for a decent bite following the front passing. We were not the only team following this plan as we ran into the 2008 Anglers of the Year on Liquid Fire while bait fishing as the front approached....

We wanted to be sure we had a good selection of live baits for this event and despite our bait fishing efforts before and after the front, we also secured some from our bait source....ending up with a good selection of goggle eyes and tinkers from Lee the baitman and runners that we jigged and penned up ourselves....

So we were excited about our chances as we thought we had the weather pattern figured out with an ample supply and variety of live baits, ribbon fish and chum to entice a strike from a big king mackerel. Fishing tournaments can be both exhilarating and maddening -- as I tell 'THE' FishDancer, it is more about process than about weight and IF you continue to do the right things and make the right decisions you will end up high in the standings. During this event we felt we did the right things -- we fished well but had little to show for it. We were in the right place on day one -- there was a 50, a 49 and many other 40s and high 30s caught there -- yet we could not get bit by anything more than a 10 pound snake. On day two our first bait in the water at a new locale got smashed and we caught about 10 fish half of which were over 30 pounds. So we start the 09 season a bit behind in the standings but strengthened by our Key West experience and more determined than ever to move up and earn Nancy the LAOY title. Next up for Team FishDancer is a quick weekend trip to the Miami Boat Show ....... stay tuned.....

Team FishDancer left Key West after executing its plan but not with the expected results. On day one the team ran 40 miles west into '...no man's land...' and fished among the jerk boats and other tournament teams. we caught many fish but none of any weight with the largest being a fish that neither 'THE' FishDancer or me were sure IF it would meet the minimum weight of 10 pounds. At noon, as planned, we made the run back east to a spot where we had good luck pre-fishing. We fished this area for about 2 hours with no strikes. Heading to the scale we were pleased to see our first day fish was 10.16 pounds....a terrible start but a start nonetheless.

On day two we decided to work an area that held the winning fish from the previous year and right off the bat had two fish over 30 pounds in the boat. We worked the area all day and could not better our day two catch and headed to the scale with a fish I thought might be 32 pounds. The weigh master called 31.72 and we ended the first SKA event of the 09 Pro Season in 41st place overall with Nancy earning 8th place overall in the chase for the LAOY title. Stay tuned.....

The 2009 SKA season is underway with both the first Professional event of the year and the first Divisional tournament to be held concurrently in Key West, Florida. Team FishDancer took advantage of a fishable day on Monday and had a good day. Catching some bait in the usual spots, the team headed west down the reef line and 'THE' FishDancer caught a 'birthday' sailfish, 2 king mackerel and 2 cudas.

As of this AM there is a small craft advisory in effect with the winds at Sand Key light steady at 23knots with gusts to 29knots. The seas beyond the reef are forecasted to be 6-10' on Tuesday, 5-8' on Wednesday and subsiding to 4-6' on Thursday. With the passing of two fronts, the fishing is likely to change but it seems that the weather may cooperate for the tournament days and let the anglers run to the fish....stay tuned for more reports and pictures from Key West, Florida...

2009

2009 is about to begin and with a new year comes all of the expectations of new challenges and opportunities. This season will begin in the midst of the highest uncertainty since the 2002 season began following the 9.11 attacks. There is so much doom and gloom in the media it is difficult to stay positive but 'THE' FishDancer and I are going to try as we continue our preparations for the upcoming kickoff of the 2009 SKA season in Key West, Florida. The 2009 SKA Pro Tour kickoff has been moved back several weeks to its traditional kickoff time in late January and will be held in conjunction with the 2009 SKA divisional kickoff. Key West is one of our favorite places to fish --especially in January. Warm weather, big fish all in middle of winter offers teams the opportunity to jump ahead in the standings as well as shake off some of the cold and rust created by the 'offseason'. The lore of the 'Conch Republic' and the history of this treasured place is strong and when coupled with the island's king fishing heritage and good prospects for catching BIG fish, entices even the most casual of kingfishers to participate. To assist those who don't fully know the history of king fishing in Key West I recently found a report entitled;

"THE FLORIDA KEYS WAY BACK WHEN...(FISHING FOR KING MACKEREL IN THE 'GOOD OLD DAYS' OF KEY WEST'S HISTORIC SEAPORT DISTRICT)".

This report was researched and written by Edward J. Little Jr., President, Key West Maritime Historical Society. It probably comes as no surprise to those accustomed to fishing Key West that king fishing has been an ongoing commercial and sporting activity on Key West for quite some time. As early as 1772 there is historical record of King Mackerel angling from Key West and as Mr. Little wrote;

"... another early chronicle of Florida, that of James Grant Forbes (published in 1821) cites "king fish (no hyphen) among the list of fishes of the Florida Keys. Prior to 1822, the Keys still belonged to Spain. There were no permanent settlements on these islands. That year, the U.S. took possession of Florida. Soon, a few enterprising Americans began building a small town at Key West. Much of its economy centered on the salvaging of sailing vessels sunk or grounded on the coral reefs of the Keys. But, there was another business in addition to this "wrecking" (as the salvage industry was called) that contributed greatly to the prosperity of the new town: fishing for the market at Havana (the nearest large city). Spaniards from Cuba, and the English from the Bahamas, had long been frequenting the Keys to fish, to catch sea turtles, and to cut lumber. But, after the U.S. Navy planted the American flag at Key West, the government moved to exclude these "interlopers" from the Keys. It was not long before the rich fishing grounds of the region were being visited by American fishermen. They mostly hailed from New England ports. Each winter, they would sail their fishing sloops to the Keys. These vessels each had a live well amidships. The catch, which chiefly consisted of groupers, could be held alive in the well until the trip ended at Havana. In time, the crews of these vessels put down roots" at Key West's Historic Seaport. Thus, the fishing industry expanded...."

So anyone heading down to help kickoff the 2009 SKA season does so with more than 200 years of history of king fishing as your foundation. Over this large span of time, the fishing has not drastically changed. In his article, Mr. Little reported the following regarding the angling equipment, tactics and bait choices of the day:

"When KeyWest was only a small settlement, much of the islander's food supply came from the sea. Thus, from 1820's on, king mackerel were probably in demand among the populace. Also, in those early days, it seems likely that exports of salted king mackerel to Havana were begun. Salt was used as a preservative because until 1890, there was no ice-making plant at Key West. By the early 1880's Havana had become the major market for king mackerel caught off the Keys. Fishing for king mackerel was usually done from November through April. That was when huge schools of this species migrated to the Keys. Fishing was done by trolling under sail. They were the Key West sloop-rigged "smackee". These sturdy vessels were seldom longer than 25 feet. They typically carried a crew of two. A catch of groupers or other "bottom" fish could be held alive in a well amidships. But, active, surface schooling fish such as king mackerel, did not survive in the well. So, when trolling for kings, the well served just to hold the day's catch temporarily. By nightfall, crew would either return to the docks along the Seaport and sell the catch, or if the crew intended to also fish the next day, anchor out for the night, and split the kings open and salt them for temporary preservation aboard the boat. Each smackee was equipped with kingfish "drails". These were cotton handlines that ended in a short leader of brass wire to which a single stout hook was attached by wrapping with thin wire. The wire leader prevented the sharp teeth of the kings from cutting the hooks off the cotton line. The hook was usually baited with pieces of skin from a freshly caught kingfish. Of course, the question arises, "what bait was used to catch the first king of the trip, so it could be used in turn as bait"? A fisherman (asked in 1885) replied this way: "oh, anything we happen to have..., sometimes a pork rind, a rag, or something that attracts attention. This trip I took his stockings (pointing to his shipmate, a lad of seventeen or eighteen years) and first rate bait they made, too. The fish bit fast, and we caught nearly thirty before we had a chance to put on any other bait...."

Not even the kingfish grounds seem to have changed much over the years with the areas West of the port providing the fleet the bounty it sought then and now;

"...it seems that the most popular kingfishing grounds … were described thusly in 1936: "About 45 miles west of Key West, in the vicinity of Marquesas Keys...is a watery waste dubbed "No Man's Land" ... Commercial fishermen risk the elements and dangerous straits to assemble in this place when the fish [king mackerel] are running... the author [ angling writer Moise Kaplan] has observed there, during January, all kinds of vessels, from comfortable yachts to mere floating barques-everything that could carry one or more fishermen and hold a hundred or more of these fishes. The total poundage of great kingfishes taken from this single place, when the commercial fleet's operation is at its height, is tremendous". That was indeed true. Annual catch statistics indicate that king mackerel landings at Key West averaged about 400,000 pounds in the years immediately following World War One. They reached the million pound level by the late 1920's. Reportedly, the crews were paid about six cents a pound for their fish during the inter-war period. The number of vessels involved is poorly known. A number of crews and boats from more northerly ports came to the Keys each winter to join Key West locals on the kingfish grounds. A reasonable estimate is that 75-100 boats were in the commercial fishery. Most of these were based at the docks that once ringed the Seaport. Such craft were also joined by the vessels of the growing fraternity of sports anglers and charterboat captains. There were at least three charter boats operating out of Key West in the early 1920's, and with passing years, their numbers swelled. In addition, starting in the 1920's, there were a handful of charterboats based at Pirate's Cove resort on Sugarloaf Key, and at the Long Key Fishing Camp (before it was swept away by the 1935 hurricane)..."

As Team FishDancer prepares our equipment, boat and truck for the long ride south, we do so with a better understanding of the history of our sport. We hope to see many of our readers out in 'No Mans Land' and now call not only the fish and weather gods to smile upon us but also beseech the ghosts of previous generations of Key West kingfishers to send us some big fish....stay tuned.

It is days like today that make you think about the reasons why you fish the SKA Professional K

kingfish Tour. The weather forecast was poor and at last night's Captain's meeting a vote was held by the Pro Captains to decide IF we should fish one day (Saturday) and be able to weigh two fish or fish two days. By a margin of 3 votes the majority decided to fish two days. This decision is completely understandable -- eliminate the luck factor and test ourselves against each other AND Mother Nature. The checkout went smoothly at 7am and Nancy and I had made a last minute change of plan - on the water decision regarding our fishing spot. Rather than fish right out front of Key West, we decided to run West as far as we thought was reasonable and try to make it some spots where we had enjoyed good luck in the past. The first 20 miles was fine with the new FishDancer humming along around 45mph. The last 15 was MISERABLE. Once we passed the Marquesas the ocean got ugly in a hurry and we plodded our way another 15 miles to our chosen location. After trolling in 20-25mph winds and seas all of 4-6' we got a strike and began our first 'Kingfish Mambo' on the new Contender with Mercury Verado 300s. After a daunting dance, Nancy was able to bring the fish boatside and I was able to gaff the fish...we both figured mid 30s, a good fish to christen the new boat. We fished for another 90 minutes or so amid the building seas and decided to head back closer to home base...so we turned the bow directly into the winds and seas and and headed the 30+ miles back towards Key West. The Contender 33T handled the seas with surety and solid feel, landing softly when needed and there was no better sea trial for the boat than the seas we fished in today. The Mercury Verado 300s did their job without complaint, quiet, sipping fuel at our low cruise speed and easy to drive due to the power steering. We fished the afternoon away at the Western Dry Rocks without a bite and headed to the scale to find the fish tournament fish weighed on the new boat weighed 33.27 pounds and put us in 14th place after day one. Oh yeah, despite the trials, seas, winds and other hazards the reason we fish the SKA Pro Tour is that it is so much fun. We are glad to see several of our 'old' fishing buddies -- The Reel Won and Four Sons -- are back to fish in this circuit......stay tuned......

Nancy and I have arrived in sunny Key West, Florida -- the site for the start of the 2008 SKA Professional Kingfish Tour. We left Fernandina Beach for the 550 mile one way trek and decided to make the trip in two parts, first traveling to Weston and staying overnight and then making the last leg of the journey to the keys. The good news is we arrived without incident and safe, no DOT issues or other mishaps but the bad news was the 2nd leg of this trip took forever. Almost 5 hours from Weston to Key West - it seems there were myriad 'Sunday Drivers' coupled with a nautical flea market in Islamorada and a new traffic light on Deer Key which both had westbound traffic tied up for miles. Upon arriving at Kings Pointe Condos and Marina (formerly known as Oceanside) we got the boat settled into her slip and 'THE' FishDancer and I settled in our condo overlooking the marina. Although very pricey, this set up is one of our favorites along the circuit.

We had the chance to take the new FishDancer out this afternoon and played around a bit at the KW buoy and a few other close in locales seeking bait. We had a few bonita, a small yellowtail and 3 blue runners. We also checked out where we think the scales will be -- if we are right just go between the cruise ships and you cannot miss it, but we are not sure. Weather wise all looks good until Wednesday when a front is expected through and the seas are projected to be up. Thursday's NOAA forecast is calling for 5-7' beyond the reef and the same for Friday.....YIKES. We hope the accuracy of the forecast is in play here and if the front passes on Wednesday and we get a blow Wednesday night and Thursday that perhaps the winds and seas will calm a bit for the first day of the event. Stay tuned....

We Splashed our 2008 Contender 33t with dual Mercury Verado 300s today. All I can say is WOW!!! After Nancy backed me down the ramp, I turned the keys and said "S*&t there is something wrong, the %$#&*@&#^$## engines won't turn over." I walked to the transom to diagnose the problem and realized they had both fired immediately and were so quiet I didn't hear them. Humbled already by the engines and DTS, I was hooked. The Mercury Verados are simply AWESOME. Quiet, powerful, DTS is slick and with the standard power steering it makes the 33t responsiveness similar to a sports car. The ability to control the boat with DTS is much enhanced vs. traditional throttles and I artfully made the Contender 33t pivot in place while docking at the marina....it actually looked like I knew what I was doing!!!!!! After splashing her and running the boat for 15 minutes, I wondered how we ever lived without them. We are still breaking in the motors but with 150 gallons of fuel, three full livewells and two people we topped out at 57MPH on the GPS. We ran Tempest 23 props. I would expect there might be a bit more speed available with some tweaking but all in all the 33t is a great hull and the Mercury Verado 300s are already well above my wildest expectations.....

Every angling team needs support assistance and Team FishDancer is no exception. In our 12 year angling career we have found none better than Charlie, ED and Sherrie from River Marine whom we depend upon for our Mercury support and engine service. And we count upon Robert Salas from Quality Marine as our chosen electronics expert.

Thanks to all for assisting us in getting the FishDancer rigged and ready to head south for the start of the SKA Pro Tour season. We have less than 2 weeks to go..stay tuned.....

Regular readers of this website know that the 'FishDancer' team name was derived following a long ago vacation to the Big Island of Hawaii and a visit to the 600 year old fishing village at Lapakahi. Here the fish and weather gods were called upon and danced to; assuring the safe return and bountiful catches of the village's fisherman. This was a rough living for these ancient anglers and we have come to honor the respect they showed for the forces of nature. Winds, seas, volcanoes, earthquakes, floods and droughts were all a common occurrence on the islands -- in fact just prior to our visit, the Big Island experienced a hurricane, earth quake, volcanic eruption of Kilauea and a tsunami alert all within the same week. These were not islands for the faint hearted!!! Thankfully modern civilization is just a few miles away from the ancient village and we enjoyed our 100% Kona coffee each morning of our stay on the veranda of our condo overlooking Maua Kea and the 9th hole of the Waikoloa Golf Course, literally steps from the beach. The Mauna Kea mountain is 13,000 feet tall and is in the winter season snow capped. It hosts some of the Earth's most powerful telescopes as the clear air of the islands coupled with very low light pollution create astronomy's best window into our universe. It is quite a site under any circumstance; literally a 13,000 foot mountain of cooled lava.

It has been 5 years since Nancy and I have ventured back to the fishing village which is the inspiration of our fishing team and we wanted to be sure the fish gods were not displeased with our absence. We brought with us a Mardi Gras coin from New Orleans and obtained some beads on the island to leave among a collection of lava rocks and coral we assembled at the Lapakahi site. This offering should please the Hawaiian god of volcanoes Pele and her sister the Hawaiian god of the seas Namakaokahai. Hawaiian mythology has these two siblings always fighting and this can still be witnessed today as lava seeps out of the Kilauea east rift zone and travels to the sea to be savaged by the forces of the sea. Polynesian and Hawaiian myths all indicate that Namakaokahai always seems to win these battles with Pele needing to move from island to island. These types of offerings to the gods were commonplace in ancient Hawaii and along with human and animal sacrifices. Sacrifices were a staple of the Kapu system of governance. A Kapu was a forbidden act and punishable by death. Kapu acts could range from taking fish out of season to having your shadow pass by an Ali'i (royalty). Since we wanted to be sure to honor the gods we left our offering and can only hope that our meager offering will please the ancient gods on the Big Island.

John Prine sings with editorial license from Captain Jeff

"Up in the morning - fish for a hog;

Is better than sitting like a bump on a log.

Keep your baits happy and troll your lines straight;

Someday you’ll catch a fish with the winning weight.

Now I know a fellow, he is tall like a tree;

He publishes a web site to help anglers like you and me.

You ought to see his wife; she’s a cute little dish;

With a smile like the sun, she dances with fish.

There’s a big ‘ole goofy man fish dancing with a lil ole goofy girl

Oooooooo baby, Kingfishing it’s a big ole goofy world"

Anyone who has ever wet a line knows that fishing can be a strange pass-time. Anyone who has ever tournament fished for king mackerel can testify about the strange and weird occurrences from the weather, to fish behavior, to decisions of tournament officials. As John Prine reminds us above "...ooooooooooo baby, Kingfishing it's a big 'ole goofy world..." With this in mind I thought I might try to list the top 10 'goofy' things about the Kingfishing world from the FishDancer tournament experience.....

1. Nature/Weather - nothing is 'goofier' in this sport than nature! Sea conditions, weather and other natural phenomenon create havoc for us. Fog at the nationals several years back made the 120 mile run to the west delta interesting, water spouts, seeing lightning turn the ocean red, fishing in 40 degree air temps in Key West, bites turning off due to passing fronts, catching pogies in the 'Hawaiian-like' swells off of Hatteras, the monsters who live under the waves of the mouths of certain inlets, thermoclines and catching kings in the gulf when the H2O surface temperatures were in the 50s all prove that Mother Nature in the number one Goofy variable along the SKA Professional Trail....don't anger the fish gods or mother nature!!!!

2. 61.1 three circles - If you participated in my Kingfish College series you would be instructed to take a gaff shot anytime the gaff man feels ready and able to gaff the fish. I should follow my own instructions. In 2003 while fishing the SKA Pro Tour stop at Port Fourchon, Louisiana, Team FishDancer was able to score a decent fish on day one - a 43.49 to keep us in the running at this event. On day two we headed back to our 'secret rig' and placed a high 40s fish and then a fish over 50 in the boat. We fished a bit longer and 'THE' FishDancer angled the fish to within gaffing distance. As I was on the gaff, and I did not want to kill another fish, that seemed to me to be about the same size as what we already had in the bag, I kept asking are your sure? "Are you sure this fish is bigger"? All the time the fish would surge again and head away from the boat straining our tackle to the limit. Finally my crew advised me that if I gaffed this fish it would be the biggest fish we ever caught.....so I did. The fish was 61.1 pounds and how GOOFY is it to have watched this fish on the surface for about 10 minutes trying to decide its size? GRANDE GOOOFY!!!

3. Fuel water separator alarm on the Century -When Nancy and I first got into this goofy sport, we were running our first boat a Century 2300 with a single Yamaha 250 OX66 motor. We were new to boating and learning the ins and outs of boat handling, engine maintenance and the finer points of how to compete, something we are still working on. We checked out, plodded out to our chosen spot in some sporty seas and fished for a while when alarm went off telling us that our external fuel/water separator had failed. Not knowing what exactly that meant we decided to head back in...so we plowed our way back to the dock and called our dealer only to learn that our boat/motor combination did not even HAVE an external fuel water separator and apparently we were getting a false alarm!!!!! GOOOOFY??? Undeniably.

4. Losing equipment overboard - without recanting the sad stories about each lost piece of equipment, here is the list: rods, reels, rods and reels attached to fish, 30# boga attached to a 28# redfish, castnets, downrigger balls, cell phones, bait, sunglasses, reading glasses, hats, shirts, gloves, sandwiches, drinks, buckets and the Captain on several occasions. "...ooooo baby its a big ole goofy world...".

5. Watching the winning fish caught next to you - we have learned the hard way that anyone who thinks that the only reason the others are catching fish and you aren't is luck -- think denial is a river in Africa. While luck comes into play, there are other factors far more important. There are countless examples of when we were in the right place at the right time and got skunked while more experienced and flexible teams caught fish. The best example of this is years ago we were fishing at the Elton Bottom one day with about 6 other teams. Dave Workman's 'Strike Zone' was there and Nancy and I watched as they caught fish all day long and the other teams did not -- including us; it was a true Kingfishing clinic. When we asked Dave about this at the store one day, he only smiled. We have learned over the years that there are techniques not everyone knows or uses and there is a level of skill required to be consistently good. GOOOFY? Especially if you don't learn!!!!

7. Captain's meeting information - I can honestly say that information I have received during the Captain's meeting has been among the goofiest things we have encountered during our fishing career. The information bantered about during these gatherings reminds me of some sort of bizarre farmer's market; you can get information on anything you seek, bait, fish, water conditions, seas, etc -- you just don't know if it is ripe enough to use. During one SKA Div IV event in early May several years ago Team FishDancer was working with 5-6 other teams sharing information. Every team we worked with indicated they would be employing our Joe Namath strategy (go deep) and would see us at our chosen fishing grounds -- we confirmed this at the Captain's meeting with each team! Next day we headed east some 55 miles and had the joint to ourselves - catching the 2nd place fish in the event. It seems our 'angling buddies' all decided to head south and all got skunked. Lesson learned for us -- we enjoy working with other teams but always have our own plans. Oh well........this seems TRES GOOFY to me.

8. TEAM meetings - I would like to highlight that our DONZI team Captain, Dan Upton, hosts one of the best meetings with great food, excellent company and lots of fun. Many times folks ask me what I learned from the Team Meeting I attended and I almost answer that the drinks were cold and the food hot. One team shared their experience with us, when they attended a 'Team Meeting' for the first time. They indicated all teams indicated that the fish were scattered along a 50 mile line and no one knew exactly where they were going. At checkout each and every one of these teams checked out, turned in the same direction and fished the same spot!!!! Man the beer was cold but so was the information at the meeting. Expecting any teams to share 'hot' information about the fishery is GOOFY..........

9. Boat ramp follies - I don't think much more is needed here. While we have had a few ramp follies ourselves....the activities during any given weekend at the ramp could make up a full list of GOOFY all by themselves. For us the Jensen Beach event has been the worst at the causeway ramp.....those people should be ashamed. They are beyond GOOFY.........

10. The Doomsayers and Paydayers - over the course of the past several years I have written extensively on these GOOFY folks. They have predicted the demise of the SKA - WRONG!!!! They have predicted Jack Holmes would get fired -- WRONG!! They have predicted the FLW would take over kingfishing -- WRONG!!! They have predicted that anglers would be able to make a living kingfishing -- WRONG!!!! They have threatened me personally - GOOFY!!!! The FishDancer philosophy has always been to fish where you choose, for the reasons that best fit your team. Is that GOOFY??? I will let you be the judge of that!!!

Team FishDancer will be preparing for the Little River SKA Pro event and the Rumble in the Jungle over the coming weeks and are seeking to move up in the standing along the SKA Pro Tour. We hope we see you there....stay tuned

The Final SKA Pro standings to the left and day one standings to the right

What a tournament for 'THE' FishDancer and Captain Jeff. The headline is Nancy won the SKA Pro Tour Lady Angler and the team finished 4th overall in the SKA Pro Tour stop at Golden Isles, Georgia. We caught two good fish a 27.70 on day one and a 24.32 on the second day of competition for an aggregate total of 52.01. All of this was made sweeter as Team FishDancer accomplished it after posting Nancy in the Day 1 Lady angler lead and the FishDancer Team in 5th place overall on day one. Nothing beats getting off to a great start in a two day event, nothing that is except improving your position or holding the lead through day two and the final leader board. Nancy and I are proud to say we did both!! Nothing however is ever easy and competing with the best on tour in a two day aggregate format always has its own challenges.

Following a wonderful wedding in NY, where my Niece was married, both Nancy and I came back to Florida with some kind of virus we picked up in the big city. While we had a great time spending some time with our family, seeing a show in NYC and attending the wedding ceremony and reception, unfortunately somewhere our old NJ antibodies have worn off and we were both struck by some kind of flu bug. By the middle of the week it was doubtful that we would even be able to compete in this event and we began to make plans in case we could not. This was a strange thing to be doing, making plans in case you can't fish -- YIKES, this is something we never had confronted before. Dragging ourselves to the Captain's meeting we decided to sign up only for the SKA Professional tour event and decided, due to the uncertainty of our participation, not to enter any of the calcuttas or the local division IV SKA event, something we always do. The weather forecast was getting worse, as was the hacking and coughing from Nancy and me, but we decided to give it our best effort despite our feeling poorly and the miserable weather forecast. We needed to make a fishing plan and as such, I have always said that IF you landed from outer space and needed to catch a kingfish from the SE GA/NE FL area the two places to fish would be Grey's Reef or Elton Bottom. Both are large areas and have many places to fish even in a crowd. As it turned out either place was the right one ....

We chose to fish north and were greeted at 4:30am by a driving rain that would not stop the entire day. We stopped briefly to look for pogies but decided that the low clouds and rain would have the bait suspended and it might take too long for them to come up, if they came up at all. We had 18 frisky blue runners courtesy of casting the green net with Mr. Sportsman (Eric) so we turned the bow NE and headed the 30 or so miles to our chosen spot. We must have had 3-5" of rain fall on us during our fishing time, a miserable, cold and wet experience. The torrents of rain caused our fish boxes to fill and our bilge pumps were busy most of the day pumping out the rain water that had fallen. Feeling crummy, dressed in our foul weather gear and fishing hard, day one was the single most miserable day Nancy and I have ever spent on the water and it was only mitigated by the fact that we were able to find a 27.70 pound fish and came away from day one in 5th place with Nancy the leading lady angler. Following the weigh in we headed back to the hotel and started to ask ourselves where we should go to fish the following day, we were so worn out from our flu and the rain we did not check with any other teams for fishing reports and were virtually blind to where any fish had been caught other than the few we actually saw. We decided to head back to the same spot and fished hard all day and waited for our chance, something we both believed would come if we, as Terry LaCoss always taught me, were patient.

The ride out was nasty with the winds up from the NW and seas running a strong 3-5' and the Mercury Smart Guages warning us of water in our fuel. YIKES!!! Was it from all of the rain yesterday? Bad gas in Fourchon, LA? Bad gas from GA? Who knows but it is not fun to bleed out the water from the Mercs in 3-5' seas and 20+ mph winds; nonetheless I got the water out of our fuel system and on we went. We arrived at the spot around 8am and fished hard seeking the shot or two we felt confident we would get. We ran into The Four Suns II and they had not been successful out deeper and later in the day fellow members of the DONZI nation, Sweet Caroline were fishing near us. Nancy and I both felt we would get a chance at a fish, we were both right!!! Our chance was a single bite coming late in the day, around 2:30pm when a decent fish skied on our bait and we hooked up. Performing a quick Kingfish Mambo, we had a fish that we thought would keep us in the top 10. As we had been having water in the fuel problems all tournament long, we left as soon as we iced this fish down and headed to the scales and drained the water out of the fuel once on the way to the scales. The fish would weigh 24.31, enough to let us get rid of our 14 pound drop fish, earn Nancy her 2nd Lady Angler award and put the team in 4th place overall.

'THE' FishDancer was pleased to come up on stage and accept her SKA Professional Lady Angler award from Marty Bistrong from Contender Boats and Mike Dixon joined Marty and Jeff in the presentation of the 4th place overall plaque and check. It is always a great feeling to do well in any event, especially nice when you improve during the second day and even sweeter when you fish well in your 'home' waters. We want to thank the fish gods for smiling upon us during this event as well as all of our angling buddies who shared their genuine concern for both Nancy and me and our physical condition. All in all, considering our health, the weather and fishing two days for two bites, this event was just what the Doctor ordered.

Next up on our schedule is a trip to the birthplace of the FishDancer......the Big Island of Hawaii and Lapakahi Park and then the final stop on the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour circuit, Little River, SC. We have done the math and believe the top 20 will require about 222-228 points and we have 213.63 with a 17.82 pound drop fish -- we know we can do it. Wish us luck and stay tuned....the final event of the season will be a shootout at the top.......................

HE' FishDancer and I are focused upon the upcoming fourth stop on the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour - Golden Isles, Georgia. This event will be fished from the Golden Isles Marina on St. Simon's Georgia and will allow Nancy and me to fish a 'home waters' event for the first time in several seasons. We are looking forward to the competition and had a chance to do a bit of prefishing this past weekend. After finding bait plentiful in several location we fished Nassau Sound, the Nassau live bottom and several of Georgia's alphabet reefs - all without finding a tournament grade king mackerel. We were treated to a hookup at the Nassau slough of a large tarpon - which burned more than 300 yards off the reel. We fought him and brought him boat side to be gently released back into the ocean -- he was a large fish over 6' long and we approximated his weight at between 125-130 pounds. We were also able to find several small teenage kingfish but not tournament grade fish were located. We will have video of both the Tarpon and Kings we caught posted on the site soon....stay tuned we are calling ALL fish gods of the greater SE GA and NE FL area......

We have enjoyed a few days of great weather and calm seas, which has allowed Nancy and me to fish far to the North and South seeking the best place to fish during the tournament. We fished the first day some 55 miles North of St. Lucie inlet and found bait difficult to come by. Bait fishing our way along we were able to only catch 3 blue runners but were able to catch some sardines, greenies and cigar minnows. We fished for a few hours and caught 4 fish the largest of which was in the 30 pound range.

Day two we decided to visit our angling buddy - Eric Wetterman and purchase some baits giving us more time to fish. We made the run to Jupiter inlet and Eric was able to furnish us with enough bait to fish for the next two days. We depend upon Eric during all of the SKA Professional Kingfish tour events and have been pleased with Eric's ability to deliver quality baits to us in a consistent fashion.

Once the baits were secured in our livewell we headed back out Jupiter Inlet and turned South to fish some our favorite numbers along the drop. We were surprised to find literally more than 100 commercial boats fishing the edge and were disappointed with a slow day of fishing. A few smaller kings were caught, including the baby fish pictured below caught on a sabiki rig.

For our last day of pre-fishing we debated whether we should fish the beach or head back to our favorite spots where we did not do well the day before. We decided to take another look at the offshore spots and were greeted with a new day and different results. Fishing from Lake Worth to Jupiter we found fish at almost every place we stopped including several good fish -- the first below a mid 30s fish and the second picture below we estimated the fish near 50 pounds.

So we have located fish and now need only to make a few minor decisions - like which direction to take after check out - and repeat our performance and we will be in good shape for the tournament. The weather is looking great, the fish are here and we are excited about the coming few days. Stay tuned we are calling all of the fish gods of the great Jensen Beach area.....

Nancy and I have been teaching the value and benefits of proper preparation while fishing the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour. This preparation can take many forms; prefishing, scouting the water for bait, logistics preparation and other forms of pre-work required to create an opportunity for success along the ever competitive trail. Many times we do work several events in advance and this past week we had a chance to scout out the restaurant in New Orleans that the SKA Pro Tour and Division VII competitors will have the chance to dine at during June's stop in Port Fourchon. According to the SKA website, anglers will have the opportunity to take a bus ride from Fourchon for a night in New Orleans, a great opportunity to see the city, dine at Anatole and gamble at the Casino -- sounds like a fun night for all. Since Nancy and I were going to be in New Orleans for my keynote speech at the International Business Forecasting Conference, we decided to do some 'pre-eating' and check out Anatole ourselves and we were not disappointed. When we arrived on Lafayette Square were pleased to see a Wednesday in Square concert was going on and after listening for a while we headed across the square and into the restaurant. We dined for several hours and enjoyed our meal -- those of you planning on attending the night in New Orleans will certainly get a great meal.

Anatole is located in the Lafayette Hotel building, a building built at the turn of the 20th century in the post Victorian era. The interior of the restaurant is a blend of rich woods, high ceilings, fishing based art and great views of the century old oaks shading the square itself. As I sipped my McCalan 18 year old scotch I could only wonder what those trees had experienced from perhaps the civil war to Katrina and virtually everything in between. We explained to the staff our connection with the SKA and the Toups family and soon executive chef - Raymond Toups, brother of Kajun Sportsman Anthony, came by our table to chat for a minute. This is always a nice touch,

The service we received was timely and unobtrusive. Our waiter skillfully took us through the specials of the day and Nancy settled on a free range chicken blackened and served with mushroom ravioli in a chicken broth that was delicious. I chose the air dried Alto Asiage Italian Ham for a starter and finished with the Gulf Shrimp for dinner. Following dinner the pasty chef came out and detailed his special concoctions of the day and we chose the cream puffs stuffed with vanilla ice cream and drenched in a raspberry sauce -- very good indeed.

The city itself is working hard to come back from the devastation of Katrina. It is difficult to not notice the differences. There is reconstruction going on virtually everywhere -- from our hotel to Jackson square as people and businesses try to complete their renovations. But the city is still the Big Easy -- a unique blend of the European and American all in a small space. We began to wonder what Biloxi will be like this November for the SKA National Championships?

We will be heading to Jensen Beach on Sunday of this week and will be docked and housed at the Hutchinson Beach Marriott hotel and marina. Nancy and I will be prefishing and bait fishing all week and will post some reports and pictures as we can. We are calling all fish gods of the greater Jensen Beach area......

There has been much said, written and rumored about the pending sale of the Southern Kingfish Association. Some doomsayers and paydayers have been calling for the demise of the association for the past 5 seasons and lo and behold they once again proven themselves to be poor predictors of the direction of our sport. This past week the SKA published on its website that it would not be sold and in fact continue to sanction its divisional events and produce the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour. We are please to see this tempest in a teapot controversy finally end as it does nothing for the confidence of the competing teams, our sport overall or potential sponsors or new competitors who might want to fish the trail along with kingfishing's best teams.

Nancy and I are preparing for the 2nd leg of the SKA/Mercury Professional Kingfish Tour to be hosted at Jensen Beach, Florida in two weeks. We will be housed and docked at the Hutchinson Island Marriott hotel and marina and are looking forward to this event. Recent reports from this area indicate that bait has been very difficult to come by and no reports of good sized mackerel have been made by anyone from Sebastian to Port Everglades. This on again off again spring will possible play havoc with the normal migration of the king fish and could pose the competitors problems during the event. We are familiar with these waters and will have ample time to prefish and search for bait but we are more concerned than normal regarding the conditions for this event. Stay tuned we will post reports and pictures, including the leader board from each day...we are calling the fish gods of the greater Jensen Beach area...

The first 2007 SKA Mercury Professional Kingfish Tour event in Key West, Florida was greeted by Chamber of Commerce weather and good fishing for the 75 teams competing for the $40,000 first prize. While we found good fish prefishing we had a difficult day during the first day of the event only able to weigh a small 17.82 pound fish.

We worked hard again on day two some 40 miles west of Key West and were able to scale a 37.88 pound fish, a more representative fish for these fertile waters.

So after the first SKA Mercury Professional Kinfish Tour event under our belts we leave Key West in 39th place with 55.70 points. Under our goals for this event but still within the overall season plans we have made to score 220 or more points, finish in the top 10 and earn Nancy the Lady Angler title....

Our DONZI team leader and fellow member of Mercury's Pro Staff team, Dan Upton won the event with a two fish aggregate of 96.96. CONGRATULATIONS to Dan, Ken, Jack and Camo. The final leader board is listed below in 2 pictures.

The SKA Captain's meeting is always fun and this one was no exception as we renewed some friendships that have lagged over the long winter. Team 'WoundTight er' was there to enjoy the festivities and Ian and Johnny Z were up the their usual antics. We hoped to see Johnny Z during both days of the event as he would be manning the weigh in boat.

Jack and Deona along with the SKA regulars, including Bobby Flocken, were on hand to host the registration and Captain's meeting and it was good to see that the title sponsor of the tour was well represented. Pam Behnke was handing out hats and visors to anyone running the Mercury brand and the anglers were all appreciative of the support from the leader in outboard motors. It was also good to see the support of Contender with Marty Bistrong in attendance and the continued support of factory trailers from Loadmaster and Mercury.

'THE' FishDancer and I headed to the 'highly secretive' team DONZI meeting, pictures of which have never been seen before in public. Dan Upton hosted the meeting which was full of free drinks, good food and some sharing of angling knowledge - along with some fun had by all.

We fished hard and found the fish and the teams scattered all along the reef line anywhere from 10 to 80 miles from Key West. Our angling buddies on Koolau had several nice fish on day one.

We enjoyed fishing with our fellow DONZI teammates like team Sweet Caroline and ProStar.

'THE' FishDancer piloting the FishDancer through the maze of crab pots off of tail-end. The sea conditions were never above 3 feet all week allowing us to fish each day of the week, a true luxury for us.

Following the final fish being weighed Team DONZI was announced as the winner and I spent some time congratulating Dan. His team was pelted with water balloons, sprays of beer and even a 5 gallon bucket full of water heaved from the crowd as they were crowned as Champions of Key West, 2007.

All in all we had a good time - stay tuned for an in depth fishing report from our Key West adventures. Next up for us is the Jensen Beach SKA Mercury Professional Kingfish Tour event the last week in April. We are calling the fish gods of the greater Stuart area....

Tuesday 2.27.2007 - The weather has been just what the Dr. ordered over the past few days. Calm winds and warm air with flat seas, all very enjoyable. We ran into the Gulf of Mexico on Monday some 50 miles in search of bait. We spent the better portion of Monday running and gunning in the Gulf trying to catch enough bait to fish with on Tuesday and Wednesday. The waters in the GOM are not pretty right now, parts are very murky and other parts look like someone vomited into them for miles -- and these are the nicer areas. There is some kind of 'red tide' or other water borne phenomenon going on. We stopped at a few towers with no runners (plenty of amberjack) and thought we hit the jackpot at a wreck when we were bringing in very large blue runners a couple at a time and performing our usual routine of de-hooking them and placing them in the DONZI's spacious bait well. After about an hour of this I stopped for a soda and looked into the well and ALL of the hardtails were DOA. YIKES!! So we started over filled the well and ran towards Key West as fast as we could and when we got into the Atlantic only about 1 dozen survived. At least we had enough bait to fish with today. This morning we headed west some 50 miles and fished an area that has been good to us in the past. We were busy until our baits ran out and headed back east to scout up more runners to fish with tomorrow.

Nancy at work on the bow of the FishDancer

A good size king released to grow even larger. We had about 6-8 fish.

The life of a blue runner sometimes meets its end at the business end of a shark. A smaller king also released boat side.

Donzi teammates are already in town. Is that Nancy trying to land a cruise ship?

Sunday 2.25.2007 Nancy and I headed south down I-95 the more than 600 miles we needed to travel to Key West, Florida. We broke the trip up into 2 segments and after over-nighting in Weston, Florida and enjoying a good meal at Il Toscano we hit the road early and pulled into the parking lot at Oceanside Marina around noon. We have used the Oceanside Marina for each of our trips to fish Key West and it always feels like home to pull into a slip at this great facility.

Upon arrival we were expecting the high winds and big seas that the forecast had in store for us but were pleasantly surprised with calm winds and very warm temperatures, over 80 degrees. When we met with the Walt from Key West Properties and got situated in the condo we rented for the week, we were again pleasantly surprised -- what a nice place. After having stayed in some fish camps, it was with much pleasure that Nancy and I set up in a true luxury condo. Views of the ocean from 2 sides this will be one of the finer places for us to fish from and right on the same property where our boat is docked, all less than 1/4 mile from the open Atlantic.

"THE" FishDancer and I have re-powered the boat with brand new sticker 2007 Mercury Opti-Max 225s and are anxious to get the 2007 season underway. On our schedule is some prefishing and bait fishing over the next three days - Monday-Wednesday. If all goes well we will take Thursday off and get everything ready for the tournament on Friday and Saturday.

Spring is a great time of year -- the cold dreariness of winter is on the wane and the warm renewal of the changing of the seasons is upon us. The older I get it seems the longer the winters become. April is the month that the king fishing season is getting underway, with SKA events in Divisions 6, 10 and 11 as well as the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour. We have already completed the first stop of the SKA Mercury Professional Kingfish Tour in Key West and are looking forward to the second stop at the end of April in Jensen Beach, Florida. As much as we love king fishing there are OTHER things to do an see in this great country of ours. In addition to the weather and waters warming up and the fishing beginning to improve there is the kickoff of the baseball season and a few other large sporting events like the Masters.

I was lucky enough to combine my business travels with attendance at a practice round of the Masters, a Houston Astros home game and last night the home opener of my favorite sports team, the Atlanta Braves. The Augusta National Course is a true cathedral for golf -- the most beautiful course I have ever seen. Dogwoods, azaleas and other spring flowering shrubs and flowers coupled with a carpet of grass entice the golfers to play their best. We were able to see Tiger Woods, Tom Watson, Jim Furyk and playing in his 50th masters the 72 year old Gary Player. All in the Masters is an interesting event made special by its competitors, history as well as its natural beauty -- sounds like the SKA Professional tour. Full of solid competitors, has a great history with all of the sport's best and it takes place on the beautiful waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.

I was in Houston, TX this past week and had the chance to attend the Astros - Pirates game at the Minute Maid park. A new ballpark, with a short 315 left field porch and a retractable roof, the park is a great place to see a game. Both teams played well and unfortunately for Astros fans they ended on the short end of the score. Heading back to Georgia on Friday, 'THE' FishDancer and I had the opportunity to attend the Atlanta Braves home opener. The Budweiser Clydesdales were there, Tracy Byrd sang the National Anthem as a HUGE American flag was unfurled on the field. A flyover from 4 US jets capped off the festivities and unfortunately the Bravos got clobbered 11-1 and the 50,000+ fans went home disappointed.

So what does all of this have to do with King Mackerel angling and how do I avert this article from becoming a '..what I did on my spring vacation....' blog? EASY!!! We all need to become more aware of the alternatives that anglers have to spend their hard earned money. Tournament directors are competing with all of these events as well as thousands of others for our attention and the more we can assure the events sanctioned by the SKA are connected to the local economy and are fun and attractive to anglers, the more the events and the SKA will be successful. Finally I was struck at the professional behavior of all of the athletes, no matter the score, no matter what had been screamed at them from the crowds and most importantly what had been written about them. As Professional anglers we are the ambassadors for King Mackerel Angling and need to carry ourselves as such, ignoring the loud voices of the few who wish to tear down and practice the politics of personal destruction. So enjoy spring, head to a few ballgames or golf tournaments but stay focused as the king fishing is getting hot and will be in full swing soon.

One of the keys to success in the SKA Mercury Professional Kingfish Tour is to make accurate decisions about where to fish and execute those plans. After prefishing, consulting Hilton's Real-time Navigator and networking with locals and others fishing the SKA Pro tour we head to the Captain's meeting with four basic plans; Plan A -- this is where we want to fish based upon our assessment of what we know. Within this plan we have a good weather and bad weather plan. We also make up a Plan B, where we will fish IF Plan A doesn't work out and within Plan B we also have a good and bad weather plan. Therefore we have 4 plans in our minds before checking out -- we also will NOT change our plans at the Captain's meeting where a variety of accurate and inaccurate data is shared. While this is a simple concept when written as it is above, there are many influences and variables that can cause a team to vacate its plan for what it perceives as 'greener pastures'.

While at the Captain's meeting information is ricocheting back and forth across the tent, with teams seeking the last minute information that will lead them to victory. It seldom happens at the dinner or Captain's Meeting. While fishing an SKA division IV event one season Nancy and I had hooked up with several teams to share information. At the Captain's meeting we all seemed to agree that we would meet at an offshore reef area and share our findings. Following checkout we headed east and ran for a while, pulling up to our 'agreed upon' spot and were surprised to find we were the only ones there. We caught fish all day long, weighed in with the lead in the tournament and finished 2nd overall. When checking with the other teams they all decided to run 50 miles south and fish the beach in St. Augustine and not a single one caught a fish.

Many teams, including the FishDancer team, fish with multiple VHF radios, some even deploy transmission scrambling technology, and all listen intently to what others are doing. This type of radio fishing can assist the team or cause you to pull up stakes and run to fish that may or may not exist. I recall several seasons ago fishing the West Delta, when a factory team believed their scrambled transmissions had been intercepted. One of the teams broadcasted a hot bite at a specific rig number and lo and behold within a few minutes about five teams were up on plane and running in that direction, I often wonder what they thought when they arrived at the rig and there we no other boats there?

While executing Plan A or B, teams need to exercise patience. Once on a chosen fishing location, the team should asses the water quality, bait abundance and sonar markings to assure the conditions exist to support the team's plan. If the correct conditions exist good, if not fish for a while and then execute plan B. While fishing from Port Fourchon several years ago, we found a great location prefishing and caught fish in excess of 50 pounds so you might imagine this location became Plan A. Upon checkout we ran 40 miles west pulled up and found the water to be much bluer than just a day prior. After fishing for about an hour we decided to run back to the east some 40 miles and execute plan B. We caught a 44 that day and a 61.1 on day two at our plan B spot and won the event by more than 10 pounds.

In our experience the trick to correctly assess your opportunities comes from having a consistent approach or theory regarding what most influences the fishes behavior. Is it moon phase, tides, water temperatures, salinity or general weather patterns? Bait concentrations or historical catch data? There are a variety of variables that we look at -- but we ALWAYS look at the same data and attempt to interpret it in the same manner. This is critical to avoiding the temptation of radio fishing or Captain's meeting planning Bingo, a game I refuse to play.

The same assessment, consistency and execution strategies exist at all levels within our sport. Each team need to make its own decisions regarding where to fish, what tournaments to enter and which circuits to support. After assessing the tournament playing field, Team FishDancer has made this decision consistently over the past ten seasons. We support the SKA and encourage others to do the same. Why? Simply stated the FishDancer team wants to fish a circuit where your angling performance determines the tournament prize structure. Along the SKA Pro Tour 100% of the tournament prizes come from the fish you bring to the scale rather than the new trail where 60% of the tournament prize structure comes from your equipment choices. More power to those who fish under these rules, they just do not entice our team.

As with the Captain's meeting information, radio fishing or the last minute changes of where a team will fish, 'THE' FishDancer and I discount this 'noise' in our planning processes. As for the 'mine is better than yours crowd', AKA the doomsayers and paydayers, we discount at a high percentage, their anti-everything rants. It never ceases to amaze ME that, in general these 'anglers' who have accomplished little in our sport, represent themselves as ambassadors or 'in the know' regarding on thing or another. Some of these naysayer's have radio rig hopped, in some cases being disqualified from events and circuits due to their behavior and comments. They post on virtually every angling website, until they are banned, spewing their politics of personal destruction venom, seeking to convince others of the righteousness of their 'cause'. Since self rationalization and aggrandizement is the root of these posts just like those who pick up and run to the rig they heard about on the VHF, Team FishDancer keeps our lines in the waters and executes our plans, wondering why they are running away from the real action?

On a sad note, this week a fellow angler and kingfisher - Steven Senecal - was apparently lost at sea while fishing alone off of St. Augustine. Steve was a true ambassador for our sport and will be missed by many. We wish Steve godspeed and send our prayers to the Senecal family.

Next up for the FishDancer team is the second stop on the SKA Mercury Professional Kingfish Tour in Jensen Beach. We are working to create our plans so stay tuned......

THE' FishDancer and I are pleased to be able to compete in yet another season of the SKA Professional Kingfish Tournament Trail. The 2007 season will be our 12th overall in the SKA and marks the 5th consecutive season for us competing at the 'Elite' level of SKA competition - the SKA Professional Kingfish Tournament Trail. This is no small accomplishment for a two person, husband and wife team who began our career in a small 23' single engine boat and not much of a clue of how to target king mackerel. Over this winter, we have strengthened our relationships with our fellow competitors and renewed our arrangements with many of our sponsors and will be sporting new 2007 Mercury Optimax Motors on the transom of our DONZI 35 zfo. Over our past four seasons Team FishDancer has been accepted as strong competitors on this elite circuit and Nancy and I are very proud of our angling accomplishments. We have not only been accepted into the ranks of SKA pros, but we have been able to join with the best of the best with our angling performances. We were able to join the 'Champions Club', by winning the 2003 Port Fourchon SKA Pro event. As a result of this victory we have joined the ranks of the 'SKA's Record Holders' currently holding the big fish record for Port Fourchon at 61.1 pounds as well as the aggregate record for Port Fourchon with a two fish aggregate that has not yet been surpassed - 104.59. We have also joined the ranks of the 'SKA Pro Kingfish Slam' group, a very small and select group of SKA Professional Kingfish Anglers who have scaled fish in the 20,30,40,50 and 60 pound class. In our previous 4 seasons on the SKA PRO Tour 'THE' FishDancer and I have scaled twenty pound fish from events as diverse as Ft. Pierce, Key West, Jacksonville, Hatteras and a few other places, we have scaled 30 pound class fish in many places including Port Fourchon, Venice, Jacksonville, Golden Isles, Little River and Ft. Pierce, 40 pound class fish in Port Fourchon, a 50 pound class fish in Key West and the big girl a 61.1 in Port Fourchon. There are literally only a handful of SKA Pro teams who have been able to submit the appropriate credentials to enter this exclusive 'grand slam' club. Our smallest fish a 14.8 scaled during the 2005 Savannah event, and a 14.63 scaled in 2004 have been more than offset by the larger fish we have been able to catch. During our past 4 seasons the average weight of a FishDancer fish brought to the scales has been a respectable 29.43 pounds with 25 out of a possible 28 fish being weighed. We have accomplished all of this while competing with the best of the best; teams like Strike Zone, Kwazaar, Wild Turkey, Reel Won and others.

The purpose of this review is not to blow our own horn, albeit both Nancy and I take pride in what we have been able to accomplish, but rather to encourage ALL teams who have qualified to come and join the party. The more the merrier and you cannot and will not find a better, more competitive and friendly tour to fish -- who knows maybe you too can 'Join the Club'? Next up for us is the Miami Boat show quickly followed by the 2007 kickoff of the SKA Pro season in Key West, Florida. Several new members of the 60 pound club have been made during this year's Hog's Breath event -- welcome to all, and we look forward to heading over the 7 mile bridge during the last week in February......we hope to see you there too.....

Today was the final day of the ASWSC 20th anniversary sail fishing tournament. Nancy and I wanted to have a winter fishing break and we decided to fish this event again -- its a real hoot, no long runs and easy fishing right at the mouth of the Lake Worth inlet. The FishDancer goals were modest but firm for this event; catch 'THE' FishDancer her first sailfish, see if Captain Jeff could actually fly a kite and catch a fish on the kite baits. I am pleased to write we achieved all three of our tournament goals and finished in 5th place overall and received a nice plaque for our efforts. FishDancer thanks go out to the Atlanta Saltwater Sportsman's Club for hosting a great event. Next up for us is the Miami Boat show in February....stay tuned.....

It is Friday and we fished in big seas and did not find any sailfish. The conditions were 'sporty' to say the least, you can tell the seas are up when the big sport-fishers are hiding behind them. Winds blew 25 knots again today from the east creating a sea full of 5-7' waves with a few periods of higher winds and larger seas; and a few brief showers thrown in to wash off the salt. We caught many dolphin - at one time we had a triple hookup with only the two of us on board - very exciting, especially in these conditions.

Many thanks to the battle wagons who endured our Dolphin Dancing while fishing from a dead boat in high winds. The one dolphin was the largest we have ever caught and we estimated him to be well over 30 pounds...a true gaffer. We released all of these fish to fight another day and grow larger, despite the cries of all of the folks back on the dock. One of the best things about fishing from Sailfish marina is that in two full days of fishing we have burned 22 gallons of fuel......very nice indeed. So far we have had a hoot.....check back again soon....

We are competing in the Atlanta Saltwater Sportsmen Club's 20th anniversary sail fishing tournament in Palm Beach. A quick update...the weather is snotty -- true 4-6' seas with 20+ mph winds have made the angling difficult for all.

Nancy -- aka "THE" FishDancer, braved the weather and did the Sailfish Samba, releasing her first ever sailfish today and as the fishing was tough and the weather kept everyone close to the inlet, we are placed highly after day one of the three day event.

Team FishDancer scored one sail a nice dolphin and had 4 mystery knock downs which we never saw.

To top it all off, Captain Jeff, in his first official attempt ever, was able to fly and keep a kite airborne, at least for a while, and fish goggle eyes under it. This is not as easy as it might seem, even in high winds!!!!!

Check back tomorrow for more......we are calling all of the wind gods of the greater Lake Worth area.....a bit less wind would be nice....

Joe Jackson Sings:

"What the hell is wrong with you tonight? I can't seem to do or say the right thing. Wanted to be sure you're feeling right; Wanted to be sure we want the same things...

She said; 'I can't believe it, you can't possibly mean it! Don't we all want the same thing? Don't we?'

Who said anything about 'fish'? Don't you know it's different for girls? Don't I know? She said 'Don't you know it's different for girls?

You're all the same...."

The recent advent of Lady Angler titles and prizes in most kingfish tours has created a new wave of tournament competitors; the ladies. As Joe Jackson reminds all men above, we should be aware that in fact king mackerel angling is different for girls. Before we look into some of the way's a tournament experience is in fact different for girls, we must not confuse the fact that women are competing on the SKA divisional circuit and SKA Professional Kingfish tour, with 'traditional' societal views of women and anglers. Today's assemblage of lady anglers, especially those tournament fishing, is as competitive as any group of men. Anyone who has ever fished with or in competition with Sue Woithe, Jan Chase, Sharon Kamp, Doreen Fletcher, Becky Smith, Cathy Gray, Jaime Mixon, Susan Kaminsky or Donna Gowen-Poe can attest to the accomplishments of today's elite lady anglers. I have been so fortunate to have fished with one of these 'girls' over the past 10 competitive SKA seasons, her name is Nancy.

I spent some time discussing angling experiences with 'THE' FishDancer over this holiday season, trying to gain further insight into the motivations of one of the SKA's best Lady King Mackerel anglers. With humble beginnings in SKA competition, Nancy learned to fish for King Mackerel from one of the premier anglers in NE Florida, Terry LaCoss. After often chartering Terry as our captain, Nancy's ability to learn quickly and natural angling skills earned her Terry's favorite client moniker. Nancy was once 'challenged' by Terry's young son TD (he was about 15 years old) who indicated that girls can't fish and would be a nuisance onboard. TD quickly learned that Nancy was serious as she battled a 100+ pound tarpon with a combination of patience and pressure that would be the envy of any well schooled angler.

Nancy views the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour as the ultimate challenge to her angling and boating skills and works as hard as anyone on tour to practice and apply her skills. One of the biggest differences in tournament participation for Nancy is that there are some tasks not suited to her skills. Cast netting is difficult for Nancy as the weight of a wet 12' net and the physical strength needed to pull it in full of pogies is not an easy task for anyone. But what Nancy lacks in physical power she more than makes up for in touch and finesse. In the 10 seasons Team FishDancer has fished on the SKA tour, Nancy has 'pulled the hooks' on an amount of fish that could be counted on one hand. She has developed an innate sense of what the fish is doing and has honed a sense of anticipation that when properly applied during the Kingfish Mambo allows our team to land a high percentage of the fish we hook. Speaking of hooks, twisting rigs is another area that 'THE' FishDancer has some aesthetic issues with -- nothing worse than breaking a nail while twisting a ribbonfish rig!!! This is actually a good thing as I enjoy the task of creating rigs, its good when a task assignment can keep us both happy.

Nancy has honed her boating skills, especially the use of the Raymarine electronics, and can be depended upon to keep us trolling in the correct pattern. Many times over our SKA career has Nancy found the bait and fish for us as we were prospecting our way from one spot to another. Nancy has assumed the primary role to assure our safety equipment, pfds and other emergency equipment is ready and able to assist us. Generalizing now, men many times refuse to take the time or make the effort to assure each piece of equipment is ready but the fairer gender has an uncanny knack in this regard.

Traveling with a Lady Angler has its owns challenges, benefits and rewards. One of our team's unbreakable rules is that we need to stay in a safe and clean environment -- not just any place to crash. While this rule can cost us a few more dollars each season it has enhanced our time spent at a tournament destination and allows us to spend some quality time together. Nancy has taken over our land logistics, assuring all equipment and gear is stored and packed before we leave for an event.

Nancy has also become a true ambassador for our sport and our team. There is no better representation for our sponsors than Nancy's smile holding up a large fish in her Mercury hat and Donzi emblazoned team shirt. Unassuming and friendly to all 'THE' FishDancer, and girls in general, many times seem better suited to these tasks than men. I can only laugh when Nancy gets to the head of the 'bait' line in the morning or gets someone to assist us well beyond expectations, when if I requested the same thing, I would be rejected.

When I asked Nancy her thoughts on the competition within the Lady Angler category of the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour, she indicated that while she is always pleased to see teams doing well, she takes a personal interest in how the other lady competitors are doing. While working to finish in 3rd place in the lady angler category in 2006, Nancy watched fellow lady anglers -- Sharon Kamp and Sue Woithe finish ahead of her; cheering them both on at each event. The ladies seem to have a special bond not shared by men as each watches out for the other -- competing hard at every event, but happy for the success of the other lady anglers. So it seems we have much to learn from the SKA Lady Anglers, I am just pleased to fish as part of Nancy's Team....

Next up for Nancy and me is the Atlanta Saltwater Sportsmen Club Sail fishing tournament next week....stay tuned, we are calling all fish and weather gods of the greater West Palm Beach area.....

T-shirt Artwork

The theme for the 2006 SKA National Championships was "A Pirate's Life For Me", and with that the association in conjunction with the city of Ft. Pierce and County of St. Lucie was host to yet another great event. Nearly 300 of the best king mackerel teams headed to Ft. Pierce in search of two good king mackerel that would allow them to be crowned the National Champions of king mackerel angling. Pictured above is Bobby Flocken of the SKA in full pirate regalia as well as the table centerpieces on each of the tables during the Captain's meeting. 'THE' FishDancer and I hit town early and fished 6 out of 7 days. Our adventures began on Saturday before the event when we got situated at the Dockside/Harborlights resort, conveniently located right on the Inlet waterway. The boat was moored at the Harbor Isle marina directly across Seaway Drive, a nice calm home for the boat and baits we were hoping to catch. After four seasons with our 'old' bait pen, it was retired following the Little River SKA Pro event and a new, larger and better bait pen was constructed. This would be its maiden voyage. This pen was built from plans that indicated you could build it for less than $25 ... HA, we spent more than $25 in fuel driving to the Home Depot about 8 times getting the items we had forgotten from the last trip. All in all the new pen, nicknamed Charlotte for the PVC piping we used, worked well and will house HUGE quantities of bait during any event.

Once we got ourselves and the angling equipment situated we headed out to do some bait fishing and prefishing. From Sunday through Wednesday we fished hard, capturing baits and finding and releasing a few fish scattered all over their usual Ft. Pierce haunts. We had a major fun time, catching dolphin on the sabiki rigs, trigger fish on the ribbon fish rigs and a few kings.

The DONZI/Mercury combination was running well and both Nancy and I were getting excited about our chances during the event. On Wednesday evening we attended the annual DONZI awards and dinner and were pleased to accept our performance bonus money for finishing 14th in the SKA Pro Tour, from our team Captain, Dan Upton. All in all the 2007 SKA Pro season for us was a great one and we appreciate our relationship with both of our primary sponsors DONZI and Mercury. They have treated us well.

We took a much needed day off on Thursday and began to formulate our tournament plans for Friday and Saturday. On Friday we headed south to fish off of Jupiter inlet and fished among a few boats and were fortunate enough to have a single bite and a 32.65 pound kingfish. The picture below right was featured in the local newspaper the third consecutive season Miss Nancy has made the local paper during the events held here.

We were faced with a dilemma on Saturday. After having finished the first day of competition in 14th place, we were in the hunt to win this championship and needed to decided to return to Jupiter for the possibility of a single bite or fish elsewhere. We decided to fish the beach with the pack for the tide change in the morning and then run up to the Pines after about 9am. I confess that I am not a good beach fisherman, I would much prefer to be offshore. We started fishing with the pack, 60-75 boats on south beach and we felt we were fishing in a virtual angling lottery, something I am not a fan of. There were hundreds of baits in the dirty water, so about 8:45am we decided to make the 35 mile run to the Pines. Upon arrival there were about 25 boats fishing this area and we saw several boats hooked up. There was also radio chatter of several good fish being caught. We immediately hooked up and released a dink and then we hooked up again and had a small fish in the boat. We didn't think this fish would be enough for us to get in the money so we kept on fishing the area hard. We watched several DONZI team mates hook up with good fish. Sweet Caroline hooked up right in front of us, fought and gaffed a fish, their celebration indicated to us it was a good one, ultimately that fish weighed 47 pounds. Next thing we heard was someone whistling behind us and again a fellow DONZI team 'THE CHASE' was hooked up to a fish that had run directly under our boat. We tried to untangle the mess the fish had made and quickly realized that without cutting all of our lines and gear they would have little chance of landing this fish. Nancy shut down the engines and tilted them up and I cut all 6 lines and two downrigger assemblies and was please to see their line come straight and Jan was back on the fish. Cutting your gear and clearing the other team's line is the ONLY thing to do in such circumstance and The Chase team leaded a 31 pound fish allowing them to finish in 5th place overall. Pictured below are (R to L) Chris Chase, Jan Chase, Charlie Lyons, and Pam Behnke accepting their 5th place money and prizes.

We kept fishing but could not better our small fish which weighed just under 13 pounds and although it was the smallest fish we weighed throughout 2006, it was enough for Team FishDancer to squeak in the money at 37th place overall. Nancy is pictured below greeting Jack as well as registering the 32.65 pound fish caught on day one.

All in all we had a blast and are looking forward the the 2007 season. We are wishing all of our readers a happy Thanksgiving and looking forward to our next adventure, a Sail fishing tournament in West Palm Beach in January.....stay tuned

We have not scored double zeros since 2003, three years ago, when boat and logistics snafus created serious problems for us. Since then Nancy and I both have accomplished many objectives on tour and at the end of the day, our 2006 SKA Professional Kingfish Tour season comes down to this. At the last stop of the SKA Pro Tour, Team FishDancer will need a two fish minimum total of approximately 60-70 points to achieve our 2006 tournament objectives. While we have plenty of experience and confidence that we can, indeed, accomplish this objective by catching the fish required, we have much work to do to better understand the bait and fish situations in October in South Carolina. Our lack of success during the SKA Pro leg in Savannah, Georgia has dropped us from 24th to 48th place overall and dropped "THE" FishDancer from 5th place Lady Angler to 9th. But all is not lost -- not yet. Team FishDancer is the top ranked team which has weighed 5 fish and with two open scale slots, we have the opportunity to move up, dramatically, in the standings. Currently a 7 fish total of 259.6 points lead the SKA Pro Tour (Bandit) and a 7 fish total of 241.48 (Lured Away) leads in the Lady Angler category. The FishDancer 5 fish aggregate of 178.1 calculates to an overage fish size of 35.63, 13th best overall and 9th best for teams who have scaled 5 or more fish at this point in the season. In the Lady Angler race, 'THE' FishDancer holds the lead in average fish size with 35.63 ahead of Lured Away's 7 fish average of 34.40, C-Numb's 6 fish average of 34.18 and The Reel Won's 7 fish average of 34.17. After reviewing the history and current standings, I would estimate that 270 points would win the Angler of the Year and 245 would win Lady Angler. It is also my estimate that it will take about 230 points to crack the top ten and about 215 points to crack the top twenty. So you can do the math and figure out what we need to do; the way we have it figured is we need to weigh two of our average fish, or somewhere near 70 points to keep Nan in the running for Lady Angler and put us somewhere near the top 10 in the AOY pace.

As far as reviewing the standings and prognosticating on who will win, it is as wide open as it could be at this point. For Angler of the Year, the top 3 teams are separated by less than 9 pounds, the difference in upgrading your drop fish. There are 5 teams with 6 fish scaled and several have small drop fish, so a solid performance in Little River could vault them well past the current leaders. On the Lady Angler front, the top three are separated by just a bit over 5 pounds, there are 5 additional teams with only 6 fish weighed who will move up with a good performance and then there we are with 5 fish and a high average and a good chance to move up the leader board. There are so many good angling teams out there it is difficult to predict who will finish where, and as in the wild card race in baseball much depends upon relative performance at the last event. We could in fact achieve our plans and other teams do even better and we could conceptually move down in the standings, a fact we ultimately cannot control. Just as weather, equipment, fish migrations and other exogenous variables will come into play, the race is so close with so many possibilities, it will be fun to compete in shaping the final results. We will do everything within our power to move up by focusing our efforts on our own angling performance and wish the best to all other teams trying to achieve their 2006 season goals. My prediction for the final result is that there will be a large shakeup throughout the current standings, as there are teams who, like us, have a chance to change the outcome with a good performance in Littler River. We know what we need to do, we have the skills to do it, now all we need is a bit of good fortune and the fish gods smiling upon us at the right time. After all isn't this what tournament fishing for king mackerel all about? You have got to love it......we are calling all of the kingfish, weather and other gods of the greater NC/SC area.......stay tuned it will be a hoot whatever happens. Good Luck to all.............

Pete Seeger sings (with the usual editorial license from yours truly:

"Where have all the kingfish gone? Long time passing; Where have all the kingfish gone, long time ago? Where have all the kingfish gone? Gone from Savannah and we got none; when will we ever learn, when will we ever learn?"

This is not a sport for the fainthearted. Just when you think you have it figured out with a plan in place; as Emeril likes to say BAM you get spanked with the dreaded double zero? Sometimes no matter how hard you prepare and how well you execute things just don't work out and for us this was the week. We were prepared and ready for the event, the boat was humming, all angling equipment was ready and both Nancy and I were excited to be back on the water to fish. Our prefishing and information from others indicated a scarcity of fish; they seemed to be scattered and moving each day, so no one had a line on where to fish. We heard plans from teams to fish from as far north as Georgetown and as far south as the Redtops. Our plan was to fish this event not like an aggregate event, but rather a big fish event, we were seeking one tournament grade fish from this tournament so we would fish offshore one day and on the beach the next. This plan has served us well over the years in SKA divisional tournaments, and the idea is to head offshore and pick up a points fish and then head in and hunt the big one. We figured this plan provided the team the best chances to achieve our objective for the event.

At the Captain's meeting we were able to confirm our suspicions that fish were scattered and we were pleased to hear that another team had caught a good fish at the offshore reef we were planning to fish on day one. We rose at 4:30am and headed off to the docks at the Weston resort to load up and meet up with our bait man, we secured a dozen gogs and a dozen runners and headed to the checkout boat. This required an 18 mile run in the dark down the Savannah River, something I think I will never get used to doing. We were third in line and off we went some 50 miles e/se from the mouth of the river. We arrived at the spot and put out baits and fished for about an hour without marking bait or fish. We pulled up and ran back N for about 8 miles and met up with 4 other tournament competitors. We fishing this spot, ledges and outcroppings, until about 11:00am when we decided to head back inshore as none of the boats fishing had landed a kingfish. We headed in some 27 miles to Grey's reef where we have some numbers that have been good to us. When we arrived the spot was alive with Spanish jumping and bait marked by the sonar and we were sure that a fish would come from this. Unfortunately for us, it did when another competitor came over and brought into their boat a fish of 32 pounds, but that is just fishing. No harm no foul. We fished the rest of the day without a strike and headed back to the dock wondering what else we should have done?

Day two we rose a bit later as we would be looking for pogies in the morning and needed not to be one of the first in line. We checked out and headed a few miles north, off Hilton Head with many other boats. The winds had picked up from the north and the sea was much different from day one, when it was calm. This morning the sea was kicked up a bit, which makes finding bait a bit more difficult. I tossed the net on a flip and was rewarded with about 100 pogies. Was this a sign for the day? NOT!!!! We had decided to fish the Savannah ship channel and only had about 5 miles to run, but when we arrived it was pouring rain. The storm was more an omen than the bait. We fished hard for the entire day, pogies up, pogies down, live spanish in the propwash, ribbons down, up and long and never had a strike from a kingfish. There were about 10 other quality teams fishing this spot and we did not see a single fish boated!! YIKES!!!! So as Pete Seeger could have written and sang: "Where have all the kingfish gone? Gone from savannah and we got NONE, when will we ever learn, when will we ever learn?".

So to achieve our objectives for the 2006 SKA Pro Season, the pressure is now clearly upon us to perform well in Little River, SC; a place we have never before fished. There is no one to blame, it is what it is, we have created our circumstances and we can cure them as well. While this is not what we had planned we can still accomplish our 2006 tournament season goals, wish us luck. Stay tuned we are calling all kingfish gods of the greater Cape Fear area.....

Sometimes 1+1=3. How can that be, as the mathematical equation that 1+1=2 has been proven to be a fact many times over? Due to poor weather conditions at the Fort Pierce stop of the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour, teams were able to weigh in 3 fish during this past week's event in Port Fourchon, Louisiana. Nancy and I decided that we would set between 105 and 120 points as our objective during this event, thinking that three 40s would be great but three 35s would keep us in the mix to achieve our objectives for the 2006 season.

We came up a few pounds short with 98.25 points with fish of 36.71, 31.07 and 30.47 pounds weighed in.

Fishing this area is always a treat for us and the amazing diversity of mother nature was on full display for us both during our visit. The savagery of the 2006 hurricane season is still fully in view with manmade structures of all sorts in disarray. Camps gone, hotels and marinas with structural damage and most amazing is that some of the favorite rigs we fish are either gone, sporting severely bent platforms or high water marks beyond belief. On the fishing front, we had a blast angling these fertile waters. We caught trigger fish, blue runners, bonita, spadefish, amberjack, white trout, red snapper, the largest jack crevalle I have ever caught, about 35 king mackerel, a 40+ pound cobia, a 200+ pound shark of some sort and we chased away a hammerhead looking over our baits. As the license plates proclaim Louisiana is a true "Sportsman's Paradise". The Captain's Meeting Dinner hosted by Kajun Sportsman was great, prime rib au jus, cajun potatoes and dinner rolls, this dinner is by far the best on the circuit.

We prefished on Wednesday and baited up on Thursday and were ready to go on Friday morning, with the check-out at 6:30am. We had picked our spot in about 100 feet and were ready to navigate the 40 miles, heading W/SW of the inlet. We ran hard and were the second boat to the rig. We put out the lines and were greeted by a double hook-up. The mathematical equation that 1+1=2 was proven yet again with our double hookup. If ever there was a venue where competing with just two on the team increases the degree of difficulty, Louisiana is the place. The efforts required to bait fish, set the lines, clear the lines, fight the fish, gaff the fish, tie the rigs, set the lines time and time again, is enormous and a second, third or fourth crewmember is a distinct advantage in the Gulf. Luckily we were only fishing four lines and one fish hit the downrigger, so as we did the kingfish two-step duet the other two lines remained out. At first we thought Nancy had the better fish as the runs the fish was making were long and strong but as it turned out, it was a smallish 20 pound class fish which was foul hooked and frisky. I quickly brought the 'other' fish to the boat and was surprised to see it roll up much larger than I expected, a fish I estimated to be about 38 pounds. We released Nan's fish and stuck the gaff in the larger fish and iced it down in our Kikngfish Koffin fish bag. For the next three hours, I never had a chance to sit as we were either clearing lines, fighting fish, deploying lines or retying lines. We prepared for this by bringing 9 fully ready rods/reels all pre-rigged with our chosen rigs, more than 200 pretwisted bait rigs and a myriad of tackle supplies but even that advanced preparation was no match of a great Gulf of Mexico bite between 7:30 and 10:30. Between 10:30 and 11:00am the bite just stopped, so we fished a while longer and headed to another rig some 19 miles E/SE of our spot and in deeper water. We had a few small fish there and decided at about 2:30pm to make another run of more than 20 miles to a rig we knew would have bait on it. Again the mathematical equation 1+1=2 was proven, as it takes us a bit longer to catch bait so we prepare for it by setting aside some time to baitfish today for competition tomorrow. After securing enough bait for day two, we cleaned up the boat, headed back to our rented 'camp' cleaned up and had dinner. The alarm rang early on day two as we prepared for our second day of competition.

We checked the leader board to see who caught what and decided it was possible that the leading fish was caught at the rig we were fishing the day before, so back we went. The winds had picked up a bit and the ride out was sloppy but safe and we arrived at the rig around 7:50am due to the increased seas. We put out the lines and again immediately got a strike - Nancy angled the fish to the boat and we put the fish in the bag. A second slightly larger fish soon was boated and we were hopeful that perhaps we could find the 50 pounder we sought? It was not to be, as the bite again shut down around 11:00am. We trolled all areas and rigs in the general area and had to settle with a 30.41 pound fish. All in all, although we were short of our goal, we had a fun time, saw many of our fellow actors in the traveling circus and now have tallied 178.13 or a 35.62 pound five fish average. We will not know exactly where we are placed in the standings until the SKA publishes the final results later this week. An interesting fact is that we are on pace to tally somewhere between 220 and 250 points and 245 points won the AOY in 2005. It seems that 2006 will be a banner year of scoring for the SKA Pro Tour and our goal to be in the top 20 on tour will be all the more difficult but all the sweeter when we accomplish it. Wish us luck and come back for some pictures later on this week. Next up for us is the Savannah stop in late August....stay tuned

There is a tropical depression in the Caribbean (TD 1) and the one thing no one on the Gulf Coast needs is yet another storm to come through. 'THE' FishDancer and I loaded up the Silverado and headed West. It has been an interesting trip thus far. It began with my cross country trip on Friday, heading back from California to meet up with Nancy and the boat and trailer somewhere near the Jacksonville airport. Thanks to some logistical assistance from our 'mate emeritus', Terry Adkins and the good neighborly assistance from our new friends Art Carnes and Monica, at Super Saver Parking at the Jax airport, I was able to quickly hook up and get rolling toward Port Fourchon, despite my 2 hour delay from my EX-friends at Delta airlines. Nancy and I decided to break the 730 mile trip into two segments and so we pulled into Tallahassee, Florida on Friday night for some needed sleep and after an early breakfast on Saturday morning, we pointed the headlights of the Silverado West on I-10 towards our final destination.

The affects of the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons are still readily apparent along the I-10 corridor. The Escambia Bay bridge, ravaged in 2004 is still under repair and the maritime forests in the Bay St. Louis area still bear witness of the strength and wantonness of Katrina. The section of I-10 that crosses Lake Ponchatrain is open but under repair -- for those heading over this weekend this portion of the intrastate will be closed from Sunday night until Monday morning to facilitate further repairs. Coming off the Ponchatrain Bridge we prepared ourselves for the wonderful roads of Slidell and while I think its fair to say these roads haven't improved, neither Nancy nor I noticed it that much this trip. Our eyes, and our hearts, were filled with the pictures of a 'ghost town' created by the floods. Empty, closed malls, apartments, homes, businesses and damage to everything in sight and all of this is clearly visible from the highway, we can only imagine what it is like up close and personal. One tip to those traveling, make sure to fuel up as you go through this area as this would not be a good place to be low on fuel, or anything else for that matter. It is very sad to see. We headed past New Orleans East, Kenner and turned to the South past Boutte, LaRose, Cut Off and made our turn from route 1 onto the Cote Blanche Connector. Heading further south you can still see the affects of Katrina and Rita in these areas. We stopped for fuel at the Kajun Sportsman and chatted with Anthony for a while. His operation is in full swing, fuel, docks, restaurant - its all good. We checked into the Port Fourchon Marina and the docks are in real rough shape, so if you are coming be prepared with extra lines and some patience. Finally we headed to the camp we rented for the week, just down the road in Grand Isle. All I can say is WOW!!! It looks like a war zone with destroyed, partially destroyed and rebuilding camps. There is debris all over, much work going on and again it is a sad sight, we can only imagine the emotional toll of these two storms. So it is with something of heavy hearts that we prepare to fish this coming week. We can only pray that TD 1 goes somewhere else, these folks do not need to go yet another round with mother nature. In the meantime, wish us luck we understand that several 50s were weighed well to the west this week and if the weather holds guess where we will be next Friday and Saturday? Stay tuned.....

One of the most enjoyable things about fishing in a tournament is to expose the new and uninitiated to the joys and rigors of tournament angling. Nancy and I decided to enjoy the St. Mary's King Mackerel Classic with some newfound friends from Peachtree City, Brett and his son Joey. It seems that they have had a chance to fish from a 21 foot boat in the Gulf but were having some difficulties figuring out the puzzle of where fish were hiding and how to target them. So when we offered the chance for them to join us this weekend at the St. Mary's event, they took the leap of faith and said yes. We met at the Amelia Island Yacht Basin at 5:30am and began to load up the equipment shortly thereafter. Our plan was to checkout, turn North for bait and then head off some 30 miles S/SE to our chosen spot. Although we expected some fish to be caught at the usual spots to the North and due East, we decided to stay a tad closer with our new tournament anglers. We tracked down some TINY pogies off of Cumberland and turned directly into the SE well and SW wind to head to our spots. About 6 miles into the run Nancy and I decided to stay closer to make the day more enjoyable for our guests. So we pulled up at a nearshore reef and put out the lines. We fished for a while with no action and described everyone's steps in the kingfish mambo. Shortly thereafter we hooked up on one of my 'secret weapon' rigs and Joey took the rod and reel. Once the lines were cleared I was up in the bow with the teenager who seemed to be hooked up to another. Coaching him in the techniques required to bring this fish boatside was fun and Joes did well learning, soon we had a kin about 15 pounds at the side of the FishDancer. I tailed the fish and we all agreed to release the fish to grow larger. Next up was Brett and we did a mambo duet on the bow as he fought a decent fish. Unfortunately for us both it was a snaggletooth which we also took a picture of. We all take so much for granted as many times we would have been mumbling about a small teenager and a cuda but Brett and Joey were very happy, each catching their first of the species. We moved about 11am and headed out into deeper water and were rewarded with a nice gaffer dolphin for Brett, yet another first fish for him. With the storms brewing and a bit of the Davy Jones' Flu on board we decided to head back in around 2pm. Both of our new friends were pleased to be taking home a nice dolphin for dinner and had a good time, learned a few tricks and overall are better informed about the tournament game in general.

Nancy and I now turn our attention to the 3rd leg of the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour, Port Fourchon, LA. Our plan is to head over to LA next Friday/Saturday and do some scouting for bait/fish during the week. We are looking forward to scaling 3 quality Delta king mackerel and have targeted 105-120 points for our objective during this event. Ultimately for us to stay in the chase for LAOY and AOY we need to return to Fernandina with a 5 fish average of between 37 and 40 pounds. We know we can do it....much to do and little time left to do it in, wish us luck and stay tuned.....

The doctrine is "A LEAP OF FAITH". If nothing else, competing along the SKA Professional Kingfish Trail is clearly a leap of faith. Despite the best of technology and local information we make this leap every time we fill out the Tournament entry form and prepare to compete. We know that the weather could turn against us, we understand that there may be hundreds of other teams competing with us and that the fish gods are fickle at best, yet over 100 times in the past ten seasons Nancy and I have made this leap. The bait moves and the fish don't bite yet we compete making the leap of faith that we can and will land a tournament grade fish. Why? We have honed our skills as best we can, created strong relationships along the trail, learned how to compete and now seek to apply these skills in each and every event we compete in. We could focus upon what might go wrong, whine about inequity and opine about lost opportunities, but we choose not to. We choose to make the leap of faith. If tournaments were merely an accounting of who caught what, no leap would be required, but to fully enjoy the experience one needs to make the leap and keep the faith.

We make this leap every time we put on the FishDancer team attire, venture offshore in small craft, every time we put out a bait spread and every time we chase down what could be a tournament winning Scomberomorous cavalla. We know there are a myriad of things that might go against us; mechanical failure can strike at any time, sea conditions can change quickly, severe weather is always a possibility and, finally, even the largest fish can be bested by an even larger one, yet we continue to take the leap. Why? After almost 50 years on this Earth and more than 10 in the Kingfishing Tournament Game, I think we make this leap to feel more alive and part of the human race. Competition is natural to us and the structured competition of the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour allows us to make the leap. In this world of internet chat rooms, bash boards, 10 minute news cycles, the leaps that Nancy and I make, instill a feeling of freedom, adventure and of independent choices in the current culture of victimization. While many hold others responsible for their performance, the leap team FishDancer makes is one where we know while we need some fishing luck, ultimately we only have ourselves to count upon for tournament success. The concept of making a leap of faith is applicable not only to the competitive kingfish trail.

We also take this leap in our personal lives as well. I have recently made a GIANT leap by accepting a new executive position with the firm of Hines Horticulture which will require Nancy and me to relocate to the Houston, Texas area. We are taking this leap not knowing exactly what might be different in a Texas versus Georgia lifestyle but with the knowledge that together we can and will redefine our lives by actually taking this leap. Selling one house, buying a new one, new relationships with people and the challenges of a new leadership role in a new organization all require a substantial leap of faith, one where all of the skills you have learned over the years will need to be judiciously applied. It sounds just like a tournament setting.

The one constant in our lives is each other and while many other variables cannot be controlled, Nancy and I decided more than 20 years ago to make our leaps together. This leap of faith has been the most rewarding to our lives and without it, the very premise of this article would not exist. The 'Leap of Faith' doctrine demands much from us both and is what keeps us seeking new adventures, be they in our personal, professional or competitive fishing lives. We have much to do and a short time to do it in, we make the leap that the new relationships we are making with real estate, contractors, company colleagues and fishing folks will add another chapter in our already full lives. Recently it has occurred to me that perhaps the “anti” crowd, be it in politics, angling or your personal lives, choose to watch the world from the edge of the cliff, never risking to find out what is on the other side, so they never make the leap. This life, in a nutshell, is a GIGANTIC LEAP OF FAITH, the more you can focus your attention on making the leap in the correct circumstances the better anglers, people and spouses we will all be. Don’t hesitate, don’t worry, sharpen your skills and take the leap….you won’t regret it.

Up next for the FishDancer team is the St. Mary’s Kingfish Classic, next Saturday. This past winter some were predicting the demise of the SKA's local divisional events by prognosticating their decline. It seems these dire predictions, along with many other loudly shouted hateful comments were once again just wrong - the leap was made but prematurely and for the wrong reasons. Since participation numbers are the best proxy for the strength of tournaments, it seems the SKA divisional teams took the leap and have been rewarded. The East Florida 'division' of the new series saw 59 teams compete in Fort Pierce in April with the May, Fernandina Beach leg of the new series drawing 14% less than that with 51 teams. The SKA's Division IV, 26th Annual Sapelo Open King mackerel Tournament enjoyed 128 teams competing, offering 23' and under, Open, Lady and Junior prizes along with the SKA divisional standings in the class of 23, Open, Lady, Junior and Senior categories. St. Mary's and the rest of the SKA Division IV schedule are expected to draw even more teams competing not only for cash and prizes but for local bragging rights as well as a berth in the National Championships of Kingfishing, the SKA National Championships. Stay tuned and wish us luck…….have faith and take a leap....

"What a long strange trip it has been". As Nancy and I were walking the docks at the Dockside Resort, a fellow SKA Pro Tour competitor was ribbing me for not keeping my 'live update' promise during the previous week's SKA national Championships. I appreciated the fact that he was checking this space for the update and apologized for the delays in the reports, but the plain truth is, while I had the best of intentions, my TO DO list never got small enough to let me write, edit and then post any updates. My schedule has been a bit more hectic than usual, with these two tournaments back-to-back, pre-positioning the boat, several business issues to attend to in Texas, Georgia and Florida, some fuel issues with the boat, losing my cell phone, tire problems with the truck, changing hotels in Fort Pierce, fuel issues with the boat and a family illness thrown in for a bit more stress. Due to the second stop of the SKA Pro Tour being shortened to a one day event due to high seas, Nancy and I returned to Fernandina early and I am using the extra time to post an update on the Ft. Pierce Pro event.

Team FishDancer's 28th Place award from 2005 SKA Nationals

Following an in the money finish during the SKA nationals, the FishDancer team felt confident that we had a line on the fish and could provide the results we were seeking during the event. Nancy and I decided long ago to fish for our own objectives; and while we strive to win every event we enter, we realize that is not possible. So with a 52.31 scaled in Key West, we looked at the standings and wanted to leave Ft. Pierce with somewhere in the vicinity of 100 points, so we did the math and determined our goal would be 55 or more points and two fish for this event. Our thinking was simple, catch a fish each day and leave Ft. Pierce with a 35 pound three fish average. This would move us up in the standings and position us in good shape to achieve our 2006 performance objectives, going into the Port Fourchon. As we experienced some fuel issues during the return run of last week's event we needed to get the situation looked at by a mechanic and the folks at Anchor's Aweigh Marine at Taylor Creek were good enough to assist us on short notice. After fearing the worst, it seems some bad fuel had gummed up the works and by Tuesday afternoon we were back on the water. Nancy and I decided to bait fish BEFORE everyone got to town.

We headed out to the boils at around 2pm on Tuesday; anchored up, put out the chum bag and fished for about an hour and had ZERO baits. Deciding to find another spot we pulled up and Team ProStar gave us a location tip that would prove golden. We re-anchored in a new spot and began to have some fun. Bait fishing with 'THE' FishDancer is something of a unique adventure as Nancy is convinced that singing to the baits brings them in towards the boat; so in between various versions of 'Itsy-Bitsy Spider' and 'The Oscar Meyer Bologna Song' (among others) we landed 52 blue runners, a dozen bluefish and 6 spanish mackerel. To make this experience all the more amazing, there were two other boats within spitting distance and they caught less than a dozen? Maybe Nan is right after all (my bologna has a first name, its O S C A R...). Needless to say we were pleased to have our bait-pen full so we turned our attention to pre-fishing on Wednesday; since we knew there were fish North and fish South, we decided to fish the beaches near Ft. Pierce. We fished the twin condos, double humps and Ft. Pierce redtops North of the inlet with no results. The water looked OK but we didn't mark consistent bait pods. So we headed south of the inlet to the picnic tables and south beach; the water here was much better with good bait markings and fish being shown on the RayMarine depth finder. We fished with runners, ribbons and spanish. We caught 2 fish in the mid twenties, both on spanish on the downriggers but the weather was calling for a change and we were worried that the beach conditions would be dramatically different on Friday. So we planned to run the ditch on Friday and fish where we did for the second day of SKA nationals. We then turned our attention to the weather forecast.

There was a front forecasted to come through on Thursday, with the winds shifting from SE on Wednesday to N/NW on Thursday to N/NE on Friday and E/NE on Saturday. Friday the forecast had 4-6' seas and Friday was a minimum of 5-7'. We went to the DONZI team meeting on Thursday, then the Captain's meeting and were back to the hotel by 9pm getting ready for what seemed to be a one day event. We ran the 20 miles down the ICW to St. Lucie inlet and then the 9 miles to the spots where we had plenty of fish last week. After watching several teams hook up to small fish we decided to move some 9 mile further south - off of Jupiter Inlet in 80 feet, and were greeted with a flurry of action. We had several small kings, a dolphin and the fish we weighed a 27.57 pound fish. We made the 16 mile run dead into the 20+ mph N/NE winds, traversed the inlet at ebb tide and ran the ditch back to the weigh in site. We were pleased with the decision to make up the lost day in Ft Pierce by allowing teams to weigh 3 fish in Port Fourchon. Although there are 25 teams who have 3 fish on the board versus our two; our huge 'anchor' fish and a two fish total of 79.88 points places Team FishDancer in 27th place overall on the SKA Pro Tour and Team FishDancer more importantly currently ranks 9th overall in average fish size. Nancy is currently 5th overall lady angler and is 3rd in Lady average fish size. So with our Ft. Pierce performance Team FishDancer remains on track with our goals and plans to achieve them for the 2006 season. The most interesting event of the season is next, Port Fourchon - home of big West Delta fish; and with each team having the opportunity to weigh 3 fish during this event, the standing are sure to change. We see this as a HUGE opportunity for Team FishDancer and believe we need a minimum of 110 points to make a significant move in the standings. Stay tuned......

The City of Fort Pierce rolled out the red carpet and the SKA hosted almost 300 of the best kingfish teams in the nation at the re-scheduled 2005 SKA National Championships. The City of Fort Pierce was a great host, with many events for the teams and many of the businesses offering special hours or discounts for SKA anglers. Nancy and I want to thank Malcom and Sarah from Harbor Isle Marina, our water home in Ft. Pierce, for assisting the FishDancer team. Nothing is better after a long day on the water the than to have someone on the dock assisting you and saying "Welcome home". Alan's Diner had an SKA welcome sign in the window, Goodfella's Pizza had an SKA special, DeBrooks Bait and Tackle opened up each morning a 5am and stayed open until 9pm for us, the City Marina was it's usual best with good service staying open for all teams to fuel up and the Original Tiki Bar is still going strong. Poker, a street fest and the harbor park all for SKA anglers and their families. All through the city there were banners announcing the SKA Championship and Nancy and I were even greeted with wishes of good luck from the shoppers at Publix. We still miss Biloxi and will look forward to our return in 2007 but Ft. Pierce is a great place for king anglers to visit and compete from.

Since the 'World Series' of king mackerel fishing is an aggregate event teams needed to keep themselves in the game with a good fish on the first day. The aggregate format is the truest of test of angling skill, reducing the ever present luck factor and rewarding the anglers and teams with the best skills and techniques. So with this in mind 'THE' FishDancer and I decided to work hard on day one to find some fish a 'money finish' in the nationals has eluded us thus far and we wanted to add one to our angling portfolio. Team FishDancer fished hard for two days running some 70 miles north on day one and some 30 miles south for the second day of the event. Bait was difficult to get and 'Mr Sporstman' - Eric Wetterman saved us again and had frisky runners and goggle eyes for us to purchase. Once we loaded up with bait Nancy and I ran out of the Ft. Pierce inlet, turned North and ran some 70 miles to our chosen fishing spot. In an effort to fish 'away from the pack', we were relying upon the altimetry of Hilton's Real-time Navigator, and some information from our fishing buddies, to guide us to what we believed would be good kingfish water. Upon arriving we saw about 10 boats fishing the area and several were hooked up. We put out our baits and quickly joined in the action. At the end of the day we had about a dozen king mackerel the largest of which was 26.94 pounds and that put us in 31st place overall - not to bad in a 300 boat event which pays back to 40th place. We ran more than 200 miles and burned only 130 gallons, the fuel economy of the Optis on the DONZI 35zf hull is amazing and appreciated even more with marina fuel now near $4 per gallon. After consulting with several teams, we decided while the bite was stronger where we fished to the north, the bigger fish were in their usual haunts to the south and our plan for the second day was to fish with the pack where several of the big fish were caught.

Sometimes I am amazed at how different the ocean conditions can be on a day-to-day basis. As flat as Friday was, the South 15 MPH winds blew all evening and we were greeted with stacked 3-4' waves as we ran dead into the winds. Thankfully we only needed to run about 9 miles from the inlet to hit our spot. There were ultimately more than 100 teams fishing this area and we stayed on the outside and had about 6 fish, the largest being 24.41 pounds. We ran back to the scales early to beat the thunderstorms and assure our second fish would count. I told Nancy that I thought we would end up 26th and after all was said and done our 51.90 pound aggregate earned us 28th place overall. Hearty FishDancer congratulations go out to Rick Smith - aka Wild Turkey - and Stan Jarusinski- aka Captain Stanman - for winning in the open and 23' and under divisions respectively. Congratulations also go out to DONZI teams the Kill n Me (Howard Poe) and Team Loadmaster (Donnie Workman) for their 2nd and 5th place finishes. We enjoyed the competition and especially the camaraderie of the Championships, there is something about teams from all over the kingfishing map, who have proven themselves by meeting an equal standard, competing for the right to be called National Champions that makes this event special no matter the venue.

Next up for us is the 2nd leg of the SKA Pro Kingfish Tour next week. We have a lot to do in a short period of time to get the boat and motors ready...wish us luck and stay tuned for some pictures from the SKA Championships....

The sport of offshore competitive angling has a wide range of emotions for the anglers to experience during the course of any tournament. The SKA Professional Kingfish Tour doubles those emotions as we compete with the best King Mackerel anglers anywhere on the planet. This past week in Key West, Florida; Nancy and I experienced the fullest array of emotions -- from the excitement and adrenaline rush of fighting and landing a big fish we thought to be in the 50s, the joy of seeing the scales read 52.31 pounds, our 5th place finish on day one of the event to the agony of getting 'skunked' on the second day while watching about 200 fish caught all around us in every direction, any one of which would have put us on the leader board. Ultimately that is the challenge of the SKA Pro Tour - 2 good fish on 2 different days and while we are satisfied with our start and one great fish, we cannot help but think about what might have been. Look for a full story and pictures later on in the week and be sure to check out our FishDancer Pro Tip of the Week for an open letter to all of the Doomsayers, Paydayers and SKA Haters out there......stay tuned.

Today's plan worked to perfection. We ran some 80 miles in the flattest water we have EVER seen in Key West and found the Gulf Stream waters had moved in. The water was a deep blue and very clear. We had been watching Hilton's Real-Time Navigator and noticed that there was a strong temperature gradient about 20 miles east of where we first stopped. So after fishing for an hour in the deep blue, we picked up and ran back east to some spots we had been successful at before, and where the temperature break was. After a few trolling passes we got a strike and "THE" FishDancer ran to the bow and began her now famous kingfish mambo with mother nature. After a few minutes of good battle I stuck the gaff in a nice fish, one we estimated to be near 50 pounds. We ran back towards the scales and put the fish on the scales and she officially weighed 52.31 pounds. We need another good fish tomorrow and are in contention for some money IF we can find a tournament grade fish on Saturday. Stay tuned.....we are calling all of the fish gods of the greater key west area....

Our first day of fishing is over. Our original plan was to make a run and head out into the Gulf to catch many baits. The weather and water conditions had something else in mind. After traversing the NW pass out of Key West we were greeted by strong easterly winds and water the color of opaque green. We decided to go to plan B which was to turn around and head back to the areas we knew around Key West and see if we could jig up baits. After stopping at 10-15 spots we had zero to show for our efforts. So we picked a spot and hung the anchor and fished for the better part of 3 hours and had 9 very small blue runners in the baitpen. The water we have seen is very poor in quality and reports from KW to Cosgrove indicate that the quality worsens the further down the reef line you go. Oh well it is 6:30am on Wednesday and we will be back at it today. Stay tuned...

Welcome to Key West. Nancy and I snuck into town around noon today and got situated with our lodging, dockage and trailer parking. The winds are blowing around 20 and today was clearly just a logistics day - although the forecast for tomorrow and the remainder of the week is encouraging. As we motored passed Murray Marine we were surprised to see multiple SKA Professional Kingfish Tour teams already in town. Reel Won, Hot Grits, My Three Sons, Haulin' Ace, That's My Dog, Team ProStar are among several others we saw who are already in town and getting ready to fish the 2006 trail. We are pleased to see some teams who chose not to compete in 2005 -- qualify and return to the SKA Pro Tour for the 2006 season. Tomorrow will be a bait scouting day and we will post a report regarding our adventures on Tuesday night. We are calling all of the blue runner gods of the greater Key West area......stay tuned

The 2006 SKA Professional Kingfish Tour season has begun for the FishDancer angling team. Nancy and I have been doing our homework, preparing our gear and watching the weather prior to deciding to head to Key West a bit early to get settled in. In some past events we have made the trip early, with little to show for our efforts as weather precluded us from fishing but the Key West stop of the 2006 SKA Pro tour will hopefully be different. Perhaps the weather gods are smiling upon us this seasons? Rather than making the 600+ mile drive in one shot, we decided to split the ride down into two segments. We landed last evening in Florida City, just as the front was coming through and drove the last hour in substantial rain and wind. For those heading down we fueled up in Fernandina Beach ($2.19) and stopped at exit 201 in I-95 south ($2.23) and stopped at the last fuel stop on the Florida Turnpike some 10 miles north of Homestead ($2.39). In order to miss the metro Fort Lauderdale and Miami traffic, we took our usual route from I-95 to Ft. Pierce, get on the Florida Turnpike south to the Sawgrass expressway back to the Florida Turnpike south to US1.

It is about 6:00 am in Florida City and I just came back from checking the boat and trailer in the hotel's parking lot and all is well. The weather is cool, in the low 60s and windy. The forecast is for high winds today (Monday - N/NE 20-25 and gusty) but settling conditions for the remainder of the week. Our plan is to take a leisurely ride down the keys today and let the winds die down, splash the boat and fish for some bait and kings on Tuesday and Wednesday. If all goes well we will take a down day on Thursday to rest up and take care of all of the last minute things that come up at every event and then hit the trail running on Friday and Saturday. Look for some reports and maybe a picture or two during this week...we are calling all of the fish gods of the greater Key West area.....

The challenge of the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour tests the individual angler, the team, its equipment and ultimately performance on the circuit is where the nexus of preparation and opportunity converge. The 2006 season will be challenging as 100 and some teams compete for the coveted title of Angler of the Year. In subcategories, Ladies, Juniors and Seniors will also compete for Angler of the Year titles in their respective categories. To accomplish this objective a team will require excellent preparation, flawless logistics, strong tournament plans, exceptional tournament execution during 10 days of competition as well as a dose of the fish gods smiling upon them during the season. Nancy and I will head to Key West tomorrow, with a stop over and hit Key West early Monday to get settled in and docked and then plan to prefish and bait up Tuesday and Wednesday. Before we leave we were working on some of the logistics for tournaments yet to come, most specifically SKA Pro Tour stop #3 in June, Port Fourchon, Louisiana.

As most anglers know the Biloxi, Venice and New Orleans areas were devastated by Katrina. Unfortunately, Fourchon got both Katrina and Rita, back to back, so we are unsure of what to expect when we head west in June. The camp we rented last season is due for demolition due to the storms and there is much speculation regarding the entire SKA Division 7 schedule due to the current state of infrastructure in the affected areas.. Venice is gone (but will be back), Biloxi still in rubble (but rebuilding) and even Fourchon is still in rough shape.

During the 2003 - 2005 season, team FishDancer enjoyed many meals at a great local Grand-Isle/Chenerie restaurant called Cigars, a hotel, restaurant and marina complex a mere 5 miles from the tournament site at Kajun Sportsman. Below are before and after pictures from the website of Cigars. WOW, its hard to believe. These pictures should give anglers some idea of the additional challenges facing us in the gulf during the 2006 season.

Cigars BEFORE Katrina

Cigars After Katrina

Obviously, it will be some time before things get back to any sense of normalcy in the Fourchon, Venice, New Orleans and Biloxi areas. God's Speed to one and all. So in 2006, angling teams will have a few more hurdles to negotiate to earn the AOY titles, but this is a small price to pay when you consider the difficulties suffered by so many great people in some of our favorite fishing locales. These realities put the complaints of the tempest-in-a-teapot crowd in the proper perspective. I bet the folks in New Orleans, Biloxi, Venice and Fourchon would love to worry about these types of 'problems' rather than the real life difficulties they have faced now for many months. Recent reports from Venice indicate that electricity is not yet delivered and the infrastructure is still in poor shape. Our thoughts and prayers go out to our friends at Cypress Cove and Venice marina as well. We recommend the Bush-Clinton Katrina fund to those who want to contribute to the rebuilding of the delta. We feel blessed to have the opportunity to compete for yet another SKA Professional Kingfish Tour season and wish the best of luck and Godspeed to those still working their way out of the wrath of Katrina.

2.26.2006 The shortest month of the year, February, always seems to sneak up on the FishDancer angling team. The kickoff event of the 2006 SKA Professional Kingfish Tour season, held in Key West, Florida, was weeks away. Now there are scant few days remaining before "THE" FishDancer and I make the 700 mile journey south.

There was a strong bite of HUGE king mackerel at the Hog's Breath SKA event about a month ago and the expectations remain high for the leader board for the Key West SKA Pro event as well. I have had several conversations with knowledgeable folks who have predicted that the SKA record will fall and the aggregate for the event will be above 110 points. We expect big fish to be brought to the scales, there always are whenever you congregate the world's greatest king mackerel anglers in waters that are known to hold tournament grade fish. Creating and executing a team strategy for the 2006 season will be interesting. With the potential for a 300+ point total required to earn angler of the year, past performances may not be a good indicator of what a team needs to do to be in contention. With both big fish venues of Key West and Port Fourchon on the circuit this season, teams will be tested early and falling behind in the 2006 season's points race will put teams out of contention early. The pressure is really on.

The FishDancer goals for the season are to place in the top 20, earn a victory and earn Nancy the Lady Angler of the year title. We figure we need a minimum of 80 points from the Key West event to get on track with our goals for the season. Early reports we have received indicate that the masses of bait that were on the reef have thinned and that while there are some good fish being caught they are fewer and far between what they were several weeks back. Early weather reports look good for the event, which is always worrisome, as the forecasts change as we get closer to the fish days of March 2nd and 3rd. Nancy and I will be rolling into Key West on Monday and searching for bait and fish the rest of the week. We are calling all fish gods of the greater Key West area.....stay tuned.

2.21.2006 Nancy and I are 'showed out'. We have walked miles, tackled the Miami traffic, found parking on Miami Beach and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. In thinking about a theme for my final report I began thinking that the largest boat show in the world, The Miami Boat Show, is all about two things - people and boats. If you love to meet and greet and/or crawl all over the newest varieties of boats, this is the place for you. Below are some pictures of some of the folks we had the chance to hang out with;

Gary Caputi from SWS Magazine Paul Michele (center) and the The Yo-Zuri team Angler Editor Ian Warner

Terry Holmes and Don Ewing of the SKA Eric Smith in the Yellowfin booth

Three DONZI D's Dan (ctr), Dave (r) and Dunbar (l)

Tom Hilton and Realtime-Navigator Lisa Mills Sam White and the WBS gang

Terry Lacoss - Angling Mentor and Triton Saltwater Team Captain

Nancy in the West Marine colorworld Jeff with the Mercury 300 xs Optimax

John Zalud and Ian Warner of the SKA pose with the FishDancer team

Once you complete the social rounds then you get to crawl all over and test the newest boats on the market today. We were on the DONZI 23,26,29,32,35 and 38 foot offerings, Contender 33, Fountain 38, Triton 35, Sailfish 30, Yellowfin 36, Hydra-Sports 33, Century 2400, Luhrs 31, 41 express and convertible, Venture 39.

Yellowfin 17' Flats boat DONZI Triton 35

Fountain 31 "THE" FishDancer and the Contender 33

The DONZI 35 and 38

>>))))))">

2.17.2006 Friday was a full day at the Miami Boat show for "THE" FishDancer and me, we spent the early hours visiting with Terry LaCoss and Team Triton. Terry carries a large amount of the credit for getting us both involved in SKA tournament angling and it is always good to spend some time talking boats and fishing with him. Terry was the sea trial Captain running the Triton 35 powered with triple Mercury Verados. Nancy and I chatted for awhile with Terry and his daughter Lisa Mills. We ran into John Zalud from the SKA and spent some time discussing the state of our sport with John and Ian Warner, Editor of Angler magazine. I can tell that John and Ian, along with most members of the SKA are making ready for the first SKA Pro event to be held in a few weeks in Key West. We ran into Captain Howard Poe and Donna Gowen-Poe of the Killin Me team. Howard will have a full array of DONZI products to crawl aboard next weekend at the Savannah International Boat Show. We stopped by and chatted with our sponsors at E-Searider. We had a chance to see the new Contender 33 and got a bunch of good pictures of this boat as well as the new Mercury OptiMax 300XS motors. Finally we spent the better part of the day at the DONZI pavilion trying to sell boats. I don't know if we were successful but hopefully we assisted the busy DONZI sales folks, especially Curt, and offered some insight into the quality of the boat to potential buyers. We have some good pictures - we think - but have not had a chance to get them developed as of yet. Finally we finished off the day with a real Italian feast, we had a baked dough covered with sausage, cheese and tomato (Pizza) and a bowl of vegetables and greens (insalata) covered in olive oil. Tomorrow will be our final day at the show and we have already had a blast. Stay tuned.

2.16.2006 Premiere Thursday at the Miami Boat Show was enjoyable for Nancy and me. Great weather and much to see. But before I go into detail about our experiences at the show, I need to clarify our dinner last night. It seems for some of our readers, especially those who share the Dunbar name and live in Georgia, the 'Italian' menu choices were a bit daunting. So to keep everyone in the 'family' informed, Nancy and I dined on Crab Salad, Risotto (an Italian rice) with strawberries, cheese (robbialo e fraggiole) and prosseco (an Italian wine), next up was sable fish in a squid, basil and tomato broth and the entree was veal chop stuffed with prunes, walnuts and ham (pancetta) served on hot GRITS (polenta), the desert was a sweet cheese custard (mascarpone) served over a melon sauce. The wines served were a champagne for the start, 2 white wines, a sparkling wine, a red wine and a port wine with desert. In any language it was delicioso.

The 2006 Miami Show is off to a great start. Taking a sea-trial on a 29 See-Vee with twin Verados with DTS running an integrated Raymarine electronic set-up, we enjoyed the benefits of total integration of GPS, sonar, radar, charting, sirus radio/weather, and autopilot offered by the new Raymarine E series of products. Nancy and I made the rounds today seeing many friends, boats and a virtual who is who of the fishing world. The Miami show really has everything that has anything to do with saltwater tournament angling, with every major saltwater tournament trail represented. We saw Captain Norm Isaacs of the Extreme Billfish League from Kona, Hawaii and Nancy had a chat with Melissa Fischer from the TV show - by the way her baby is now almost 2 years old and everyone is doing great. It was great seeing Sam White and the World Billfish Series gets stronger each years Sam is involved with them. It wouldn't be the Miami show if we didn't do some hanging out at the SKA booth with Jack, Deona, Terry, and Don. We shared fishing stories under the SKA tent with Tom Aberle and his lovely wife Emily. We ran into Gary Caputi from Saltwater Sportsman, Paul Michele and David fro Yo-Zuri and our old buddy Bobby Flocken, now a National Sales Manager for a tackle dealer. There were about 12 SKA Professional Teams we ran into over the course of the day and we will expect to see a few more over the next few days -- it seems that this season will be a good one for the SKA Pros with a minimum of 15 new teams. So far the highlight of the show for me, other than the great boats in the DONZI stable and new high power 300 hp outboards from Mercury, was a Yellowfin Flats Boat that was constructed by Kevin Barker. It is a one of a kind, with a lightweight hull, great lines and angling utility, drafts 5 inches and will run in the 45 mph range with a 70hp engine. Very sweet. We hope to test run some of the new Mercs tomorrow as well as visit our friends at Real-time Navigator, E-Searider and Cape Lookout lures. Stay tuned we might even have a few pictures to post by tomorrow night?

2.15.2006 There is little better in this life than enjoying an evening of fine dining with my fishing partner, "THE" FishDancer. We arrived in Miami Beach on Tuesday and in celebration of Valentine's Day made reservations to have dinner at on of South Beach's trendy Italian Restaurants, Escopazzo. In accordance with the holiday Escopazzo offered a special 5 course tasting menu with a wine pairing with each course. Nancy and I enjoyed a feast. From a Crystal Crab Salad with fennel and Clementine aspic, we dined on Rissotto al Prosseco, robbialo e Fraggiole, Merluzzo Nero in guazetto di calamari, pomodorini e basillico move onto the main course of Arrosto di Vitella com ripieno di prugne, pancetta, noci e timo su letto di polenta. For desert we had a Pannacotta di Mascarpone and a nice Churchill's Port wine. WOW, what a meal. 5 courses, 6 different wines and excellent service from our Napolitano host. Now we are set for the show and will be performing some sea trials with Raymarine this morning testing their newest and most innovative equipment offerings. The weather is a bit chilly, lows last night were in the 50s and highs today in the low 70s with east winds 10-20 mph. Stay tuned for more reports.....

11.2006 The 2006 SKA Mercury Divisional Tournament Trail is off to a good start, with over 150 teams competing in Key West, Florida at the 10th Annual Hog's Breath King Mackerel Tournament. The leader board was stellar with fellow DONZI/Mercury team, Lured Away winning with a 66.77 pound fish. Second place went to Team Sundance Marine with a 64.74 pound fish and third place to the No Doubt team with a 61.47 pound mackerel. Three 60 pound fish in one event -- I cannot imagine scaling a 61.47 pound fish and placing third in a big fish formatted tournament. A hearty FishDancer congratulations to the three teams for braving the elements and landing a true trophy king mackerel. After these great performances 'THE' FishDancer and I got to talking about how rare big fish really are. Is the FishDancer experience indicative of the SKA tournament trail as a whole or simply unique?

We have competed in well over 100 SKA events from Louisiana to Hatteras and have only brought one king in excess of 60 and one fish right at 50 to the scales. We all know anglers tend to overestimate the weights of fish, we all have done it on occasion, so how can the kingfishing community obtain an accurate perspective of the incidence of these large fish? Knowing the actual incidence of these larger fish is a key to tournament success, allowing a team to make the proper decisions after a good fish has been landed and secured in the fish bag. Gaining as many data points as possible, recently I competed an analysis of the SKA Mercury Tournament Trail from the 2003 and 2005 seasons. This data covers all geographic differences, weather conditions and SKA sanctioned events. The points made by the data are both insightful and interesting to tournament anglers;

Data source included all 2003 and 2005 SKA divisional results from the SKA website.
4837 fish were weighed during these seasons; 2128 in 2003 (44%) and 2709 in 2005 (56%).
329 fish (6.8%) weighed in the 40 pound class
59 fish (1.22%) weighed in the 50 pound class
9 fish (0.19%) weighed in excess of 60 pounds
The median fish weighed 23.82 pounds -the average fish weighed 25.28 pounds

	2003	%	2005	%	2 year total	%
Total Fish	2128		2709		4837
40+	138	6.48%	191	7.05%	329	6.80%
50+	24	1.13%	35	1.29%	59	1.22%
60+	5	0.23%	4	0.15%	9	0.19%

The base assumption of this analysis is to approximate, with a degree of acceptable accuracy, the weight distribution of king mackerel throughout the SKA's geography. Reviewing almost 5,000 individual fish weights in a random yet stable competitive environment provides us a good proxy for the actual incidence of fish weights along the trail. In any SKA sanctioned event if you weigh a fish 60 pounds or greater you have a 99.81% chance of having the largest fish, this makes the accomplishments of Lured Away, Sundance Marine and No Doubt all the more impressive. These three join a very elite club of king mackerel anglers -- a club made up of less than one fifth of one percent of ALL tournament anglers. The 60 pound club..........welcome to all three teams. We are calling the fish - and weather - gods of the greater Key West area...

1.30.2006 The 2006 SKA Divisional and Professional kingfish tour season is upon us – ready it or not. The SKA Mercury Divisional Trail begins with the Division X, Hog’s Breath KMT, January 27-29^th, while the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour will host its kickoff event from Murray Marine in Key West, Florida, March 2^ndthrough the 4^th. With this ever tightening schedule in mind, it is imperative that teams, seeking to succeed on either the Divisional or Pro Tour level, begin serious preparations. We have created this FishDancer article to share with anglers how our team prepares for the season, we hope it helps your team get ready to fish in 2006.

There are fundamentally three elements of off-season preparation Team FishDancer seeks to accomplish prior to heading to our first scheduled tournament appearance. Each of these elements of preparation are reviewed as early as possible, with a special attention to single points of failure, which both Nancy and I try to eliminate as we conclude our preparations. These elements are logistics (travel, accommodations, marina reservations etc); equipment (boat, motor, trailer, downriggers etc) and tackle (rods, reels, rigs, etc). Let’s look at each of the elements independently;

LOGISTICS; Initially ‘THE’ FishDancer and I get together and decide what events, including tournaments and shows, we want to participate in during the upcoming season and overlay them on our personal calendars. Only the events that we can both commit to are penciled in on our calendar. The 2006 season will include SKA Pro Tour stops in Key West, Florida; Fort Pierce, Florida, Port Fourchon, Louisiana, Savannah, Georgia and Little River, South Carolina. Additionally the FishDancer team will be doing some sponsor work at the Miami boat show, a seminar (still unconfirmed) at the Savannah Boat Show and is considering fishing the Jacksonville VIP KMT as well as several other local KMTS. Once these events are confirmed by the team we begin the process of making the appropriate hotel and marina reservations. These early reservations assure that we face minimal aggravation upon arrival at each of the events. Anyone who has ever arrived in a city to fish a KMT or attend a sponsor event, only to find out that somewhere along the line the reservations got bungled, can attest that this is an unwelcome episode, especially during tournament week. Rather than focusing upon finding bait and fish the team has to spend time and energy moving around or finding alternative accommodations. We already have our 2006 SKA Pro Tour reservations firmed up and are looking forward to the coming season. Practice good, strong and EARLY logistics and the team will be better situated throughout the season.

EQUIPMENT; The significance of maintaining your equipment cannot be overstated, especially along the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour, where a single breakdown can cost a team a chance at the coveted Angler of the Year title. In addition to routine truck maintenance every 3,000 miles, we have the tow vehicle checked out thoroughly in the off-season. We want to assure we have the Silverado in tip top shape before we make our first trip of the season. Next up is the LoadMaster trailer, we repack the bearings, grease the hubs, check the lights and inspect and tighten all nuts and bolts. The winch and coupler are tested and cleaned and the tire pressures brought up to specifications (critical especially with the changing air temperatures during the winter season). Next we inspect the DONZI/Mercury combination for any maintenance needs and pre season repairs. We check and clean ALL electronics connections, replace the lower unit oil and have a 100 hour service performed to check all required engine functions. Having the truck, trailer, boat and motors ready to hit the trail with plenty of time to spare reduces the stress level of the team as well as your local mechanic. You may need to push the time envelope with your service providers sometime during the season, so why use all of your good will now when you don’t have to? From a FishDancer perspective there is no better time to complete these maintenance tasks than right now. Finally do not forget your downriggers, they can provide some of the largest fish of the season and are in need of maintenance as well. Each of our three Penn 650 downriggers was stripped of its mono and new monofilament was connected. The old downrigger assemblies were stripped, oiled and refitted and all release clips were torn down and new ones tied onto the mono. The swivel bases were inspected for wear and tear, greased and reinstalled.

TACKLE; Once we are comfortable that we are set from a logistics and equipment standpoint, I then turn my attention to our tackle needs for the season. We are pleased to be associated with some of the finest producers of kingfish tackle in the business, using only the best products available on the market today. HI-SEAS/American Fishing Wire single strand wire, SPRO power swivels, Gamakatsu hooks, Yo-Zuri Hybrid Line/Disappearing Pink Fluorocarbon and Cape Lookout Smokers Only Dusters and Bullet Baits. I carry a ‘rigging bag’ filled with the appropriate products we utilize to re-spool our reels and make our Kingfishing rigs. Within this rigging bag I have a live bait box, a ribbonfish box and an all other box. The live bait box is pictured below and contains all of the components we used to twist our live bait rigs of all sizes, the same for the ribbon fish box, while the all other box contains spare dusters, attractors as well as the components for our downrigger release clip lines. Each of our reels, we carry 6 Shimano Trinidads, 6 Shimano Speedmasters, and 4 Shimano Baitrunners have been stored for the winter stripped of all fishing line, so spooling these reels is a priority for me. Depending upon where we are fishing we will spool with line as light as 12 pound and as heavy as 40 pound test in High Vis Yellow, Smoke or Clear color. The next step is assessing what rigs I have left from the previous season – these become the new season’s pre-fish rigs – and establish a number of rigs to be twisted. Each season I will create between 250-500 individual live bait single, double, ribbonfish as well as a few prototype rigs. During the 2006 season we will experiment with utilizing a new way to present the live baits based upon the position of the first hook. Obtaining any required components low in my rigging bag; I then begin to twist rigs for the new season. This can be accomplished just about anywhere and is a great task to complete on those cold windy winter days when you can only dream about Kingfishing.This detailed, if not anal-retentive, preparation schedule is critical to being successful along the SKA trial and even more important when competing on the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour. There is always something to do, repair, prepare or obtain prior to any event -- and the first event of the season is always a challenge from a preparation standpoint. Thus far ‘THE’ FishDancer and I have completed our logistics, have our equipment maintenance under control and have twisted over 200 live bait rigs, 75 ribbonfish rigs as well as prepared the rigging boxes and rig bags with all the required hooks, swivels, skirts, jigs, sabiki rigs as well as many other assorted angling tackle required to allow us to fish and bait up in a variety of different ways.

Our angling equipment - rods, reels and downriggers have all been re-rigged with new line and hardware and spares exist for any equipment failures or losses. We are calling all of the kingfish gods of the greater Key West area….after all there are only 28 days until we depart. Stay tuned…………

1.19.2006 Can a king fishing team take what it has learned and apply it to another fishery? This was the proposition that Team FishDancer was attempting to test by entering the Atlanta Saltwater Sportsman Club's Sailfish Tournament in Palm Beach, Florida. While there was no money at stake, the angling pride of the team was on the line in this event and since I was fishing with Nancy and my brothers Mark and Brian, I was excited about our chances. Since the team had never targeted sailfish there was a large question mark about our ability to raise, catch and release sailfish. I prepared the rigs, with 7/0 circle hooks tied to 40 and 50 pound fluorocarbon leader tied to an 80 pound swivel and with a three foot section of doubled line. I can attest that there was an ample dose of anticipation as we launched the boat at Lake Park Marina. Adding to the tension was the fact that merely one week ago, over 900 sails were caught and released in a tournament from this same marina and from these same waters. Just to keep our tension high, as we backed down the ramp we were inspected by US Customs, welcome to South Florida. After clearing these minor hurdles we splashed and headed the 1.5 miles to our marina and hotel. The team would be housed and docked at the world famous Sailfish Marina, arguably the epicenter of sail fishing in the United States.
The Captain's meeting was fun, with much jocularity between the anglers and the rules clearly explained. This would be an all release, sailfish only events run on the gentleman's honor system and under IGFA rules and regulations. Once we were discovered to be from the SKA, we took some friendly kidding from the club’s anglers. We were advised we didn’t have to run more than 100 miles at 60 mph to catch a sailfish and also reminded that on the quality of species scale, in the minds of some club anglers, king mackerel pale in comparison to sailfish. We headed back to our rooms to prepare for the first of what was scheduled to be a three day fishing event.

It was nice to have a more leisurely format during this event, no check outs, teams could come back for lunch and fish as long or short as they chose. We decided to head out after first light and picked up our live bait (a mixture of small goggle eyes and blue runners) at 7:00am and headed out of the Lake Worth inlet. The inlet is less than half of a mile from the marina and we were quickly in the Atlantic Ocean. Our plan for day one was to head north a bit and fish off of Juno in the 100-150 range. We hit our spot around 7:15 and had a full spread of baits in the water by 7:30. I put out a four line spread with a dredge – one long line, a short flat line, a medium flat line and one on the downrigger. Many teams were kite fishing but we decided NOT to attempt this as we are not properly schooled nor geared up to do it well. We slow trolled an area we thought might hold some sailfish. While trolling we saw two brown figures swimming up our spread -- SAILFISH!!!!!! YIKES. We could raise them. They were small but both looked the baits over – the baits were bridled – and both turned their beaks up at them. Just to make the point one of the fish decided to free jump three times about 50 feet from the boat. We were 0 for two but everyone on board was pleased as it was quite a sight to see!!!! We trolled back and forth and began to hear reports of fish being caught and released in our general area, a good sign. Mark got hooked up with something that would not budge and after a lengthy battle the leader was sheared --- was it a big shark, grouper who ran into a hole, whatever we would never find out. Nancy was the next up and did great work on a fish that ran at amazing speed all over the ocean. We were fighting it near a large party boat anchored up and bottom fishing, so Nancy had an audience for this fight. The fish made 4 sizzling runs, ripping line of the Shimano Trinidad at amazing speed and since it didn’t jump we didn’t think it was a Sailfish. Nancy skillfully angled a nice Wahoo of about 35-40 pounds to the boat on 40 pound Yo-Zuri fluorocarbon leader, 20 pound test Yo-Zuri Hybrid Line and and a 6/0 Gamakatsu circle hook!!!

Very nice. I then reeled in a nice dolphin of about 15 pounds but still no sailfish. The day was young and I had a good feeling about our chances. It seemed that the circumstances were good, radio reports in our area had many sails being caught and I felt that if we did our work we would get our chances.

The goggle eye that was in the shotgun position was getting nervous, swimming back and forth trying to evade some large predator who had designs on making dinner reservations with it. I picked up the rod and was ready to do the sailfish drop back when all of a sudden the port flat line exploded quickly followed by the starboard side with a double hook up of SAILFISH. Both fish jumped in opposite directions -- looking much like a Sailfish fountain with a column in the center. Brian picked up the starboard rod which was running to port and I took the port line which was running to starboard. The fight was on.

A small dose of angling chaos then ensued as both fish were being angled to the boat and running in different directions. Brian's fish made a valiant leap and shook free of the hook while the fish on the end on my line was swimming away from the boat and jumping many times en route to some unknown destination. After clearing all of the lines, we turned the boat and did the Sailfish Samba with mother nature. The Sail was running hard and I was reeling as fast as I could to keep pressure on the fish. After a few more spectacular leaps, we were in close proximity of the 14' leader, and if we could touch the leader we would have our first official sailfish. We were merely a few feet away when the sail once again took off for another run.

After a good battle we were able to bring the sailfish along side the FishDancer and gently released her to grow larger and swim free in the Atlantic Ocean that she has known as her home. The proposition that we tested turned out not to be so crazy after all. We had a great time going 1 for 7 on sails, catching a wahoo, dolphin and a few sharks to boot. The Atlanta Saltwater Sportsman Club event was scheduled as a three day event but a strong front came through Friday evening with winds in excess of 30 knots and so the final fishing day was cancelled. The ASWSC event was great and we had fun meeting and fishing with the members -- the Captain's dinner was great Saturday night. Next up for team FishDancer is the Miami Boat Show and then the 2006 kickoff of the SKA Professional Tour with an event in Key West, Florida. Stay tuned, we are calling the kingfish gods of the greater Key West area....

The 2006 competitive angling season will begin for Team FishDancer in a

unique manner.  Our usual first event of the season is the SKA Division X

Hog's Breath KMT held in Key West, Florida.  There is little better than

fishing the fertile waters off of Key West, especially in winter. Since

the 2006 SKA Pro Tour will begin in Key West in early March, Team

FishDancer has decided to start off the 2006 competitive angling season

with our participation in the Atlanta Saltwater Sportsman's Club's

(ASWSC) Sailfish tournament in Palm Beach, Florida.

The ASWSC is a local Sportfishing club that has been in existence since

1984.  The club hosts six or seven 'fun fishing' events each season and

has visited such locations as Venice, LA; Freeport, Bahamas, Walker's

Cay as well as an annual trip to Palm Beach.  This will be the first time

our team will target Sailfish, although we have hooked a few over the

years as a by catch of our kingfishing activities.  We will be staying at

the world famous Sailfish Marina (often called the Yankee Stadium of

Sportfishing) with a slip there as well.  Our team will be expanded for

this event and include my two brothers, Mark and Brian, both seeking to

catch their first sailfish.  So the pressure is on, can we migrate the skills

we have honed so well on the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour to the very

technical sail fishery off of Palm Beach? I will admit we will also be

scouting the bottom and some additional bait spots for the SKA Nationals

and Pro Tour stop in Fort Pierce in April.  Nancy and I hope we can post

a sailfish picture or two on this site....the ASWSC tournament is a 3 day

affair with fishing from 1-12 through 1-14-2006.  Anyone interested in

the club can go to their website for information; http://www.aswsc.org

Wish us luck....we are calling all of the Sailfish gods (do they have gods

for sailfish?) of the Stuart, Jupiter and Palm Beach areas......

Team FishDancer wishes for all anglers a safe and prosperous New Year.

As the new year quickly approaches and the 2006 competitive season

begins we should challenge ourselves to make our sport more welcoming,

more transparent and eliminate the current cycle of negativity that has

recently been introduced to our great sport.  We think there are several

issues which need the support of all competitive anglers and invite you

to get involved with them:

Elimination of gaff and release tactics by all tournament competitors.

Support of marine fishery research focused upon King Mackerel.

Routine enforcement of ALL competitive rules and local laws.

Creating a more open environment to those wanting to participate.

Support of local events with Junior, Lady and Senior angler awards.

Elimination of the growing negativity within our sport.

The future of the competitive king mackerel fishing depends upon the

stewardship of today's anglers, providing the foundation for the

growth of the sport for the next generation.  The legacy of today's

competitive anglers will be the future direction taken by our sport.  As

the founders of this sport did, we must strive to provide a playing field

that is welcoming to all who choose to compete.  One of the best ways to

accomplish this is to encourage Junior Anglers as well as reward those

Lady Anglers and Senior Anglers who make this sport so enjoyable.

It is our heartfelt wish that the future of competitive kingfish angling

continues to be all inclusive, encouraging ALL to compete without regard

product selections and that the events maintain a local flavor and support

those local causes that have supported our sport for the past 20 years.

These tactics, coupled with the accountability of participants, events and

tournament trails will allow our sport to flourish and provide to this

sport a renewable source of future participants from which we can build

the sport for the future. Without this kingfishing will never flourish.

We are getting excited about the coming new year and fishing season

and hope to see all of you 'Fishin the Trail' in 2006.

Recently 'THE' FishDancer and I had to face a choice for our 35' DONZI. Having been customers of the Amelia Island Yacht Club for the past ten seasons we were seeking a lower cost alternative. We were able to find a local and secure storage location but wanted a good boat cover to protect the FishDancer from the elements. Janie Gonzales did our cover and we are pleased with the result. She used aqualon fabric and made a 'hat' for the radar raydome, 'socks' for our rod holders and 'sleeves' for our antennas. The cover provides shelter from the motors to just above the waterline. Anyone seeking to put a cover on their craft this winter should look up Janie, she does great work, has some of the most competitive prices and is a pleasant person to work with. You can call her business phone 904.476.0139 or email her at jgonz31242@aol.com. Tell her the FishDancer team sent you.

When deciding upon a theme for this year's 'Night Before Christmas' holiday tribute, I was again confronted with the reality of the devastation of Katrina on the Gulf Coast. According to a recent email from our rental agent in Grand Isle, who is now working round the clock - in primitive conditions - with little help, the 'camp' we rented last June in Fourchon was badly damaged and would most likely need to be demolished. Our friends in Venice, Biloxi and New Orleans are still gravely affected by this vicious storm. So it is with those Cajun friends in mind that I offer this small Christmas tribute to the Acadian culture which has made visiting this area such a joy, we look forward to visiting again soon. May the peace of the Christmas season bring some small solace for the woes to all of our Delta friends. After all this is the season of miracles ......

‘Twas the night before Kajun' Sportsman

An’ all t’ru de camp

Dey don’t a ‘ting pass

Not a kingfish, blue runner ‘nor even a scamp

De boat she has been nezzle

Good ‘n snug at the dock

An’ the birdie so tiny

Sang cuckoo from de clock

Den ‘DE’ FishDancer in de fireplace

Done roas’ up de ham

She stir up de gumbo

An’ she bake up de yam

When out on de Delta

Dey got such a clatter

Makin' a soun’ like Boudreaux

Done fall off his Mardi Gras Ladder

I run like de rabbit

To got to de do’

Trip over de rods

An’ fall on de flo’

As I look out de do’

De moon shinin' so bright

I rub my eyes thrice

Not to believe what I sight

Cuz dere on de bayou

W’en I stretch ma’ neck stiff

Dere’s eight SKA boats

A pullin’ de skiff

An’ a little fat drover

Wit’ a long pole-ing stick

I knew r’at away

Dis gotta be ole St. Nick

St. Nick he commanded

with whistle an’ call

To hammer down one,

Hammer down all

To de top o’ de porch

And over de’ wall

"Go fast de SKA boats

And keep standin’ tall"

Like dat, up de chimney dey clim

Wit’ de pirogue full o’ toys

Toys meant for grown men

Not de dreams of small boys

De men wished for new Donzis and Mercs,

For new rods wit’ new reels

They ask ole St. Nick

To bring new boat hauling wheels

Den down de chimney

I heard wit’ a bam

Ole St. Nicklus fell down

An’ he sit on de yams

He was dress in fatigue

From his head to his foot

An’ his clothes was all full

Wit’ de ashes and soot

He don’ do no talkin’

And he had no plan to stop

Fillin’ de stockings

And leavin’ the fishing lagniappe

He put bot’ his han’

Dere on top o’ his head

Cas’ an eye on de chimney

An’ den he done said

“Wit all o’ that fire

and dem burin’ hot flame

Me, I ain’ goin’ back

By de way dat I came”

So he run out de do’

An’ he clim’ to de roof

St, Nick ain’ no fool

For to make one more goof

He jump in de skiff

An’ he crack de big whip

As dem SKA boats

Dey done gave me the slip

An’ I heard him exclaim

As I watched dem far go

Merry Christmas to all

‘Til I saw you some mo!!!!!!

(Cajun Night Before Christmas was originally conceived by J.B. King, Jr, a retired baton Rouge law enforcement officer….it originally appeared as a Christmas Message from Bergeron Plymouth Company of New Orleans. King wrote this under the pseudonym of ‘TROSCLAIR’ and the story won a CLIO award for excellence in broadcast advertising in 1967. The book was edited by Howard Jacobs and illustrated by James Rice)

The practice of 'gaff and release' gives our sport a black eye,

The 'off-season' for competitive king mackerel anglers is upon us - Team FishDancer likes to utilize this down time to accomplish several objectives that assist us in managing our competitive performance.

First and foremost we begin to objectively assess and measure our 2005 competitive performance. Both Nancy and I are pleased with our 2005 season and yet we both see room for improvement in our tournament preparation, execution and overall results. We had the chance to see our actual fishing techniques in a recent SKA 'Fishin' the Trail' episode and were happy with both the footage and our actual fishing skills exhibited during the segment. We had a good season with our sponsors as well, assisting Donzi, Mercury, Raymarine,Yo-Zuri, SPRO, Gamakatzu, Loadmaster and Calusa increase their brand recognition (this site alone had over 30,000 hits). We look forward to another great year with our sponsors next season. As we ONLY represent products that we use in our competitive fishing and can HONESTLY recommend to our readers and angling friends, this positions our business relationships in a unique manner within the angling community.

The second objective we use the off-season for is to begin preparations for the 2006 season. Our team will get together and decide what our '06 objectives will be, make as many land logistics reservations as we can and begin to look at the 2006 schedule to decide where we will compete. A new event for our team in 2006 will be the Atlanta Saltwater Sportsman Club's sailfish tournament in Palm Beach in January. Nancy and I will team up with my two brothers to fish this event and we hope we can raise a few sails and score a few points. The FishDancer team's 2006 season will be our fourth on SKA Professional Kingfish Tour - with stops in Key West, Fort Pierce, Port Fourchon and Little River coupled with a still to be decided location. There are many rumors floating around the Ethernet regarding additional contingency monies for those fishing the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour - boat companies, motor manufacturers and others have been rumored to be upping the ante once again underscoring the SKA Pro Tour's position as the premiere competitive venue for king mackerel teams.

Finally the team concludes the off-season by preparing ALL of our angling equipment for the next season. Routine maintenance on the boat, motor and trailer are concluded and all angling equipment is taken in for maintenance. This is a critical point as the ongoing maintenance of our equipment assures long life of the equipment itself as well as reduces failure potential during a competitive event. Leaders and Sinkers is a great place to bring your rods, reels and downriggers for maintenance and Don Whitman has helped us every winter prepare for the coming season. 'THE' FishDancer and I are excited about the possibilities of the 2006 SKA Pro Tour and we are calling all of the fish gods of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.......

This past off-season Nancy and I discussed the possibilities of the 2005 season and took a decision to fish the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour in the same team configuration that had qualified us out of Division IV. There were both advantages and disadvantages to fishing as a pure husband and wife team, but we wanted to try our hand. In retrospect we made the right decision.

Although fishing as a two person (husband/wife) team puts more responsibility on each of us, we set our goals for the 2005 season and never looked back. We decided we wanted to earn 'THE' FishDancer a Lady Angler award (we accomplished this at the Jacksonville Pro event), have Nancy compete for Lady Angler of the Year (Nancy finished 5th), score 7 fish (accomplished) and 200 points to finish in the top 20 of the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour (we finished with 7 fish; 192.55 points; in 26th place, a mere 5 points out of the top 20). So all in all we are pleased with our team's performance. Lets review it event by event...

The 2005 season began in Fort Pierce, Florida in April of 2005. 15th place in this event was an aggregate of 55.40 pounds and we were on the board after the first day of fishing. We fished well south on day one of the event and landed a 30.29 pound kingfish. Heading back we could not find a fish so we began to work our way North and ended up off of Jupiter with about 50 teams and could not entice a second king to strike. We finished the event with 30.29 pounds.

We then headed to Fourchon in June, one of our favorite places, but could not find a big king. During the Fourchon event in 2005 a team would need near 87 points to be on the leader board. We weighed in two fish, fishing well and to the West, near others who scaled fish in the 40s and 50s; unfortunately for us we could only score a 32.1 and a 35.1 pound fish. The points we left in the Gulf during this event would limit the team's performance for the remainder of the season. As I have previously posted, SKA Pro Top 20 teams have earned an average of 35% of their points from the events fished in Louisiana. Our 67.2 points from the Fourchon event, if the averages held up, would extrapolate to to about 188 points, so our goals were still attainable, but certainly it would take one BIG fish for us to acheive them all. I had a feeling that falling short of our 75 point objective by 8 pounds would come back to haunt us at the end of the season. Little did I realize how much.

Following Fourchon, we headed back east for a 'home' event, Jacksonville in July. Fishing from our home port of Amelia Island, we had a chance to pre-fish and did not find any concentrations of fish anywhere from Amelia to St. Augustine. After hearing of scattered fish on the beaches, we decided to head offshore and were successful earning Nancy the SKA Pro Kingfish Tour Lady Angler award and coming in 5th overall with a 54.90 pound aggregate, including a 33.5 pound fish caught with a TV cameraman on board. Our performance in this event again bolstered our top 20 ambitions and we were excited about the remainder of the SKA Pro Tour Season.

We had two small fish at the Savannah, Georgia event over Labor Day and this would prove to be our worst performance of the season. Due to the fuel shortages, created by Katrina, the SKA decided to make this a one day event. We fished hard weighing a 13 and 14 pound fish during the shortened event but the fish we weighed would not propel the team forward towards our objectives. We had one last chance to remove these small fish from our season's totals, IF we would scale two decent fish in the last event of the SKA Pro Tour season.

We needed to scale two twenty five pound fish at the last event in Morehead City, NC to crack the top twenty and were in great shape in 6th place after the first day with a 25.36 pound fish. We had a chance to win this event on the second day as we watched a 40 pound king skyrocket on our long line - missing the bait. We again fished hard and were on the board but could not close the deal on the second day. So we finished the season with 192.55 points and a 14 pound drop fish. It seems we needed 8 more points to hit the magic 200 point threshold and Port Fourchon seemed to be the turning point. The fish gods "giveth and taketh" away....that's fishing. The 2005 season was fun, exciting, adventurous and rewarding to team FishDancer, we finished with our highest point total ever but 2 places below our best finish, 24th place in 2003. In retrospect we needed one BIG fish and while our consistency was great in 2005, that one BIG fish that would propel us into the top 20 eluded us.

Nancy and I will be discussing our 2006 goals and objectives as well as beginning preparations for the upcoming season. We are calling all fish gods of the greater Key West area.....

These 7 fish totaled 192.55 pounds and earned the team 5th Place Lady angler and 26th place overall on the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour in 2005.

Captain Jeff at the SKA Pro Leader board and 'THE' FishDancer at the Lady Angler Board. The team earned first place Lady angler and 5th place overall in Jacksonville

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the kingfishing world. 2006 has been quite a year so far. We have had 24 named tropical storms, the worst of which Katrina (not to mention Rita and Wilma) virtually destroyed the communities along the upper Gulf Coast. This event alone has had dramatic affects upon our sport and literally millions of individuals and several great cities. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with these folks and we hope to return soon to visit and fish.

The 2005 season has been a good one for "THE" FishDancer and I with the team finishing 5th in Jacksonville, winning the Lady Angler award in Jacksonville, finishing 5th in the SKA Lady Angler category and 26th overall on the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour. We are sad about the rescheduling of the 2005 SKA National Championships, but applaud the Association for making the right decision. We are already preparing for the 2006 SKA Professional Kingfish Tour season and the initial schedule has us kicking off the season in Key West, moving on to Fort Pierce in April, Port Fourchon in June, (perhaps) Golden Isles in the summer and Little River, SC in October. With the addition of Key West in March, the 2006 season will almost surely require a record number of points to win the angler of the year title. The way Nancy and I are currently thinking is it might take 275 points or more to claim the top title in Kingfishing (>80 in KW, >40 in FP, >90 in PF, and >65 combined from GI and LR). The 2006 season will be most interesting as the competitive lines drawn in 2005 will continue to divide and create friction between anglers, teams, events and tours. While it is unfortunate, it is the current reality of our sport - one not chosen by anglers but rather dictated to us all by the singular profit motives of a select retailer and few manufacturers. We shall continue to give our support and dollars to those teams, events and tours which best support the fishery, anglers and the local community, regardless of boat and motor choices. The dire doomsayer and paydayer's predictions for the 2005 season have proven to be false, as has the 'promise' to "..grow our sport.." and have us "...fish for a living...". Look for these dire prognostications as well as the politics of personal destruction to intensify over the winter as teams are unfortunately forced to choose between crews, events and tours. We see only continued fragmentation of a mature market for king mackerel anglers in 2006 and continue to ask who benefits from this fragmentation? As always we respect everyone's choices to fish where you please and for those divisional qualifiers, Nancy and I hope to see you on the 2006 SKA Professional Kingfish Tour. We believe the 2006 season will be a yet another year of change within our sport and the SKA will be leading the way. Stay tuned.

On a more personal note, we would like to offer our thanks to our family, friends, sponsors and the SKA for yet another great season our 10th fishing competitive tournaments. The holiday season is upon us yet again, and Nancy and I are thankful for the blessings we enjoy. The freedoms of our great country, the bravery of our military, the solace of family and friends as well as the opportunity to competitively fish for king mackerel are all things team FishDancer has on our list for Thursday's dinner coupled with a nice piece of homemade pumpkin pie...we are calling all Turkey and Pie gods of the greater Fernandina area.......

Friday 11.18.2005; This will be the final FishDancer 2005 SKA National Championships report. That is until April of 2006. The boat is loaded up and sitting on the Loadmaster trailer and 'THE' FishDancer and I have decided to spend one more evening in Fort Pierce, perhaps our last chance at the Tiki Bar until next season. It has been an interesting week to say the least.

It was impossible to come to the National Championships and not have something of an adrenaline rush, after all nearly 400 of the best competition teams anywhere are assembled for the Championship. There are all manner of teams, boats, motors and locations represented in what is now being called the 'Superbowl of King Mackerel fishing...". The city was great to us, opening its doors and wallet to support the event and enjoying the estimated $2million in economic benefit this event brings with it. Think about it...400 teams, a minimum of 3 nights of hotels, meals, ice, fuel, bait, chum, dockage and it adds up pretty quickly. The Captain's Dinner for the Nationals has always been a special treat for us and despite the weather conditions, the crowd was large and into the festivities. Several lifetime achievement awards went to the founders of our sport guys like Glenn Slaughter, LA Denzer and Joe Bruce all deserving of this special recognition. Each of the divisions had their top 5 teams, junior, senior and lady anglers recognized in front of the crowd estimated at more than 2,000. Team Final Strike was awarded their Angler of the Year trophies, and Nancy and I were happy to be able to rub the trophies like a genie's lamp.....perhaps some MOJO will come our way in 2006?

We saw so many teams we compete with and enjoyed our time sharing stories about the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour; teams like Season Ticket, The Four Suns, Reel Won, Use of Proceeds, Mikey Likes It, Outrageous, Borderline Crazy, Wound Tight, Lured Away, Koolau, Bear Caught, Latitudes, Carolina Girl and many more. These teams fish DONZI, Mercury, Yellowfin, Contender, Palmetto, Evinrude, Suzuki, Genmar and Yamaha, yet regardless of their boat or motors all are welcome to compete upon the SKA Pro Tour. This open camaraderie is what the tour is all about and it was a great end to a great season for us. Each team brings their own special flavor to the competition and we look forward to an even greater SKA Pro Tour in 2006. We also had a chance to meet up with several of our website's followers, which is always a great thing and met many new teams like Got Salt, Caliente, Sweet Caroline and others. We encourage ALL of the teams who qualified for the SKA Pro Tour to consider it for the 2006 season, there is something special about earning your way on the tour.

One note about the decision to postpone the event. The SKA, USCG and SKA sponsors all had a voice in the decision. There were few options other than reschedule this event - seas were (and still are) building, winds are up and it would simply have been dangerous for many of the competitors to fish either day. Now there will be the usual 'people' complaining about the decision, how it should have been made sooner, later, or not at all - but few of these doomsayers and paydayers were in Fort Pierce, on the ground, dealing with the actual conditions. We were prepared to fish, as were many, but happy that the event was postponed - not for our sake, but rather the sake of the many smaller boat teams who have worked so hard to qualify. They will have a better chance in April. After the announcement was made by SKA Managing Partner, Jack Holmes, a hearty round of applause came from the large crowd.

Finally we would like to thank everyone who assisted the FishDancer team during the 2005 season....there are many and you know who you are. We will keep the faith, keep moving forward and continue to enjoy the competition. Good luck to everyone; 'THE' FishDancer and I are signing off from the 2005 SKA National Championships of Kingfishing.........

Thursday 11.17.2005; 9pm EST, SKA in conjunction with the USCG decide to cancel day one of the National Championships. A decision on day two will be made tomorrow morning. If the entire tournament needs to be rescheduled it will be in April of 2006. The Nationals will be held in on April.20-22 2006 and the Ft. Pierce Divisional and Ft. Pierce Pro Kingfish Tour event will be held May 4-6 2006. On a separate note, I was humbled when my name was called to the stage to receive the 2005 Director's award from the SKA for best representing the ideals and core values of the Association. This was quite unexpected and a huge honor. I would like to publicly thank the SKA directors for the award, it will find a place of honor in my home office. I can only aspire to keep these ideals and values in my thoughts and actions.

Thursday before a tournament is always a day 'THE' FishDancer and I like to take to relax regardless of the weather. It allows us to complete the myriad of tasks required just before an event (fuel, oil, ice, last minute tackle and equipment repairs), assists us in completing our competitive strategy and allows us to rest up for the intensity of competition. To accomplish this Thursday plan we needed to secure bait, understand the fishing conditions and have an idea for our tournament days - this week we were able to accomplish all of this by end of day yesterday and therefore able to execute our off day today. So we took care of some last minute preparations, enjoyed lunch at the Tiki Bar (and ate the last piece of pumpkin cheese cake they had) and are now getting ready for the fish fry dinner and Captain's meeting.

The biggest story of the week so far is the weather and the front, as forecasted, has hit Fort Pierce. After a nice calm day yesterday coupled with a calm morning today, the front passed Fort Pierce and has left in its wake N/NE winds near 20 and building seas. The SKA indicated to me that the Association is highly concerned regarding the safety of all of the qualifiers due to the forecasted weather conditions. Therefore the SKA has been in consultation with local and federal authorities, as well as Association members, to assure whatever decision is taken is reflective of the concern for the safety of the participants. It seems that the final decision will be made on Friday morning following additional data points being collected and additional consultation. Nonetheless we are off to the evening's festivities and can only hope the fish - and most importantly the weather - gods are kind to us all. Check back in tomorrow evening for a run down of our day's activities......

Wednesday 11.16.2005; It is now 4:20pm and 'THE' FishDancer and I have just returned from a very busy day. It started early when we had to visit the Mercury Trailer and our friend Scott Beattie, as our starboard engine was acting a bit sluggish. The support we receive from Mercury during the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour season is a welcome safety net under us as we travel from city to city. Although we do everything that is required from a maintenance standpoint, there are always a few things that seem to crop up. Thankfully Scott and his team diagnosed the issue and corrected it quickly (there was a bad plug wire) we were back in the water and heading out the inlet around 10:00am. I should note that the Mercury trailer is set inside the park and the tournament site itself is pretty cool. St. Lucie county has brought grandstands and a stage, there is a huge tent (who doesn't like the circus?) and there are 5 SKA trailers, a Raymarine display trailer as well as Verado display. There is ample room for a large crowd and the SKA's floating docks are right off of the ICW channel in front of the park, so weighing in should not be an issue.

The inlet monster was asleep today as the winds were nonexistent and the seas a modest 1-3 feet as we headed offshore in search of more bait. We were able to secure some blue runners, caught a small king and several sharks and headed back through the monster's hole without her rearing her ugly face this time and were back at the dock around 3:30pm. Tonight is the DONZI team meeting and dinner and then tomorrow is the captain's meeting. The forecast remains poor, to say the least, with 6-9' and 10-13' seas predicted on the backside of the front, which is expected to hit Florida this evening. Despite weather and change of venue issues facing all of the competitors and the Assocaition, we have already had a great time in Fort Pierce. We got to see many old friends and met some new ones along the way -- that is really what this is all about. Congratulations to all teams who qualified to participate in the SKA National Championships and let's hope the weatherman is wrong so we can enjoy the competition.

Its 6:29am and its raining in Fort Pierce. There is a small storm which has decided to dump upon us this morning and in the breakfast area of the hotel there are many teams awaiting the storm to pass. The winds are down but the front is on its way and the winds and seas are forecasted to be up for Friday through Sunday. What a dilemma!!!

We had a great fish fry with several teams last night at the picnic area of Harbor Lights/Dockside, kind of a pot luck dinner. All food was great and there was an ongoing discussion of what the options are for this SKA event. No one in Fort Pierce has any idea about what decision(s) might be taken by the SKA and almost every team has expressed concern for the smaller boats in the forecasted conditions. There is one potential mitigating factor, the forecast from Jupiter to Deerfield beach is better (2-4' Friday and 3-5' Saturday near shore) than the 6-9' and 10-13' seas currently forecasted for the waters in the Ft. Pierce area. The run to Lake Worth inlet is about 45 miles down the ICW and we were wondering what several hundred boats running the ICW might look like? I can assure you this, we will make our own decisions regarding this event and invite other teams to do the same. Discretion is the better part of valor. There is no reason to take chances with your crew or equipment in seas that will challenge even the most experienced and hardened veterans. Our plan is to make the run south and fish the flat waters...if we fish at all. The current weather forecasts make life difficult for the SKA, anglers, local businesses as well as our sport. No matter what decision is taken and for whatever the reasons the decisions are made, there will be the usual round of complaints and second guessing. If anyone thinks running a tournament is easy, use this event as your model and think again. The story has not yet been written, so it cannot yet be done....stay tuned.

Tuesday 11.15.2005 - The weather gods are not smiling upon the city of Fort Pierce. While having dinner at the Tiki Bar, this has become our home away from home, we ran into the Ft. Pierce City Marina Dock Master, Craig Kilgore. Craig indicated that the marina, while it has made great strides since the storms of 2004 still has along way to go. The long term weather outlook for this area is not good either, as we discussed the science that indicates that the Ft. Pierce area is near the peak of a 30 year climatic pattern of strong storms similar to the 1940-1960s. Hobe Sound is at the cross roads for many of these storms and the marina is in the center of the crossroads. Craig and his crew have done great work to get the marina (and Tiki Bar) back in action following Wilma which just blew through a week or two ago. The weather seems to be the big issue with the SKA National Championships this week -- with the forecast even worse this morning with 5-7' seas today building to 6-8' tomorrow and Thursday and then 6-9' Friday and 7-10' Saturday. The only saving grace is the forecast for the southern waters from Deerfield Beach south is much more friendly with near shore conditions calling for 3-5s and 2-4s over the tournament days. Out original plan was to run north and fish out of Sebastian but the weather seems like it might force upon us a major change of strategy. Oh well, flexibility is the key.

Many teams headed out yesterday and a few less this morning in search of bait and fish. The reports from the teams we have talked with are less about fish and bait and more about the 'sporty' conditions. There were reports of several teams taking multiple waves over the bows on the way out of the inlet and several teams headed north or south to try a different exit strategy into the Atlantic only to find that Sebastian, St. Lucie and Jupiter inlets were equally treacherous. There were few fish reported and even scarcer reports of bait concentrations. The seas conditions are not the kind that would support strong bait concentrations and a strong king fish bite; and these conditions currently prevail from the cape to Ft. Lauderdale.

The SKA charity Texas Hold'em tournament was held last evening at the Governor's Grille and was well attended with near 100 players at about 14 poker tables and a handful of onlookers like us. We ran into many tournament buddies there and were not competing in this event, but we enjoyed the show for a while and then headed out for some dinner.

Back at the dock yesterday afternoon, returning with our baits, a gentleman saw us fighting the wind trying to get the FishDancer properly positioned for docking. This is always something of an adventure for us and we were glad when he came up the finger dock and assisted us with the securing the lines and docking the boat. We thanked him and exchanged introductions and shared a few fishing stories. It seems his team, made up of himself and two sons (12 and 10 years old), qualified for the SKA National Championship, out of Houston, Texas. They made the long journey across the southeast, despite the current road conditions created by Katrina, simply because they achieved their qualification goal and want to participate in the SKA National Championships for a chance at the National Title. Concerned about the weather, both the boys and Dad indicated that they already had a blast in Fort Pierce, catching snook at the bridges the night before as well as catching some jacks around the docks at Harbor Isle marina. They were hoping for better weather for the tournament (aren't we all) and decided to stay in port for safety purposes, although they did pre fish on Monday. We congratulated them on qualifying for the SKA National Championships and told them to look us up and we would assist them in any way possible. This team exemplifies the aspirations and goals of the Association, family fun, competition and camaraderie. These boys couldn't care less if they won $100 or $1,000,000 - they had achieved their own objectives and were focused upon the chance at competing with the best of the best that king mackerel angling has to offer. What a refreshing team to meet, one focused upon what they can do to assist others not what they can extract for themselves. 'THE' FishDancer and I know the fish gods will smile upon this team and we certainly will assist in any way possible.

The SKA will have a difficult decision to make regarding this event - with seas and winds up, small craft advisories posted until Saturday afternoon and more than 1,500 people traveling from hither and yon to participate in the Championship. There has been no dockside talk regarding any decisions the SKA is considering but alternatives and options do not avail themselves easily to the Championship, due to its nature and the requirements of local support. Only time will tell what the weather will be, after all its only Tuesday and forecasters have a history of being wrong, and I am sure the Association's management is on top of the circumstances and is working to make the 2005 Championships an enjoyable and safe event for all participants. We have decided not to beat ourselves and our equipment up today and will take a day of rest in Ft. Pierce. we have to feed our bait, work on some minor boat issues and probably go back to the Tiki Bar (YIPPEEEE!!!!) for more Pumpkin Cheesecake...mmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmm.

Monday 11.14.2005 The alarm clock went off early and 'THE' FishDancer and I prepared to head out in search of bait. The buoy 20 miles east of Cape Canaveral was reporting ESE winds 15-20 with higher gusts and seas at 5.9 feet every 7 seconds. Understanding that the forecast only gets worse for the rest of the week, we decided to take our chances today and so we loaded up the boat and were pointed toward the Ft. Pierce inlet around 7am. Now the inlet at Ft. Pierce can be nasty when the winds are up and the tides are pushing water against the wind but our timing was perfect, slack tide, and we followed The Four Sons team out with Team Wild Ride behind us. The plan was to catch bait and then prefish a few spots and try to be back at the dock around 3pm.

Turning south we headed the 7 miles or so to the boils, a spot know by most, where the outflow of the St. Lucie power plant always seems to attract good schools of bait. There are two yellow buoys marking the area listed on any good chart of the area. We were the third boat on the spot this morning and fished for about 90 minutes in shallow water trying to entice a blue runner to strike. We chummed, tipped our jigs and sabiki with shrimp and yet we were unable to get a blue runner to make a pass. I did have my first double header shark bite, with two small 18" sharks on one sabiki? YIKES a shark double header!!!! The shallow waters inside of 25 feet were a bad opaque greenish, phlemish kind of color - not the ideal for bait fishing. So we eased out a bit further east around the yellow buoy and began to sporadically hook up with a few baits. Horn bellies, croakers, an occasional runner and a few small cousins of the blue runner were brought into the boat and placed in the live well. Seas began as a solid 3-5' early and the winds steadily picked up from the ESE and by 11:00am seas were a full 4-6' with an occasional larger set thrown in by Mother Nature; just for fun. We moved out a bit further east to the 10A bouy and fished for an hour or so and did not have a bite out there and seas were building, it wasn't so much the size of the waves but their strength. Apparently South Florida has seen a few weeks of this type of weather and its almost as if the ocean grows stronger when this occurs.

We decided to head back in around 1pm and were greeted with a snotty inlet. Fort Pierce inlet on this day - with strengthening ESE winds and the last hour of the outgoing tide was worse than any other we have ever been through. Including Hatteras. We carefully chose our path and surfed a few waves over the shoals and then we hit the big mamma. A shoal, coupled with the tide against the wind has created a small section just east of the jetties - between the first set of ocean cans - where the monster lives. We watched as this monster wave continued to grow in front of us. The Donzi was traveling uphill and the monster wave wanted to win as it continued to grow, slowing the Donzi despite full throttle.....finally when the monster was 9-12 feet tall it rolled over the shoal and down the backside we slid. It was quite a ride for us and we can only imagine those in the class of 23 dealing with this sea condition. We heard a few on the radio after they traversed the monster as well .... some happy people with shaky voices. We hope everyone stays safe and the winds and seas do not live up to the current forecast.

So we are at the dock, secure, safe and head back to the hotel to take a nice shower and have a late lunch. Well guess what? The water pipes in the hotel are broken and there in no running water....what a great thing to greet you after performing the baitfish mambo with mother nature and then sumo wrestling with the monster wave in the inlet. Oh well, it is always an adventure, that's just part of the fun. Check back later for more news and reports LIVE from the SKA Nationals (at least it was live when I was typing it)....

Sunday evening 11.13.2005 - "THE" FishDancer and I decided to take a look at the inlet and ocean today. Rather than run the boat we decided to take a ride up to the beach park at the south tip of Fort Pierce inlet and see if we wanted to traverse the inlet and fish. There were a few stout teams who ventured out about mid morning today, just when the tide was ripping out against the east wind. We watched as one 35' boat tackled the inlet ... the boat entirely disappeared in the troughs of the waves breaking between the jetty rocks and the boat was nearly vertical as it approached the first set of cans. Suffice it to say the inlet was ROUGH.

The seas themselves looked fishable, albeit dirty and no reports of bait or fish were heard around town. There are more and more teams arriving in Ft. Pierce - and we look forward to meeting as many as we can while enjoying our Championship Week.

I am glad to report that I caught a 2 pound jack cravelle on a buck tail jig from the dock at the Dockside Inn. We will venture out tomorrow AM to bait fish and hopefully prefish a few chosen spots. Look for a report on Monday evening....we are calling all weather and fish gods....

Sunday Morning November 13th 2005 - Good Morning from the SKA National Championships. As expected, the weather forecast remains a bit iffy for the entire championship week. Today through Wednesday the forecast is calling for 4-6' seas and east winds 10-15 knots. On Wednesday a front is forecasted to pass through with the winds shifting to the North and Northeast and building to 6-9 feet on Thursday. YIKES!!!! It wouldn't surprise me (it is getting harder and harder to surprise me anymore) if there weren't the usual griping, grousing and second guessing about the SKA's choice of host cities following the devastation of the Gulf by Katrina, but as Mark Twain once said "...everyone complains about the weather but no one ever does anything about it..." If anyone has any doubt's about the Ft. Pierce commitment to the SKA and the National Championships, be aware the entire city knows we are in town. Hotels, restaurants and other businesses are happy to see us and continue to support the anglers. Let me provide you a prime example of the local support of this event; upon checking in at the hotel we were handed a special Fort Pierce SKA discount sheet with coupons for reduced prices on meals, drinks, spas, clothes, gifts and marine parts from 16 of the local businesses. We are all part of this traveling circus and as I am sometimes known to say, "...sometimes you are the ringmaster and other times the clown...". Regardless of which role you play - who doesn't like the Circus?

At the Tiki Bar last evening as we waited for a table, two members of a past Angler of the Year team invited us over to their table and we had a nice dinner, a few drinks, and had a good discussion about the state of our sport. This is one of the great attributes of the SKA, the sense of community and camaraderie between teams. We all agreed that while we would fish hard during tournament time, the week long Championship was full of fun family events and we would enjoy our time in Fort Pierce regardless of the forecast and conditions.

I am utilizing the hotel's wireless network and publishing this report from the pool area of the hotel, overlooking the Ft. Pierce inlet Many of the locals are right now anchored up in the river and since 7am we have not seen a single SKA boat heading east toward the ocean. The first 'official' event is the Monday evening charity Texas Hold'em Poker tournament....while we are not contestants we will be there and report upon the action.

Our plan for the day is to secure the trailer in the official lot and take care of some boating details and maybe, if the winds lay down a bit stick our noses out this afternoon in search of some live bait. Early reports of water conditions north and south indicate dirty river quality water along the beaches - this will make securing bait difficult at best. Check back later this evening and I will hopefully have an update....we are calling the weather and fish gods of the greater Ft. Pierce area.

Saturday November 12th 2005 - WELCOME to Fort Pierce!!! 'THE' FishDancer and I hooked up to the trailer and began our trip to the 2005 SKA National Championships at about 10am this morning. Pulling out of Fernandina Beach, Florida; this trip would be much easier than hauling the 700 miles to Biloxi, but we were saddened nonetheless. It is hard to believe we will not be fishing those magical waters this season. As we headed the 250 miles we discussed the fact that those heading to Ft. Pierce from points west have a more difficult trip this year, for many reasons and our thoughts are with those friends and acquaintances who cannot make it at all. It keeps everything in the proper perspective. We found gas, in Florida at a reasonable price of $2.41 per gallon (the Gate station by the Dames Point Bridge on 9A) and fueled both the Silverado and the Donzi....it was not too long ago when we would have raised our eyebrows at $1.41 gas but if you want to play you will have to pay this year.

We arrived in one piece, with no mechanical issues and after calculating our highway fuel economy at 6.98 miles per gallon we decided to stop thinking about gas for the remainder of the week. We launched at the Fort Pierce City Marina and were pleased to see that Wilma has been kind to Fort Pierce. The docks were in good shape, the channels clear and still marked and the Tiki Bar still in operation; minus some Tiki off of its roof. We tied up the FishDancer at the Harbor Isle Marina, checked in at the hotel and hit the Tiki Bar for some dinner. As usual the drinks and food were outstanding.

Current conditions in Ft. Pierce are not the greatest with the winds blowing 20+ and tomorrow's forecast for 5-7' seas. There are a few other teams in town already but no one doing much of any fishing or bait gathering. Water is dirty and river waters warm at 78 degrees. Our plan was to bait fish in the morning but the forecast will probably keep us dry until Monday; maybe if they miss the forecast we will try to sneak out Sunday afternoon. Check back tomorrow night for the latest from the 'BIG DANCE'.....

'Back when the earth was a silver blue jewel, Back when your Grandfather's Father's were young, Men of these shores made and gave up their lives, pulling up fish from the sea.

While down in the African slavery trade, stealing young men to cut sugar cane, Rum to New Bedford and Codfish from Maine, they were building a wall that would always remain.

Oh the crown and the cross, the musket and chain, the white man's religion, the family name. Two hundred years later and who is to blame the Captain, the cargo or the juice of the sugar cane.

The dory man he knows when the riptides will run, he set out his nets and he waits in the sun, he thinks of his family and drinks of his rum, and he waits for the Codfish to come.

It's the same god dammed ocean that keeps them alive, it will swallow you up - it will let you survive, it will heal you and steal you and take you away, like a note in the bottle with nothing to say.

Back when the earth was a silver blue jewel, Back when your Grandfather's Father's were young, Men of these shores made and gave up their lives, pulling up fish from the sea.'

This James Taylor tune depicts the divergent nature of how human beings will exploit the resources we have. The song depicts the irony of the dory man and the slave trader both using the sea for their own purposes. There is no doubt that the use of the sea for slavery was and will never be acceptable; yet the message for today's anglers is a bit more sophisticated. As competitive anglers we have a duty and responsibility to utilize our resources in a proper manner.

Honoring the local laws (i.e. no wake zones, speed limits, etc), weighing legal sized fish, releasing all fish that will not be used (no gaff and release for any species) and respecting mother nature (keep trash on-board and keeping crew safe from bad weather) are all the major tenants of being an ethical angler. We are the stewards of the future of tournament angling and the choices we make today will affect the direction of our sport for the future. There are already many pressures being placed upon local tournaments and continued bad angler behavior, jealousy and mercantile factors only fragment the small community even further. Who benefits from fragmentation of the kingfish community? Clearly it is not the angler, as one is pitted against the other, one event is put in competition against another and one tour against the other -- for what purpose? Is it to defend the resource, is it to support the anglers and the fishery or is it to "...build a wall that will always remain.."?

Our sport has been built - much like our great nation - upon the concept of rugged individualism. That is to say anglers have always had a choice of what boat, motor and equipment to use, what clothes to wear, where to fish, how far to run and in what conditions it was safe to fish -- these fundamental choices are being eroded and in some cases have already been eliminated; all for the lure of fame and fortune. Team FishDancer would not endorse any product, or limit our choices for monetary gain and we are not alone, there are many other teams which hold these same values. We all should be mindful that there is no guarantee of the continuation of competitive kingfishing. Without angler commitment, minus community support and with continued fragmentation from within our small society, the variety of events and the choices anglers enjoy today will be curtailed in the future. The end of competitive kingfishing as we all know it will come if juniors, seniors and lady anglers are no longer recognized, the focus upon anglers and fishing is lost and only those with a single boat and motor combination were encouraged - or allowed - to compete. Tour camaraderie, family fun, local events, local charities supported and the fishery itself all will disappear IF anglers allow the resources we have to be exploited for profit by large commercial interests. I see a great irony that there is much discussion about gas prices, oil company profits and their affects upon our sport. Yet there is little discussion about the long term affects of the rampant commercialization of our sport. Who is to blame the Captain, the cargo or the juice of the sugar cane?

"The tournament team knows when the riptides will run, so he sets out his lines and he waits in the sun. He thinks of his family and drinks of his rum and he waits for the Kingfish to come......Now back when this Earth was a silver blue jewel, back when your Grandfather's father's were young, men of these shores made and gave up their lives, pulling up fish from the sea...."

"THE" FishDancer and I have recently completed preparations for the 2005 Championships of kingfishing.....the SKA National Championships. It is with a heavy heart that we altered our preparations from the needs we have when we fish from Biloxi. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the friends and acquaintances we have made in the Gulf area and Nancy and I are looking forward to the day when we return to compete in some of the most fertile kingfish waters in the USA. Godspeed to everyone affected by the storms of 2005.

The SKA National Championship is an event unrivaled in the world of kingfishing. The uniqueness of this event is generated from several sources; a) support of the host city, b) support of the angling community and c) the chase for the only national championship in our sport.

Fort Pierce, Florida, long ago a haven for king mackerel anglers, has stepped up to support the kingfishing community and is preparing to host nearly 400 of the top king mackerel angling teams from across the country. This event will host teams from as far away as Michigan, Texas and almost all states in between. The events scheduled include both fishing and family activities and the leadership of the city, in conjunction with the SKA and its sponsors, has quite a line up of activities for all members, guests and others to enjoy. The traditional Captain's meeting, fishing competition and Championship Breakfast will all take place on Thursday night, all day Friday-Saturday and Sunday morning, respectively. In addition to these events on Monday night the SKA is hosting a charity Texas Hold-em Poker tournament at the Governor's Grill. Proceeds from the event will be donated in support of those in need. Tuesday evening there will be a performance of the Busch Moroccan Sheik's and a wildlife animal sanctuary display with a special SKA members/guests reception from 6-7pm. On Wednesday evening there will be a restaurant romp on 2nd street in downtown Fort Pierce. Restaurants will be open with street vendors, on street entertainment and more.

The community of Association kingfish anglers is a close knit group. This event is one that helps to bring together our community, as ALL teams qualifying for the National Championship, have earned their way, having displayed championship caliber performance in their home waters through the SKA divisional structure. Additionally every team who qualified for the National Championships, regardless of boat and motor type and size is now eligible to exercise their opportunity to step up into the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour for the 2006 season. Anyone considering exercising this option for next season should look us up in Fort Pierce, or email us with questions, as both Nancy and I would be glad to share our experiences and answer any questions any team may have regarding the SKA Pro Tour. 2006 will be another exciting season for the FishDancer team and we look forward to perhaps the largest SKA Pro Tour ever.

We have been scouting the waters of the greater Fort Pierce area and it seems that Wilma has created quite a stir in the S. Florida area. Waters are reported very dirty, with debris still in the rivers and near shore waters with bait and fish scarce. There is plenty of time for this to cleanup prior to the tournament and we urge ALL anglers to be careful on the way down as well as when navigating the waters off of Ft. Pierce.

Captain Joe Richards is a true legend in the sport of kingfish tournaments and many consider his book "The Kingfish Bible" to be the quintessential written tutorial for how to effectively compete on the kingfish tournament circuit. Many of my own theories and philosophies about the fish, tournaments and the social fabric within our small society are rooted within Captain Joe's book. I have excerpted a small segment of the book and offer it as the singular best description of the spectacle that is kingfish tournament fishing. This book can be still be purchased online and comes with the FishDancer seal of approval. I have taken a small amount of editorial license (all Italic words are mine) to keep the excerpt in context and believe the original intent and message from Captain Joe is intact as published in 1994

11.09.2005 "Kingfish tournaments are certainly not for everyone. There are many folks who pursue kingfish for the pure joy of fishing or mental relaxation, which I certainly appreciate. Many people don’t like the thought of turning something basic and peaceful, like fishing, into high tech competition or stacking dead fish for dollars....

However, many of us have a competitive streak that we can’t ignore (and) hunting a certain species offshore when the chips are down has a certain amount of appeal. We chase kingfish for the excitement, and adding a few hundred boats to the event only accentuates the weekend. It is ….demanding; many of us don’t want to relax when chasing kingfish. We flog ourselves offshore until we’ve accomplished our goals, with or without the tournament.

Some anglers plainly thrive on the competition offshore… ( as well as )…the friendly rivalry. In kingfish competition the small boats compete effectively, often out fishing the big boys. In kingfish competition the rich rub elbows with – well not exactly beggars and outcasts – but with middle class anglers. They meet around the beer kegs, competing against hundreds of earnest and hopeful boat crews, most of them fishing in family owned boats in the (23-36) foot class....

There have been reports of people cheating, though I have never witnessed an incident. The most common negative aspect of tournaments is the fact that following an event, people will mutter and talk. They sometimes display jealously (doomsayers) or envy (paydayers) and enough of it can sour even (the most ardent of anglers)...

Much of the pleasure from tournaments actually originates from the planning stages. Timetables, checklists, pouring over offshore charts of the tournament areas, strategies, logistics, equipment check. All of it geared toward just one specific goal. Enough items to consume many hours of planning and work, all of it enjoyable. You often meet interesting people in tournaments, with a chance to socialize with old friends, rivals and competitors who regrettably you might not see again until the following summer. (Perhaps) tournament anglers are more gregarious than other fishermen? Many of us enjoy a cold (drink) with a hot tournament crowd infinitely more than any New Year’s Eve or … office party...

As for myself. I fell in love with kingfish tournaments from Day One...couldn't help it. It may have been because we won our first big tournament ever, with what seemed like a thousand bystanders cheering us on. This, while we stumbled around on the weigh-in dock, beyond the exhaustion stage (with) hair molded stiff from salt spray. Winning was a serious jolt to the psyche, a message that we could beat almost anyone if we tried hard enough. And we had. Tournaments are much more than that, of course. In mid- winter... I catch myself thinking about summer kingfish. Long after the sweaty summer crowds have gone, I sometimes stop on the bleak and deserted docks in passing, and remember the triumphs and disappointments...the calcutta room and the friends now gone. (I can still hear) .... the cheers when we dragged a big fish from the boat...

After hearing many woeful tales and dockside excuses over the years, you learn to ignore the chatter (and focus upon your efforts). The best one can do is simply fish his best game plan, (ignore) the distractions, misinformation and mind games...

Kingfish tournaments are a growing sport and the Southern Kingfishing Association (SKA) was founded in 1990…adopting and sanctioning the biggest or the best existing kingfish tournaments. Kingfish tournaments are a growing sport, and the SKA will certainly be here throughout…providing sponsors with references on fishermen verifying what kind of anglers they are, what kind of person, whether they represent themselves in a sportsmanlike manner. Do (the anglers) provide a good public image? In this way quite a few fishermen … (are being built into) … fishing legends...

It should be pointed out that the fastest and best-equipped tournament boats that suddenly roll into coastal towns that are hosting a tournament do not automatically win these SKA events. Local talent usually has an edge, in my view, even if they don’t have the go fast 60 knot boats. The possibility that anyone can win is what attracts big tournament crowds to these events. Even the go-fast (boats) have been humbled by the (small) boats at the jetties, boats that probably had only two fishing rods and a minnow bucket for a live well. You have to appreciate that kind of fortune and luck. For those of you who have never tried a kingfish tournament, give it a go. You can learn a great deal about fishing."

It has been said that “…the pen is mightier than the sword…” and I myself subscribe to this sentiment. Language is one of the primary means of communication of knowledge within our society and can create – or in worst cases break – common bonds between groups of people. In past centuries world history has been noted through personal journals and letters and in the waning years of the 20^th century it seemed that language and writing were becoming less and less important. Written words were being co-opted by the sounds of radio, and pictures of network and then cable TV. As someone once sang “…Video killed the radio star….”, Enter the personal computer and the advent of the internet and quickly words have again gained prominence in the world of global communication. With today's technology it is simple to blog any subject, publish a website (even I can do it) or editorialize on just about any subject without legitimacy within the subject matter. Examples of this illegitimacy abound from TV reports about the avian flu, to the recent inaccuracies of 'news stories' from prominent newspapers; so you might presume the current state of reporting on our sport is equally erroneous.

As members of the global community it is important for us all to understand the meanings and nuances of the language. Anyone who has had a chance to live in several parts of the nation and/or world should be able to attest to the regional, national and global differences in language. A lift in the UK is different than a lift in the USA. A pop in the southern US is different from Pop in the Northeast.

Merely an extension of our society, competitive kingfish angling is no different. Tournament kingfish angling has its own universal language; only in this world can a junior angler catch a teenager, or a non-smoker a smoker and having a dink on board is different from being a DINK. A gaffe at your job is much different than the gaff on board the FishDancer. On the ocean during a tournament a screaming reel indicates good things to come while back on Terra Firma anyone really screaming is most likely in trouble. Recently many new words have been added to the lexicon that is our English Language; words like bytes, blog, internet, laptop and others. In symphony with our society there have been new words added to the sport of tournament king mackerel angling. Our sport is changing; I will not debate for the better or worse as that’s a topic for another day, nonetheless these changes have brought new words to the forefront of discourse within the small king fishing society. Words like TV show, business, industry, promotion, sponsorships, ‘doomsayers’ and ‘paydayers’ are now part of the everyday king fishing lexicon, as much a part of the sport now as the Southern Kingfish Association, Mercury, Donzi, Yellowfin, Fountain and Contender are. Whatever the genesis of these changes, we as members of the society of king mackerel anglers, should understand the new language and its impact upon each of us.

‘THE’ FishDancer and I have always considered tournament angling, especially for king mackerel, to be a sport. The folks at Webster’s dictionary define sport as detailed below and the salient words defining a sport include; “…source of diversion, FUN….” In turn, fun is defined clearly by Webster (see below) as “…what provides amusement or enjoyment….”.

Main Entry: [2]sport
Function: noun
Date: 15th century
1 a : a source of diversion : RECREATION b : sexual play c (1) : physical activity engaged in for pleasure (2) : a particular activity (as an athletic game) so engaged in
2 a : PLEASANTRY, JEST b : often mean-spirited jesting : MOCKERY, DERISION
3 a : something tossed or driven about in or as if in play b : LAUGHINGSTOCK
4 a : SPORTSMAN b : a person considered with respect to living up to the ideals of sportsmanship <a good sport> <a poor sport> c : a companionable person
5 : an individual exhibiting a sudden deviation from type beyond the normal limits of individual variation usually as a result of mutation especially of somatic tissue
synonym see FUN

Main Entry: [1]fun
Pronunciation: 'f&n
Function: noun
Etymology: English dialect fun to hoax, perhaps alteration of Middle English fonnen, from fonne dupe
Date: 1727
1 : what provides amusement or enjoyment; specifically : playful often boisterous action or speech <full of fun>
2 : a mood for finding or making amusement <all in fun>
3 a : AMUSEMENT, ENJOYMENT <sickness takes all the fun out of life> b : derisive jest : SPORT, RIDICULE <a figure of fun>
4 : violent or excited activity or argument <let a snake loose in the classroom; then the fun began>
synonyms FUN, JEST, SPORT, GAME, PLAY mean action or speech that provides amusement or arouses laughter. FUN usually implies laughter or gaiety but may imply merely a lack of serious or ulterior purpose <played cards just for fun>. JEST implies lack of earnestness in what is said or done and may suggest a hoaxing or teasing <hurt by remarks said only in jest>. SPORT applies especially to the arousing of laughter against someone <teasing begun in sport led to anger>. GAME is close to SPORT, and often stresses mischievous or malicious fun <made game of their poor relations>. PLAY stresses the opposition to earnest without implying malice or mischief <pretended to strangle his brother in play>.

With that said it seems clear that tournament angling can precisely be defined as a sport and those engaged in it as sportsman and sportswomen. That’s why we fish, it’s a diversion from our daily lives, a getaway from the pressures of our occupations and it provides both Nancy and I a huge amount of fun to meet new friends and share experiences with old ones along the SKA Pro Tour. This was the lexicon we learned back in 1998 when we fished our first SKA event and it still holds true for many competing along the various trails today. This lexicon of our Sport has begun to expand and in 2005 has included words like industry, business, and other such mercantile descriptors. Industry as defined by Webster is “..an employment pursuit or systematic labor….for some useful purpose…”, so it seems to classify King Mackerel tournaments as an industry is a false description. The same with business, and while there are a variety of organizations, promoters, individuals and retailers trying to make a profit out of our Sport, business seems to be just as inept a descriptor for the Sport as industry.

Main Entry: in·dus·try
Pronunciation: 'in-(")d&s-trE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -tries
Etymology: Middle English industrie skill, employment involving skill, from Middle French, from Latin industria diligence, from industrius diligent, from Old Latin indostruus, perhaps from indu in + -struus (akin to Latin struere to build) —more at END-, STREW
Date: 15th century
1 : diligence in an employment or pursuit; especially : steady or habitual effort
2 a : systematic labor especially for some useful purpose or the creation of something of value b : a department or branch of a craft, art, business, or manufacture; especially : one that employs a large personnel and capital especially in manufacturing c : a distinct group of productive or profit-making enterprises <the banking industry> d : manufacturing activity as a whole <the nation's industry>
3 : work devoted to the study of a particular subject or author <the Shakespeare industry>
synonym see BUSINESS

Main Entry: busi·ness
Pronunciation: 'biz-n&s, -n&z, Southern also 'bid-
Function: noun
Usage: often attributive
Date: 14th century
1 : archaic : purposeful activity : BUSYNESS
2 a : ROLE, FUNCTION <how the human mind went about its business of learning —H. A. Overstreet> b : an immediate task or objective : MISSION <what is your business here> c : a particular field of endeavor <the best in the business>
3 a : a usually commercial or mercantile activity engaged in as a means of livelihood : TRADE, LINE <in the restaurant business> b : a commercial or sometimes an industrial enterprise; also : such enterprises <the business district> c : usually economic dealings : PATRONAGE <took their business elsewhere>
4 : AFFAIR, MATTER <the whole business got out of hand> <business as usual>
5 : CREATION, CONCOCTION
6 : movement or action (as lighting a cigarette) by an actor intended especially to establish atmosphere, reveal character, or explain a situation — called also stage business
7 a : personal concern <none of your business> b : RIGHT <you have no business speaking to me that way>
8 a : serious activity requiring time and effort and usually the avoidance of distractions <got down to business> <she means business> b : maximum effort
9 a : a damaging assault b : REBUKE, TONGUE-LASHING c : DOUBLE CROSS
10 : a bowel movement — used especially of pets
synonyms BUSINESS, COMMERCE, TRADE, INDUSTRY, TRAFFIC mean activity concerned with the supplying and distribution of commodities. BUSINESS may be an inclusive term but specifically designates the activities of those engaged in the purchase or sale of commodities or in related financial transactions. COMMERCE and TRADE imply the exchange and transportation of commodities. INDUSTRY applies to the producing of commodities, especially by manufacturing or processing, usually on a large scale. TRAFFIC applies to the operation and functioning of public carriers of goods and persons. synonym see in addition WORK

Many new voices have surfaced within our sport, voicing opinions both shrill and nuanced, both uninformed and knowledgeable and yes, both self aggrandizing and selfless. As the continuum of opinions within our sport grows, the basic communication styles are shifting. Moving from camaraderie to commerce, from fun to fanaticism and from community to cash; I have shared some of these changes with our readers over the past several months. These voices are all welcomed, in fact encouraged, because only through listening and understanding these disparate voices and measuring the motivations of each, can King mackerel Sportsman understand the differences between individuals, angling teams, events and ultimately competitive tours. As anglers we must listen carefully, with the understanding that the transparency and motivation of the messenger is a predictive variable regarding the accuracy of the message itself. The principle of Caveat Emptor (let the buyer beware) holds true for those speaking and/or publishing with hidden agendas and a lack of transparency in their motives and message. The ‘doomsayers’, (those who predicted the 'demise' of the SKA in 2005) were wrong and the 2006 season will be yet another strong one for the Association. The ‘paydayers’, (those active in our sport primarily for monetary return), will continue to shout from the rooftops about cash prizes – available ONLY if you have the right boat and motor combination, according to the publicly stated business plan of the industrial manufacturers. The great tournament consolidation, predicted by both, has yet to materialize, in part, due to the independent nature of angling teams seeking venues where their choices are neither penalized or marginalized. The tired comparisons made and dire prognostications offered regarding the future of our sport have proven to be hyperbole, with the SKA gaining membership, increasing visibility and increasing brand recognition over the past several seasons.

We invite all king mackerel angling teams to get involved with your sport, be more active, provide your support to those running your local, divisional and national events and then vote with your feet, supporting the events which support anglers and the local communities. As the 2006 tournament calendar becomes more crowded with ‘industrial’ tournaments based upon the profit plans of manufacturers and retailers, we as anglers, will need to choose wisely to keep the sport healthy and growing. Where ever you choose to fish in 2006 we hope you have fun, stay safe, enjoy the competition and give something back to our sport; without these values no tour will be successful for very long.

With unrestricted boat and motor choices, a focus upon Lady, Junior and Senior angler competitions, the SKA remains an association of anglers run by anglers. In 2006 and beyond it will maintain the leadership position in king mackerel angling market share and offer a safe haven for Sportsmen to compete, have fun and win money and prizes. We encourage angling teams interested in and considerate of the future of our sport to support the Association and Nancy and I look forward to seeing you along the 2006 SKA divisional and Pro Tournament trail. Next up for team FishDancer is the National Championships of king fishing, the SKA Nationals in Fort Pierce, Florida. We look forward to sharing this great event with the teams who have worked hard in 2005 and earned their way to "THE BIG DANCE".......stay tuned and we are calling the fish gods of the greater SE Florida area….

Main Entry: cham·pi·on·ship
Pronunciation: -"ship
Function: noun
Date: 1825
1 : designation as champion
2 : the act of championing : DEFENSE <his championship of freedom of speech>
3 : a contest held to determine a champion

The SKA National Championships culminate the season for more than 400 divisional teams, creating a platform for all where the best teams compete against their equals from around the SKA Nation. It wasn't that long ago that 'THE' FishDancer and I set our sights on qualifying for the only 'Big Dance' of kingfishing, the SKA National Championships. At the time we were fishing from a 23' single engine boat and each season we seemed to just fall short of qualifying by a point or two. Finding ourselves one day some 50 miles offshore in a small craft and 6' seas, we made the decision to move up to a larger boat, and promptly qualified for the SKA Nationals during the 2002 season out of Division IV. Upon arrival in Biloxi we began to understand the nature of this Championship event - as we met teams who had set their sights on qualifying and had achieved their goals as well. They hailed from Port Aransas, Texas and Hatteras, North Carolina and everywhere in between. Their equipment represented a full cross section of the marine industry with all manner of boats, motors and angling equipment on display. In fact for the first time ever, we were invited aboard a Donzi with Mercury engines and man was it sweet.

The experience of the FishDancer team at our first SKA Nationals indicated to us that this is no kingfish tournament, it is the culminating event of the season for anyone who follows the sport of kingfishing. The local support of all anglers by the community, the fellowship of anglers who share a common desire to qualify, the competition and the family events make this a must do event for any and all teams who have qualified. There are those "doomsayers" and "paydayers" who will complain about this event pointing to one thing or another they do not like about it, we can only hope that those teams who have earned their way to the 'Big Dance' pay no heed to this rhetoric and focus upon the fact that this event is the best run, most fun and a virtual kingfishing laboratory where teams can learn tips, techniques and local information from some of the best teams on the circuit.

Unfortunately for this season, hurricane Katrina has decimated the Gulf and Biloxi will not be able to host the SKA National Championships. Fort Pierce, Florida has been chosen as our host city. Nancy and I can only hope that all of the friends we have made in Mississippi and Louisiana are on the road to recovery. And we will miss the Palace, The Beau, running behind the Chandeleurs, crossing the Mississippi and fishing some of the best kingfishing waters anywhere on the planet. May Godspeed be with those in need from Katrina. With that said Fort Pierce should be a great location for the Championship. Having experience as a host city several seasons back, Fort Pierce offers anglers the opportunity to fish anywhere from the Cape to Miami and anywhere in between. There are good bait and fish locations within 10 miles of the inlet and the 'normal weather', if this phrase is not an oxymoron, should be warm and tranquil. There are many activities for non fishing family members (art galleries, shopping, historic city center, horseback riding on the beach, botanical gardens, bird sanctuary, dolphin watch and two waterfront tiki bars) as well as solid infrastructure to support the Championships. To top it all off the community of Fort Pierce's mayor is an active member of the SKA and this community is in need of support as they continue recovering from the affects of two hurricanes during the summer of 2004.

From an angling perspective Fort Pierce makes for simpler preparations for team FishDancer. The haul is shorter, no need for 30-40 pound test, larger rigs and stouter rods, we will just make a few more of our normal rig size and use our normal king mackerel equipment. So with that said, time is wasting, we need to begin final preparations for this great event. Our plan is to be in town early and enjoy the entire week's events -- we hope to see you there and Nancy and I look forward to seeing old friends and making a few new ones along the way. We are calling the fish gods of the greater Ft. Pierce area......

"Now there’s only two things in life, but I forget what they are
It seems we’re either hanging on a moonbeams coat tails
Or wishing on stars,
Just when you think that you’ve been gyped
The bearded lady comes and does a double back flip
And you run off and join the circus
Yeah, you just let that pony ride.."

The final event of the 2005 SKA Pro tour, held in Morehead City, NC, presented all teams their last opportunities to move up in the standings. We felt good about our chances as we had 2 small fish to be dropped an 11 and a 14, so if we could scale two twenty five pound fish we would hit the elusive 200 point mark and certainly be in the top 20. Day one was a bit blustery with winds all day in the 20-25 knot range. Choosing to stay protected a bit from the winds we decided to fish the near shore areas and had a good day with a 25.36 pound fish to weigh and we were in 6th place overall after day one. We also had a 23+ pound fish that we worried might have been the fish we would need on day two. Our worries would come back to us in spades on the second day.

Following the day two checkout, we headed back to our spot and put out the NC pogies. BIG, lively and a great snack for kings, these pogies increased our confidence that we could find one more good fish and end the 2005 season in style. We fished hard all day, changing up the baits, spread, skirts and everything else but could not hook up a mackerel. Adding insult to injury, we watched at about 1pm as a nice king - I estimated her at mid 30s - came into our chum line and was terrorizing our long line bait. Disappearing for a minute, we watched as this big fish skyrocketed on the single pogy and MISSED. The king did a perfect arced jump - starting from below, reaching an apex and gracefully diving back into the Atlantic, all without a hookup. This fish most probably would have won the event for us, and would have delivered team FishDancer into the top 20 for sure. But as a great man once said; "....if wishes and buts were candies and nuts, we would all have a merry Christmas...". So it was with a sense of satisfaction for our season combined with a small dose of what might have been (isn't that fishing in a nutshell?) on that skyrocketing king, that we pointed the bow of the FishDancer back towards Beaufort and headed past the wild horses on Shackleford Banks, fishless. The 2005 SKA Pro season had just ended for the FishDancer team.

Each season I am struck by the similarity between the SKA Pro Tour and the circus. Pack up, travel, unload, setup, perform, pack up and travel to another city. We logged about 4,000 miles on the truck and 200 hours on the Donzi/Mercury during the 2005 tour. Unfortunately for the FishDancer team, during the 2005 SKA Pro tour, the bearded lady did not show up for us and perform John Hiatt's double back flip, although both Nancy and I are pleased with our overall performance . As we packed up our gear and clothes and loaded up the Silverado a couple gently rocking on the porch of the the Manson house said "....you two sure don't travel light..". We smiled, thinking about the circus (all we are missing is elephants) and continued loading. What a season it has been. Our 2005 strategy was to be one of the SKA Pro tour's best husband and wife teams, deliver 200 points (which would earn us a top 20 finish), earn Nancy a Lady Angler event title and further our enjoyment of the sport. We have accomplished much;! Nancy and I have worked hard to hone our skills and better choreograph the Kingfish mambo as a two 'man' team during the 2005 season. We look to other GREAT husband/wife teams (among others Reel Won, The Chase, In the Rough, Lured Away, Latitudes, Mikey Likes It) for encouragement and celebrate their accomplishments as well. Delivering 192.55 points we fell 7.45 points short of our 200 point objective. This miss was most pronounced during the Port Fourchon event where we could only scale a 35 and a 32 pound fish. We ended up in 26th place in the SKA Pro Division - a mere 5.04 points out of 20th. Had we been allowed to weigh 3 fish in NC as was the case in 2004 when the Savannah event was also shortened to a single day, we would have finished 17th ("..if wishes and buts....."). Nancy winning the Jacksonville Lady Anger and 6th place overall in the SKA Pro Lady Angler Division was right on target with our objectives and finishing 7th and cashing a good check at the Jacksonville SKA Pro event was a great accomplishment. Overall 2005 was one of the most satisfying season our team has enjoyed in the SKA.

Many doomsayers predicted the quick demise for the SKA this season, particularly the Pro Tour, and as usual they were wrong again. The 2005 SKA Pro tour saw the best turnout and produced the toughest competition ever. It took more than 245 points, the most ever in SKA history, to win Angler of the Year (Final Strike), 217.3 to win Lady Angler (In the Rough), 206.6 to win Senior Angler (Bill Taylor) and 187.47 to win Junior Angler (Wound Tight). Congratulations to all 2005 SKA Pro Tour Champions. The competition was tough through out the tour with the top 41 teams (most ever) scaling a full compliment of 7 fish. It took 197.16 points to crack the top twenty and less than 10 pounds separated 20th from 30th place. We would like to see ALL qualified SKA divisional teams to prepare for the 2006 SKA Pro Tour and run away and join the circus with us......

Next up for our team is the SKA National Championships of Kingfishing, in Fort Pierce, Florida. Nancy and I view this event as a fun event - full of fishing and camaraderie, where we have NO expectations for ourselves as far as tournament performance. After 5 pressure packed events along the SKA Pro tour, we like to kick back enjoy the show and try to assist the divisional teams seeking to make their mark during this great event. We will fish hard and be in town early but we look at the SKA Nationals as a reward for our season and look forward meeting many of the divisional teams during the week.

I should have opened my eyes
I should have seen through your lies
I should have stood for no more
I should have walked out the door

But I was a fool to care, I was a fool to care
But I was a fool to care, I was a fool to care
You weren’t nothing but a fool to care; just a country fool to care.

‘THE’ FishDancer and I had plenty of time to discuss our angling plans and the current state of king fishing on our 500 mile trip from Fernandina Beach to Beaufort, North Carolina. Beaufort is a wonderful historic seaside town facing out onto Taylor Creek and the Beaufort inlet. We have the opportunity to stay at the Manson House a plaqued historic home built in the 1860s recently converted into 4 separate condominiums. Behind the Manson house is the largest Southern Magnolia I have ever seen. As large as a 100 year old live oak, this Magnolia is magnificent and most likely has seen ALL of the comings and goings of the area since the Manson House was constructed. As we sat on the 2^nd floor porch, sipping coffee, rocking in our chairs, relaxing as the FishDancer gently rocked in her slip some 50 yards from our porch, there was little wonder about the draw the ocean has had upon our lives and the lives of those in Beaufort. We were struck with the juxtaposition of what seems to be important versus what is REALLY important. In many ways the town itself seems to dismiss the unimportant and probably has done so for more than 200 years. It seems we as humans struggle to get this right, many times fretting and complaining about the small stuff when the big stuff is in need of our attention.

Beaufort was bustling, back-to-back weddings were being held at the end of our block, tourists were interacting with locals and overall Front Street was alive with activity. Several years ago when we first visited this quaint town we noticed how tidy it was, today just a few weeks after Ophelia, the town had visible signs of flooding, tree damage (although the magnificent Magnolia seem to do just fine thank you), building damage and boats wrecked during the storm, yet the community of Beaufort just keeps on keeping on, something which has been going on since the Manson House was built and before. There is a strong sense of honesty and permanency in this town, Beaufort is what it seems to be and this is comforting. Beaufort’s constancy and long term honesty – there are homes here from the 1760s - despite everything it has weathered (civil war, numerous storms, floods, and on and on) soothes the restless soul. So it was with no small effort that Nancy and I put our cups down and headed down and across Front Street to the boat to begin scouting bait locations and fish concentrations for the upcoming SKA tournament.

Cape Lookout provides the perfect counterpoint to Beaufort’s constancy and honesty. Ever shifting shoals and an ocean never to be trusted and always to be respected greet all boaters every time the inlet is traversed. This water is somehow different than the ocean in Florida – stronger and more unpredictable. We can only imagine the sense of security provided by the town to its sailors and their sense of loss and foreboding they felt when they headed out into the Atlantic to earn their living. We ran up the beach, in an easterly direction (which is in itself counterintuitive), toward the Cape looking for bait and soon found a nice pod of large pogies. After loading the live well we headed to the Northwest places, a run of about 13 miles. In the time it took us to traverse this distance the ocean changed its profile 3 times, first quartering from our port bow, then coming broadside with the FishDancer running the trough and finally with a washing machine confused sea with wind and tide providing a short and steep chop. We put the baits out and trolled several areas without anything to show save for a small shark, and even this 10 pounder was mean, perhaps from living in these tough waters? We headed in to the barge wreck and again deployed the baits with no strikes and decided to head in around 3pm.

There are many lessons to be learned from Beaufort. To grow as anglers and people we must be willing and able to stretch ourselves – attempting and perhaps failing before we succeed. The magnificent Magnolia started as a seedling and through many seasons has grown into its formidable form, willing and able to withstand every storm Beaufort has seen for many years. Beaufort pretends to be nothing. It is not a resort town, although there are places to overnight and enjoy the area, it’s an historic seaside village with roots to our past. Morehead and Atlantic Beach have much more well known names and attract many people yet Beaufort, with all respect to other cities, seems like the real deal. Borne from the lessons of the past Beaufort doesn’t compete with the other beach towns, yet it stands ready to greet travelers with hospitality. Team FishDancer strives for authenticity – we seek to be like Beaufort, honest and constant, not seeking attention yet not shrinking from it either. The lessons of Beaufort and the Magnolia, of honesty, perseverance, of authenticity and humility as well as the need to be wary of the shifting shoals, an angry ocean help keep our team centered upon those things which are truly important. I can only hope that like Beaufort itself I can learn to more quickly dismiss those trivial nuisances and focus upon what is really important.

The team has just returned from Beaufort. After the first day of competition we were in 6th place with a 25.36 pound fish (as well as a 23 pounder). Unfortunately we could not hook a fish on day two and finished the 2005 season with 192.6 points. A tournament report and pictures will be posted in the next few days. Congratulations to every team who participated in the 2005 tour and especially to Final Strike for earning the SKA's Angler of the Year. Next up for team FishDancer is the National Championships of Kingfishing, the SKA Nationals....we look forward to seeing everyone there.....

9.29.2005 Team FishDancer and the FishDancer.net website are both the result of a shared passion Nancy and I have developed for our great sport. www.FishDancer.net - unlike some other sites - seeks to sell nothing, does not accept paid advertising, fully discloses our affiliations and seeks only to provide facts about the issues facing our sport. Ultimately this site seeks to give back to the kingfishing community in the same manner many great anglers have given of their time and knowledge to us. At the end of the day the costs (borne out of my pocket), time (carved out of my schedule) and efforts required of me to maintain this site are simply a labor of love. I must admit, every time a reader indicates, either in person or via email, they enjoy this site or have learned something new from it, all of my efforts are rewarded. I can only express my personal appreciation to those who regularly use this site to assist them in becoming more informed about our sport. I also post analysis of the facts, based upon actual numbers as well as my experiences fishing in over 110 tournaments from NC to LA. While some may disagree with my analysis and I possess a healthy respect for the opinions of others, facts must not be defeated by uninformed opinion.

I made a decision several months ago - for personal reasons including threats from some fishing the new kingfish tour - to no longer participate in the Jerry Springer type forums encouraged and regularly held on other websites. The very concept of opinion based posts in direct conflict of the facts, name calling and the politics of personal destruction from the doomsayers and paydayers is not my idea of enjoyment nor enlightenment. These boards naturally have their own undisclosed agendas - controversy drives site hits, which can be used to gain advertising revenue which creates profits for the owners. While there is nothing wrong with profitability in our free enterprise economic model, I have chosen not to contribute to this profit through the exploitation of my positions.

For reasons both unknown to me and nearly incomprehensible, there continues to be a drumbeat from the doomsayers and paydayers, who can do nothing but deluge us all with tidal waves of negativity. Nothing is acceptable to this crowd - no matter what is done, what is said, they sit at their keyboards ready to zip out another personal attack, complaint or false fact apparently to convince one anther that they have made the right choices. I have been accused of everything from being a closet owner of the SKA to being a "poster child" for one thing or another. One of my recent favorites is that I am hiding in some sort of "...cocoon.." and that I am actually some sort of "..old dog.." unable to learn any new tricks. WOOF WOOF

The facts about our sport speak for themselves, as Yogi said "..you can look them up..". Every analysis posted on this website is and will continue to be reflective of the facts. The analysis of the payouts between the SKA and other tours, the facts regarding the 30th place SKA Professional Kingfish team making more money than the 1st place team on the other tour (through 3 events) as well as the facts about bad weather decisions which potentially put our sport in jeopardy are founded in facts and rules which every angler can review for themselves.

My position is and will continue to be; fish where you choose and help move the sport forward. For reasons I have shared on this website in great detail - Team FishDancer has chosen to fish the SKA divisional and Professional Kingfish Tour and we are proud to join the thousands of other anglers who continue to make this same choice. If kingfishing were measured in market share - as most businesses are - the SKA would hold a dominant position with well over 95% of total kingfish anglers choosing the SKA over other competitive venues. The SKA nationals, the true National Championship of Kingfishing, is a unique event with no competition. Clearly no manufacturer's tour finale, regardless of what retailer supports it, is on par with the SKA's National Championship of Kingfishing.

Next up for the FishDancer team is the Toys For Tots Kingfish event which is also the last stop on the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour in 2005. A great event for a great cause, we really enjoy those events who support a charity and are about giving something back to the community, after all only the few mentioned earlier see everything in the kingfish world through the perspective of a green eyeshade. Morehead City, NC is the host city and 'THE' FishDancer and I are in high gear preparing the boat, equipment and ourselves for this event. On a final note Fort Pierce, Florida has been chosen to host the National Championships of Kingfishing with nearly 400 of the best competition teams in the country. That means that the SKA national championships of kingfishing will have 100% of the market share for teams fishing the 'championship event'. WOOF WOOF.

The FishDancer team recently finished competition in the fourth leg of the SKA Professional kingfish tour held in Savannah, Georgia. The event's format was changed to a single day 2 fish aggregate and we were able to weigh two small fish. A 11.44 and a 14.80 pound fish equated to a 26.24 pound total for Nancy and me. All competitors were focused upon the tragic events in the Gulf area and the SKA did an excellent job of raising thousands of dollars for hurricane relief during the Captain's meeting. The net result for our team was that we now have a 7 fish aggregate of 178.63 points and have moved up to 23rd place in the SKA Pro standings with Nancy in 3rd place in the Lady Angler category. For the FishDancer team, with much of our emotional energy focused upon friends in need, it was a difficult event to compete in and we congratulate everyone who did.

Events of the past few days have made it clear to us that our society is held together by a thinly woven fabric, that can be torn by many uncontrollable variables. Couple this tearing of our society with the currently fashionable negativity of the doomsayers and paydayers and the net affect is we are forced to see only the worst possible picture of everything.

There is no question that the affects of hurricane Katrina have devastated the upper Gulf Coast, affecting many families and individuals, closing businesses and roads and creating a natural disaster of enormous proportions. Unseen are the neighbors helping neighbors, not publicized are the companies (like the parent company of Biloxi's Beau Rivage - MGM), who are keeping ALL employees on the payroll and undervalued are the efforts of everyone in New Orleans trying to take the appropriate steps to save lives and begin to reestablish order in the flood ravaged Big Easy.

Each of us has a stake in the outcome of this disaster, as someday it could be us, and we should look closely at the elements that have contributed to it. Katrina was stronger than any previous storm, many people sadly chose not to evacuate, the local officials were not prepared and the national officials mobilized slower than people expected. This 1, 2, 3, 4 punch created a disaster unseen in our lifetime. However, pointing fingers and passing the buck are merely a waste of energy that should be directed to those in need. Doomsayers and paydayers need not apply in this case. We were pleased to see that the SKA will facilitate a major cash donation collected from association member's contributions and we would ask that all readers of this site find a way to contribute to those in need from this storm.

Considering how thinly woven our society has proven to be - we should all work towards strengthening the weave. The only way to accomplish this is to help one another and repudiate those who choose to continue to deal in world of the doomsayers and paydayers. We all need to pull together and enjoy what we have for we should now know all too well it could be gone tomorrow. We pray for those lost, work to help those in need and invite others to do the same. May God bless all of those affected by the storm.....

I was totin my gear along the long dusty Fernandina road
When along came a Chevy with a loadmaster and Donzi in tow
If your goin' to Fernandina, with me you can ride
And so I climbed into the Silverado and then I settled down inside
He asked me if I'd seen a road with so much dust and sand
And I said, "Listen! I've traveled every road in this here kingfish land!"

I've fished in:

Woods Hole, Nantucket. Block Island, Montauk, Shinnecock, Sandy Hook, Highlands, Red Bank, Deal, Avalon, Shark River, Manasquan, Barnegat, Hatteras, Avon, Frisco, Ocracoke, Beaufort, Cape Fear, Georgetown, Savannah, Altamaha, St. Simons, Cumberland, St. Mary’s, St. John’s, St Augustine, Ponce Deleon, Sebastian, Fort Pierce, Port St Lucie, Jupiter, Worth, Port Everglades, Government Cut, Key Largo, Islamorada, Boca Chica, Key West, Boca Grande, Petit Bois, Cat Island, Horn Island, Pass a Loutre, South Pass, Southwest Pass, Tiger Pass, Red Pass, Bayou LaFourche, Honokohau, Maui, Kuai, Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, St. Thomas, St. Martin so you see…..

I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere, man
Seen the fish god’s stare, man
I've breathed the salty air, man
Travel - I've had my share, man
I've been everywhere.....

8.27.2005 It has been said that a man can be measured by the friends he makes and relationships he maintains. This 'cliché' is even more true within the competitive angling community. There are teams, based upon consistent relationships, which have grown together over the years and many of these teams become the strongest along the circuit. Many of these are family based or husband-wife teams. The SKA offers family teams a competitive platform from which to compete as a family and more and more teams are taking advantage of this opportunity. It has been enjoyable to Nancy and I to watch the family teams like The Chase, Reel Won, Reel Keeper, Koolau, Kill-n-Me, SeaDucer, 401k, In the Rough, C-Numb, Loose Lucy (among others) as they compete as a family, perform well, enjoy their angling activities and give something back to the association as a whole.

As Captain of the FishDancer team, I have been blessed with angling mentors, friends and acquaintances - each of whom has contributed to the team's success. However, the very concept of a FishDancer angling team and clearly the current execution and performance of our team is a 50:50 proposition between myself and Nancy - aka 'THE' FishDancer......

"Highways and dancehalls, a good (fish) takes you far...you write about the moon and dream about the stars....(tying rigs) in old motel rooms, girls in daddy's car....you (talk) about the day and laugh about the scars....phone calls long distance, tell you how you are doing .....you forget about the losses and exaggerate the wins....and it isn't for the money and it's only for awhile .......its just another town along the road......"

Savannah is as JB wrote in his road song (with a bit of editorial license on my part), just another town along the road of the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour. The SKAPKT visits 5 cities each season and in 2005 the FishDancer team has had the pleasure of fishing in Fort Pierce, Florida; Port Fourchon, Louisiana and Jacksonville, Florida. Savannah will be the 4th leg of the circuit with Morehead City, North Carolina hosting the final 2005 SKAPKT event and Biloxi, Mississippi hosting the National Championships of Kingfishing with more than 400 of the nation's best teams competing for the National Championship title, trophy and ring.

The 2005 season has been a good one for the FishDancer team thus far, with the team currently in 30th place overall. During the first event of the season the team could only find a single fish, but a good one at that scaling a 30.29 pound fish at the 80' ledges off of Jupiter, Florida. The team did burn one of the three drop fish positions by posting a zero on the second day of the event. The second stop in Port Fourchon, La was also a good event for the team, with two decent fish coming from the Ship Shoal area of the Northern Gulf, totaling 67.2 pounds. w Unfortunately we were seeking a minimum of 75 points out of this event and we failed to weigh in a 40 pound fish, which would have kept us on our 2005 projected pace. The pressure built as we approached the third leg of the SKAPKT, our 'home event'- held in Jacksonville, Florida. Our planning and execution was good for this event as we placed 5th overall and "THE" FishDancer won the Lady Angler award (achieving one of our 2005 objectives), with a >57 pound aggregate and a 33.5 pound fish caught while we were being filmed for the TV show "Fishin the Trail". So we head into the Savannah event in good position with a 5 fish 30 pound average and 152.49 points. Our objective is to achieve a top 20 finish in the SKAPKT with more than 200 points. So we have 4 chances remaining to scale 2 fish in excess of 30 pounds. Our season has been going well and the continued strength of the SKA, an association of anglers run by anglers, has once again proven that competition only makes us better. We look forward to our next stop in Savannah, Georgia; "....just another town along the road..." to the National Championships of Kingfishing. Stay tuned.....we are calling all of the kingfish gods of the Greater GA/SC waters.....

8.11.2005 The elite SKA Professional Kingfish Tour is clearly king fishing's most stringent test of angler and equipment. Each of the five tour stops (Ft. Pierce, Florida; Port Fourchon, Louisiana; Jacksonville, Florida, Savannah, Georgia and Moorhead City, North Carolina) are in diverse waters requiring different angling techniques and each stop along the trail is scored on a one fish per day aggregate catch of the team. Over the course of the season a team can weigh a maximum of 10 fish of which the best 7 will count as the team's aggregate score. There is little room for error along the elite kingfishing trail as in the best of circumstances a team needs to bat .700 (7 tournament grade fish out of 10 days of fishing) with a minimum weight of 10 pounds for any fish to count toward the aggregate score. The SKAPKT competitors realize that any single day of any event with a zero for any reason; from weather to equipment failure to angling results, dramatically affects the team's chances of being named Angler of the Year. So with three events already completed each team has had an opportunity to scale a maximum of 6 fish; and there are 4 more fishing opportunities to determine the final standings. With this in mind I have performed a detailed analysis, the purpose of which is to provide us a better understanding of the competitive landscape, thus allowing the FishDancer team to better prepare for the last two events of the 2005 SKA Professional Kingfish Tour season. I have listed below some of the interesting facts we have learned from this analysis;

The current standing posted below serve as a clear indicator of where each team stands but the SKAPKT's historical results, current averages and future trends offer curious Captains some valuable information. For example the average 1st, 10th and 20th place scores for the past 5 seasons equaled 238, 202 and 185 points with 7 fish aggregates of 34.02, 29.14 and 26.25 pounds. However the past two seasons have seen the highest 1st, 10th and 20th place scores averaging 249.08, 211.63 and 193.37 respectively. This seemingly indicates that the scores might be expected to continue to rise in 2005 and that the 1st, 10th and 20th place scores could be statistically approximated at 260, 220 and 201.

However, the 2005 SKAPKT schedule is contrary to this approximation as the schedule differences might affect the results more than angling skill or the pelagic variability of the king mackerel. For example in 2003 the final SKAPKT event was a West Delta event, and the 2005 scores from the West Delta event are already considered in the current standings. In 2004 the final SKAPKT event was held in late October out of Cape Hatteras where 3 fish could be scaled (due to weather issues experienced during the Savannah event). In 2005 the final two events are scheduled from Savannah (labor day) and Morehead City, NC (3 weeks earlier than 2004 Hatteras), so the scores might be expected to be lower for each of these events when compared to the past two season's averages?

A review of the past performance of the FishDancer team indicates a 68th place finish to the 2004 season with only five fish and a 23.42 pound average and a 24th place finish to the 2003 season with only 6 fish and a 31.39 pound average. Thus far in 2005 "THE" FishDancer and I have amassed 152.49 points with a five fish average of 30.48 pounds. We established our 2005 objectives to scale 7 fish with a minimum of 200 points: ultimately placing in the top 20 of the tour and earning Nancy a Lady Angler award. We are currently in 30th place overall with Nancy in 4th place in the Lady Angler category, having already won a Lady Angler award for our 5th place finish in Jacksonville. So as we anticipate our team's performance needs for the remaining two events, we have concluded that with 50 or more points we would be on target to achieve our objectives. Better than that IF, in the remaining 4 fishing days, Team FishDancer can find 2 fish totaling 100 or more points we might just be in the mix for AOY honors. YIKES!!!!!! So stay tuned, the landscape and scoreboard will become much cleared following the next event. We are calling all of the fish gods of the greater Port Royal Sound area.....

No current analysis of the 2005 kingfishing season would be complete without a review of information regarding the new competition from the other tour. This new tour backed by a major retailer and boat manufacturer is designed to be a marketing tool to sell more hulls. This tour is modeled after the SKAPKT and offered "...elite anglers ...the opportunity to fish for a living...". It has been promoted as the world's most lucrative kingfishing tournament trail. Using the current standings as a measuring stick lets see how the two stack up;

The purpose of providing this information is a type of truth in advertising service for our readers. Once you have all of the pertinent information then you can make your own choices of where to fish. Since, there has been so much disinformation published regarding the SKAPKT relative to the new competition, I thought it might be revealing to publish the actual facts. Each tour has its own features; one is run by an association of anglers focused upon fishing and the other is a manufacturer's tour focused upon selling products. Prize money along the SKAPKT is based upon angling performance while the other tour rewards anglers primarily for their boat and motor choices. To be fair and objective we will have to see what the final results are at the end of the 2005 season. However the results thus far are statistically significant and as of now would be projected to hold throughout the remainder of 2005. Check back in December for a revealing and truthful look at the direction of kingfish tournament angling for 2006.\

8.11.05 One of the most enjoyable feelings along the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour is making the leader board and the FishDancer team was please to place 5th overall, earn Nancy her first Professional Lady Angler plaque as well as cashing a check that would cover our entry fees for the 2005 season. All in all a good event for Team FishDancer.

Another pleasure of fishing the SKA Professional circuit is seeing friends both old and new. The camaraderie along the circuit is strong and although the competition is stiff, the atmosphere is congenial amongst most teams.

The third event of the year is the positioning event, the event after which a team can begin to review where it has a chance to finish for the season. Our 5th place overall has moved us up some 27 spots and we currently sit in 30th place with a 5 fish average of 30.48 pounds. Team FishDancer is now performing analysis on the standing to determine our potential and assist us in planning with the last 2 SKA Pro Tour events of the season. I will publish the results of this analysis in the coming weeks along with expectations for the remainder of the season. Stay tuned -- we are calling all of the fish gods of the greater Savannah area......

7.27.2005 Information and learning are sometimes the most important aspect of successful tournament angling and events of the past few days have reinforced this notion for the FishDancer Angling Team. For the first time in history an SKA Professional event was held concurrently with the largest king mackerel event in the world, the BellSouth Greater Jacksonville King Mackerel Tournament (BGJKMT). In what is being billed "....as the Greatest week in Sportfishing.....", there were five kingfish events held all under the umbrella of the BGJKMT - the Greater Jacksonville VIP, Tournament of Champions, Junior Angler, General Tournament and the SKA Pro event were all scheduled during this week and more than 800 teams were expected to compete during the week. Team FishDancer consumed and sorted ALL of the information we gathered and was well prepared for our competition in the SKA's third leg of the Professional Kingfish Tour and it showed in our results.

'THE' FishDancer and I pre-fished with special 'teammates', my two brothers Mark and Brian. We expected the fish to be on the beach as the approaching full moon, large pods of pogies and recent results of other anglers seemed to indicate a bite was ready to happen. Our pre-fishing activities indicated the fish were not where they were expected to be.

Fishing the beach from Fernandina to St. Augustine we did not get a bite and while fishing the near shore reefs and wrecks off of Cumberland and Fernandina only small fish were found. Mark landed the small kingfish shown above for his first ever king, which we released unharmed to hopefully grow into a true smoker. This bit of preparation, coupled with some fun between brothers, provided Nancy and I some important information which would help us create the foundation of our fishing plans for the tournament. With the intelligence we gathered 'THE' FishDancer and I were weighing our angling options relative to where we might fish. We attended the team DONZI meeting held at Gene's Seafood in Jacksonville; the food was great and the information interesting. It seems there were similar reports of scattered fish on the beach and small fish on the near shore reefs. Following this meeting we headed to the Captain's meeting for the BGJKMT's VIP event and the SKA Professional event. The information we learned there would also prove valuable to the team. Tournament rules were fully explained in detail and the construct of the 'no wake' zones were fully explained -- as the entire St. John's river was essentially a no wake zone, this information would assist us in determining an appropriate time to quit fishing in order to assure enough time for us to weigh in. We also had a chance to speak with several captains including Tim Cheeks of Triple Threat and our angling mentor Terry LaCoss regarding their recent fishing activities. We also learned that we would have a TV camera man onboard the FishDancer on day two of the event, more information that would assist the team in making appropriate decisions for our tournament days. The plan was the Joe Namath plan, go deep to some numbers which have been good to us in the past during local events when fish were not concentrated. So we fueled and oiled the boat, loaded up with ice, chum, ribbonfish and secured two dozen live goggle eyes from our bait source. Immediately following checkout we pointed the bow e/se and settled in for the ride of more than 50 miles to our 'secret' spot.

Running into a head sea with a 2-3' chop it took us a bit more than an hour to make the run to our chosen fishing spot. Upon arrival we were happy to see no one else was there - our 'secret' spot was safe, at least for now. Putting out our baits we had strikes on our first three baits, quickly catching and releasing small kings in the 10-12 pound class. After deploying our lines for a fourth time, it wasn't long before 'THE' FishDancer angled yet another fish at the bow of the DONZI. After releasing another small king, we settled in for a steady bite. The final tally for the day was 15 kings, the largest of which pulled the scale down to 21.4 pounds. The information we gathered from our first day of fishing indicated that several fish of more than 30 pounds had come from the same area, some of which we witnessed first hand. We also learned that although some larger fish were caught elsewhere, there did not seem to be a stronger bite reported anywhere so our second day strategy would be to return to the same spots as day one, the only difference was that ALL of our actions would be caught on video tape for the fall SKA TV program "Fishing the Trail". YIKES!!!

When we were approached by SKA management about the possibility of putting a camera on our boat 'THE' FishDancer and I had mixed feelings. The opportunity to be considered for this assignment was certainly flattering but the possibility of delivering a zero on video tape upped the ante and increased the pressure for us. After a brief team discussion we decided to take the plunge and we are both glad we did. Upon arriving at the dock we were met by a knowledgeable, friendly and enthusiastic gentleman, Kerry Seay. Kerry has shot action video for many different outdoor shows including FLW Outdoors, Bassmasters and several redfish tours. He was prepared with the appropriate equipment, camera and sound devices.....now all Nancy and I had to do was safely navigate more than 50 miles of ocean and put a tournament grade kingfish in the fishbag!!!!! YIKES!!!!! What we learned is that when preparation and opportunity collide, good things are the result. We explained to Kerry our rationale for running to our chosen spot, buckled him in and headed out of the St. Mary's inlet at the break of dawn. We were greeted by a beautiful sunrise and the same head sea we enjoyed the previous morning.

Following the long run we put out the spread of goggle eyes, blue runners and ribbonfish while Kerry got his camera equipment ready to roll. Nancy and I had been 'miked' prior to leaving the dock and whenever the camera was running our mikes would be live. So it was with some anticipation that after a few minutes we got our first strike....a nice run and then NOTHING. Nancy reeled in what was left of a king of about 15 pounds, mashed by a cuda. Not much for the camera so far. Keeping the baits in the water, we fought off a few cudas, lost a second small king to a cuda and had several baits slashed with no hook ups. ALL ON VIDEO TAPE!!!!!! YIKES! As the morning wore on, we were discussing options and watched as many other teams decided to pick up and run to another spot, prospecting for a good fish. I had told the team that I thought we would get 2-3 shots at a good fish, we knew they were there, we just needed to be patient and keep the baits in the water. We had a sizzling strike on the deep downrigger and figured that we had the proper species and a good size one at that. After clearing the lines and beginning the chase the line stopped running, somehow the fish had gotten off.....ALL ON VIDEO TAPE. I began to recall what I had learned in this sport from my angling mentor, Terry LaCoss who had instilled angling patience and competitive persistence in me, so I put the lines out and kept my focus upon what I was doing. All of a sudden, around 11:30am a shotgun line with a blue runner seemed to explode out of the water as a large fish 'grey hounded' alongside the boat with the unfortunate runner in his teeth. This was quite a site and after a split second Nancy, Kerry and I all said in unison "......its a big king ....", and Nancy and I quickly attended to the tasks of clearing the lines and taking the first steps of the Kingfish Mambo hoping to fill our dance card with a money fish. As Nancy angled the fish she said it felt like the hooks were pulling and in the clear blue offshore waters, I could see only a single barb of the #4xs treble hook remained in its mouth. Nancy brought the fish near the boat and while I had a small window to gaff the fish, I missed it - ALL ON VIDEO TAPE. The fish ran deep and Nancy did her best to safely bring it boat side a second time. After a few precarious minutes the fish was again in gaffing range and this time I hit my mark and put the fish into the fish bag. ALL ON VIDEO TAPE - YIPPPPEEE!! I estimated the fish to be around 34 pounds and in keeping with our plan we buttoned up to head in to finish the day on the beach seeking a huge fish and maintaining closer contact with the check in point. Fishing the afternoon at the SE Hole with about 40 of our closest friends we released a teenager. At the designated time we headed in through the St. John's inlet to the scales. Nancy and Kerry headed up to weigh the fish and were happy to report the fish scaled at 33.5 pounds.

The team exceeded our 50 pound objective for this tournament moving up from 57th to 30th place and maintaining a 30 pound average with 5 fish. Nancy is now 4th place Lady Angler, FishDancer is the 10th place DONZI team (out of 28) and we are well positioned to make the SKA PRO top twenty, all goals established back in January. Overall team FishDancer placed 5th in the SKA Pro event, Nancy won her first Professional Lady Angler award and we expect the team provided the "Fishing the Trail" TV show with some good footage. Once the tape is edited and a show is produced an air date will be set and we will keep everyone advised of the details. All in all this was a great event for the FishDancer team. We prepared, executed and delivered even with the added pressure of a TV shoot. Next up is Savannah on Labor Day weekend......much to do in a short period of time.

7.17.2005 Thanks to the technology of our satellite dish, 'THE' FishDancer and I enjoyed watching the Old Timer's day festivities from Yankee Stadium yesterday. It was great seeing old time Yankee players like Phil Rizzuto, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, Horace Clark and Don Mattingly. Equally moving was the toll of the Yankee players who had passed since the last old timers game. Some of today's Yankee players sat in the dugout talking with the 'old timers', learning more about the history of their sport, honoring the passing of those who came before them and just plain enjoying the festivities. Although it made us feel a bit older, we both were struck by the ongoing respect for continuity of the game, the Yankee franchise and its traditions. We were also struck by the fact that other players (some considered 'STARS') choose NOT to be part of the festivities. There is a lesson to be learned from this 'Old Timers' example for the sport of King Mackerel competitive angling.

Anyone fishing in any king mackerel tournament anywhere today, owes a large debt of veneration and gratitude to those hearty people who created the field on which we all play. Agree or disagree with them, the decisions these pioneers of kingfishing made and their combined efforts have blazed the trail for today's anglers. They fished from NC to the keys in the days before GPS, radar, 38' boats, fluorocarbon, triple engines and satellite weather services. Many of them founded tournaments like the GJKMT, tournament trails like the SKA and helped cement the foundations of the sport that we all know and enjoy so much today. While these men hailed from different parts of the coast, had different personal situations as well as their own ideas about where the future of the sport should be, these differences were always tempered by the unified desire to build something enjoyable for the anglers. This unity of purpose was always what was MOST important and the differences no matter what, played second fiddle to their singular unity of purpose.

Beyond their contributions to our sport, these folks are one of the greatest storehouses of fishing information and insights from which we can all learn. IF we take the time and make the effort we find out that many kingfishing pioneers are just plain nice folks. The FishDancer philosophy has always been to be seek out these 'Old Timers' (sorry guys) thank them for their contributions and learn everything we can from them about their past angling experiences.

When teams look at our sport relative to how we can contribute to it rather than what we can collect from it, king mackerel competition becomes more fun and rewarding. The game of MLB and the NYYs have changed a great deal since 'The Scooter' broke in but yet there is a serene continuity within the sport, the franchise and some of the players. As is true with our society the only constant we can expect is change and it is our responsibility as competitive anglers to assure these changes secure the future of competitive angling for the next generation of competitors. The very recent advent of 'paydayers' and 'doomsayers', bent upon the destruction of anything or anybody in the way of their personal agendas, takes me back to the Old Timers Day example of the players who choose to ignore the history and contributions of others to their sport and team. It is a personal choice, we choose to say thank you to those who went before us and to continue to work toward making tomorrow better for the anglers of the future, we hope you choose to do so as well.

The FishDancer team is preparing for the SKA Pro Kingfish tour stop in Jacksonville. The the third leg of the SKA Pro Tour is making its first ever stop in Jacksonville and the event will be held concurrently with the BSGJKMT VIP tournament. Choosing where to fish will be critical to success in the two day aggregate event and 'THE' FishDancer and I are seeking to leave the third leg of the circuit with more than 145 points -- so we need a two day aggregate of 50 pounds or better. Although our recent fishing activity coupled with local reports have indicated the bait and bigger fish are on the beach - they have been widely scattered between Mantanzas inlet and Sapelo sound - a span of water of about 110 miles.

The format of the third leg of the SKAPKT coupled with the uncontrollable natural variables will pose quite a challenge for those teams seeking to perform well. There are three possible checkout inlets (St. Mary's, St. John's and St. Augustine) which are 52 miles apart, making the choice of checkout point a much more important decision for all teams. For example, if we choose to checkout from our home port in Fernandina Beach and the fish are south we could be more than an hour behind those who choose to check out of St. Augustine - the reverse is also true. The big seas kicked up by Hurricane Dennis (it was 7.8 feet at the St. Augustine weather buoy 40 miles off the beach today), the moon phase and the water temperatures (there are scattered reports of the normal summer cold water upwelling) will also create a difficult decision tree for tournament anglers. So it is with great anticipation that we will be pre fishing some of the local and distant waters over the next week or so. Wish us luck and stay tuned....we care calling all fish gods of the greater SC, GA and N FL area................

7.10.2005 The 2005 Saint Mary's Kingfish Classic was a late addition to our summer tournament schedule. Entering this event would allow us to fish from our home port and possibly learn something for the Jacksonville VIP/SKA Professional Kingfish Tour events - which will each run concurrently in two weeks. Additionally our participation would allow us to spend Independence weekend, enjoying our independence, competing with other SKA division competitors from division IV. Couple that with beautiful weather, fish on the beach, guaranteed prizes and a strong turnout and you had all of the makings of a good KMT. 'THE' FishDancer and I had a plan of action in mind as we traveled to attend the mandatory Captain's meeting. We knew the bait and fish would most likely be found on the beach so we would check out locally, find bait and head south to fish the Captain's House, an area just North of the St. Augustine inlet.

Upon arriving at the Captain's meeting we could see that the turnout was good, no doubt aided by the NOAA forecast of 2-3' seas from Savannah to St. Augustine. We ran into many old friends, Allen from the Wahoo, Kenny and Doreen from Crawfish, Todd Veal and his two boys from SeaDucer, Roy Boone from Vamoose, Steve and his boys from Reel Keeper, Jerry and crew from Double J, Howard from Kill-N-Me and many others. It was nice to swap fishing stories and discuss our sport with everyone, sharing a bit of information as well as listening to other perspectives on what makes for a successful tournament. While tournament director Terry Adkins was sharing with the large crowd the prize structure and tournament rules, a gentleman approached me to discuss the current state of tournament fishing and opened his conversation with the line "...hey Jeff, how is the biggest supporter of the SKA doing?" I was a bit taken aback by the comment but ultimately settled myself that it was meant as a compliment.

Exchanging ideas and sharing information is critical to advancing our understanding of each other. Where I have a different point of view, I try my best to keep an open mind about the opinions of others, maybe I might even learn a thing or two? It seems that somehow I have become something of a lightning rod for this debate. Perhaps because I choose to inform rather than inflict, perhaps because I do not shy away from the doomsayers and paydayers who are making our sport an on the water Jerry Springer show exercising their politics of personal destruction or perhaps because my passion, enthusiasm and factual accuracy within our sport are visible to many? Whatever the reasons, I hope to cease writing about it soon and move onto other issues within our sport like why aren't ALL KMTS held with a Bimini start and is there a future for on line weigh ins? We had an interesting conversation about the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour (SKAPKT) and the SKA/flw competition in general. While this was not exactly what I planned to do during the Captain's meeting I was interested in hearing what this Captain had to say. He made several interesting points.

He discussed his perception of the dilution of SKAPKT by allowing the top 20 from each division to earn their way onto the Pro Tour. Over the past 10 years the FishDancer team has seen the SKA as an organization grow. When we first joined we were granted a membership number in the 6000 range and new members today are receiving numbers over 20,000. As the SKA has grown so has the number of teams eligible from each division to fish the SKAPKT. Additionally we should not ignore the fact that the SKAPKT remains the only trail requiring qualification and is open to every angler, all that is required is to become members and perform well in a local division. This is no small feat - just ask others who fish the divisional trail. Once earned, entrance into the ranks of the SKAPKT is a reward that many divisional teams, FishDancer included, work hard to earn and work just as hard to maintain. The SKAPKT is not for the casual angler and it remains the only KMT tour paying out cash prizes for what you deliver to the scale, not what brand of boat and motor delivered it.

There was a sense of victimization in his conversation as he shared with me that the ".....years ago....SKA PRO anglers were promised something that was never delivered...". He asked me what we were promised to join the ranks of the pros and we shared the fact that we were promised nothing join the SKAPKT. 'THE' FishDancer and I viewed entry into the SKAPKT as a reward for our divisional performance and wanted to compete at the highest level of the sport. This hasn't changed over the years and from our experience the tour has delivered everything, and then some, that we anticipated when we decided to join it.

We then moved into the ever happy discussion of the SKA versus the new tour, I think this was the prime motivation for initiation of the discussion. Utilizing an example of a team that has fished the SKAPKT for a long time ".....who has won more money on the other tour than they ever did in the SKAPKT....without either of the contingency brands...." our new friend seemed to be pleased that he had made his point. Unfortunately he forgot about the calcutta and concurrent tournament prizes available only in the SKA, so IF this team had finished in the same positions within the 2005 SKAPKT they would have earned the appropriate divisional prize money and calcutta money from both the SKAPKT and local event. Everything else being equal, the payouts to the example team, would have been higher within the SKA.

By this time in our discussion, 'THE' FishDancer had walked away to listen to the rules and avoid any further SKA/flw discussions for which she has heard enough. I interpreted the direction of this part of our conversation to indicate that I was against anything that was not SKA, which is not a true statement. I shared with this gentleman the facts that I have many friends fishing the new tour and spoke with the new tour officials myself well before it was announced and chose not to fish it for as it didn't make sense for our team. My only hope was that all anglers would fish where they chose and not bash any of the tours, its members or its management, this is just bad form and its not good for our sport. My position regarding this debate has remained constant throughout the process and includes a through examination of the options presented by the new tour and available to our team.

It is clear that the new circuit is more a manufacturers tour and is not interested in teams like the FishDancer, that is, non-Genmar/Yamaha teams, which make up 70 of new tour's 107 teams. Although I expressed my sincerity about the facts, our new found friend seemed skeptical about my assertion that any team fishing the new tour, without the ability to win ANY contingency dollars due to their boat/motor choices, would be fishing for less than entry fees. (Do the math 107*1500 = 80% of tournament payout). The SKAPKT pays out over 100% of their entry fees. So ultimately we agreed that everyone should fish where they choose and let the chips fall where they may. We wished each other luck in the tournament and the FishDancer team headed for home.

We understand not everyone will agree with our points of view and do our best to respect those of others. We choose to support the sport of king mackerel competition. While the SKA is fun, it is not exempt from the organizational imperfection seen in most associations and competitive tours. After all anglers have so many opinions about so many topics there are most certainly going to be those who disagree with whatever position a tournament or trail takes. This can be witnessed in several decisions made during the 2005 season regarding weather -- when a decision was made to fish in questionable weather some complained it was a poor decision and visa versa, there is no way to keep every one happy. While others choose to critique everything from personality to payouts, we have chosen to work within the SKA to achieve improvement.

The FishDancer experience has been to present our ideas and/or complaints (i.e. Key West weigh-in) to the SKA management and have had great success being heard with many of our inputs helping to shape the future of the association. While we have no first hand knowledge of the new tour, the format is clearly focused upon the boat and motor choices of its anglers and anecdotally it too suffers from imperfections, some of which are both misunderstood or misrepresented on the Ethernet. The FishDancer mission remains to further the growth of our sport by highlighting the facts allowing for the tournament teams to decide. Like Fox news I report and you decide. Unfortunately there will always be those who choose to criticize the preferences, performances, payouts, schedule, decisions or associations of others and for them we offer our counsel through the words of Teddy Roosevelt speaking at the Sorbonne in 1910......

Once all of the politics were concluded we turned the FishDancer focus toward FISHING. Our team fished well but could not find the big fish. We quickly captured plenty of quality bait thanks to our new Calusa 12' 3/4" mesh cast net and ran the Donzi/Mercury combination south 40 miles to our chosen spot. We were in the right spot, with about 25 others, where the top 2 fish came from, a 45 and a 41. We fished hard and managed to scale a small teenager from our plan. Congratulations to our friends Conrad Lau and the crew of Koolau for their 41 pound fish and 2nd place in the event, we wish them, and the rest of our SKA division V friends who will be fishing the same days as our friends on the new circuit in next week's dual events. The copycat scheduling and geographic choices is another issue I have with the new tour - it pits anglers one against the other for no good reason. Unfortunately the weather is suspect yet again with another tropical system on its way to visit. We hope good decisions are made by all and everyone stays safe....after all no life is worth the top prize of either tour. Next up for the FishDancer team is the SKA Pro Tour stop in Jacksonville and the concurrent Jax VIP tournament.....stay tuned...........

7.04.2005 We live in an great country during extraordinary times. As the July 4th holiday approaches the FishDancer team has just completed pre-fishing for the St. Mary's event on Saturday. We ran the beach from Fernandina to Saint Augustine - two of the oldest cities in Florida and were reminded that our freedom to do so does not come cheaply. Yes gas prices are up but that is not my point. As we motored out of the Amelia River we were reminded of those brave men and women who serve our country in the most discreet of naval roles, submariners. It is truly an awesome sight to see these huge warships traverse our waters and we are proud to have them on our side.

As we ran the ICW and out into the ocean via the St. John's river, we passed the JFK battle group, in for retrofit at the Mayport Naval basin. A single jet adorned the huge deck of the JFK and 'THE' FishDancer and I wondered where and when the fine folks aboard her would next be deployed. These fine examples of Americans have been in harms way over the past year in the Persian Gulf, directly supporting the efforts to bring democracy to Iraq. While trolling off of the Captain's house, Shanty Town and JW we were accompanied by helicopters, coast guard boats and other first responders testing and honing their skills to keep us safe. After all despite all of our ethnic, political and religious differences, the most important thing is that we are all Americans. This single point of commonality has, for the past 200 years or so, kept this diverse nation together. We want to personally thank all members of the United States Armed Services and their families for the sacrifices they make (or have made) to keep us free, without these sacrifices, God only knows where this nation would be.

Of course there are detractors in every walk of life, we see them in king mackerel fishing and we see them in the political spectrum of our nation. These injudicious individuals seem to favor their own personal agendas and seek to accentuate the differences between us for their own reasons rather than focus upon the more important cultural values that bring us together. So if it fills a singular political objective, they bash the USA, or the SKA or shout down individuals with their off base opinions, conjecture and speculation. Think about it - we have those political pundits and others decrying as torture the conditions in which '...enemy combatants...." are held in GITMO but who choose to remain silent when citizens of free countries are kidnapped and beheaded by our enemy. The same people distort the mission facing us, continuously put our brave soldiers in the middle and then happily report that the recruitment goals of the US military are not being met. All to achieve their own personal agenda at any expense. In this writer's opinion this is a sad state of affairs. The same types of hypocrisies exist in our sport.

As 'THE' FishDancer and I docked the DONZI in her spot at the Yacht Basin in a driving rain yesterday, I was proud to be flanked North and South by our military men and women and want to thank them for their service and sacrifices to our country. Keep up the good work and don't let the doomsayers and paydayers get you down. It struck me these are lessons that can be applied within our sport as well.

We are preparing for the St. Mary's KMT on Saturday and have no idea where the fish are -- they seem to have moved off the beach with the heavy rains of the past 4 days. The waters off the beaches range from nice kingfish green to almost a gold color. We found plenty of pogies which must have just come out of the river as they were very small -- not the turbos we found for the NSFA event last week. Wish us luck -- we will need it for this one.......stay tuned.

7.01,2005 Fishing along the SKA Professional Kingfish tour has taken Team FishDancer up and down the highway -- our season includes more than 5,000 miles of boat hauling each year. The preparations, contingency planning and actual efforts to travel to Cape Hatteras, NC or Port Fourchon, LA have precluded our participation in some of the local events our team enjoys competing in. So 'THE' FishDancer and I were pleased to sign up for the 2005 Nassau Sportfishing Association's Tournament of Champions, fished out of our home port Fernandina Beach, Florida. It has been 3 seasons since we have been able to fish this tournament and we were pleased to be fishing with no hotel reservations as well as being docked at our home port, the Amelia Island Yacht Basin. It was a pleasure seeing some old and new friends at the 5:30pm Captain's meeting. Terry LaCoss (Amelia Angler, Bob Johnson (Traveller), Larry Vogt (Bam Bam) among others were planning strategy for the first day of the scheduled two day event. As the weather forecast was grim for day two the general consensus is that this might be a one day event.

After fishing many local spots on Thursday 'THE' FishDancer and I had decided to head south and check out of St. John's and fish the beaches off of Jacksonville. The only question we had was bait availability and we were able to develop some information from those at the Captain's meeting regarding good concentrations of bait in the Jam south of the inlet. We got up at 4am and checked the weather forecast. Winds were already up at 15 from the N/NE and were predicted to grow throughout the day with seas growing to 3-5 feet. We arrived at the boat at 5, loaded up with ice, frozen chum, rods, reels etc. At 5:30am we headed out of the AIYB channel to run 19 miles down the ICW in the dark to check out at the St. John's inlet for day one of the event. Running in the dark is never a favorite of mine, but the familiarity I have with this stretch of water made it easy to navigate, thanks to a nearly full moon and solid performance from our RayMarine chart plotter and radar. Boat 225 successfully checked out, cleared the inlet and turned south to find that the bait had moved so we continued running south. We ran past the Sea Turtle, past the radio tower, past the pier -- no baits. About 20 boats were jumbled up on a small pod about 1/2 mile south of the pier, 'THE' FishDancer does not enjoy the helm when we are in a crowd like this so we stayed on the outside looking for some flips. After about 30 minutes, I decided to head back North of the pier and when I saw two pelicans sitting in the water just behind the breakers. I had Nancy nose us into the skinny water and with a single toss of the net had several hundred turbo pogies. Enough for bait and chum.

Quickly cleaning up we then headed the 6 miles or so to the redtops. Putting out our baits with about 30 other teams we were fishing. After a while we had our first strike which was a small king, maybe 15 pounds or so which we released boat side. Next up was a juvenile hammerhead -- not a bonnet head but a hammerhead shark. As there were both good concentrations of bait and lots of action from Spanish we decided to stay put for the day as we thought at least one good fish would come from this spot. Trolling into the growing winds we had a strike and successfully angled a fish near 20 pounds to the boat. Into the fish bag it went.

One of the more challenging variables during the day was the abundance of offshore weed that was present on the beach. It seems that the east winds had blow the weeds from well offshore into the coastal areas. At times it was difficult to keep any of the baits running true and it required constant attention. I cannot ever remember fishing the beach and having to reset the lines as many times as I did on Friday. Around 2pm, just as forecasted the winds shifted to the North and strengthened creating building seas. We decided to run to the CHUM Hole near the inlet and finish out the day. The 10 mile run back directly in the winds and seas was a bit sporty and the inlet with the outgoing tide ripping against the N/NE winds and the inlet stacked up at 6-8 feet. We ran the 19 miles back at WOT -- 54 mph - and weighed in an 18.04 pound fish. Team Posse was the ultimate winner of this event with a 42 pounder and we had fished in the right area as several boats we were close to had fish in excess of 30 pounds. Cleaning up the boat we learned that the second day was cancelled due to the SCAs and 5-7 foot seas. All in all we had fun and were reminded of the reasons why we fish........next up for the FishDancer team is the St. Mary's Kingfish Classic....stay tuned

The SKA has recently opened up its internet forums, come and join the kingfish discussions'

6.28.2005 There comes a time in every angling team's life that they know things that they cannot explain. A feeling about a fishing spot (good or bad), a sudden inexplicable clarity about the hundreds of variables affecting the fishery or perhaps a simple gut feeling about the weather. According to Malcolm Gladwell in his new book 'blink -- the power of thinking without thinking', this unconscious and spontaneous insight, is the result of our brains collecting and processing millions of bits of information in our unconscious mind. Gladwell has coined the process of unexpected rapid cognition -- adaptive unconscious understanding. According to Gladwell every experience of every person has been silently and secretly captured by the unconscious brain and this enormous database is continuously sorted and reviewed for patterns and understanding. From a competitive angling perspective this means every fishing trip has been documented in our brain, with every action being chronicled and an angling adaptive unconscious understanding available to each of us, if only we can access the data when we need it. This is what is known in professional sports as '...being in the zone...", a place where the entire game slows down and full clarity is available to the player. Gladwell also describes why some have access and others are denied the power of this data. According to Gladwell stress creates the single greatest barrier to accessing the power of rapid cognition.

For some these competitive angling events can, and many times do, become high stress events. Performance pressures, social responsibilities, family issues, boat/motor failures, crew problems, sleep deprivation, financial demands, sponsorship duties and the physical requirements of tournament fishing for king mackerel can leave Captain, crew and equipment stressed well beyond capacity. This condition of tournament stress can been seen at the Captain's meetings, check-out and sometimes even manifests itself during the angling competition, this stress does nothing to assist a team in maximizing its performance. Tournament stress creates circumstances where the value of rapid cognition to the team or tournament officials is either diminished or eliminated. In essence, tournament stress can lead to bad decisions and we all know what bad decisions lead to. The ocean can seem calm but can quickly can become unforgiving of poor decisions.

After successfully competing in more than 100 SKA events over the past eight seasons, 'THE' FishDancer and I have figured out how to cope with this stress and now our mistakes, in large measure, are not those of judgment but rather those of physical execution. But it wasn't always so. Back before we had qualified for the SKA Nationals, I became obsessed with the idea of earning my invitation to the Big Dance. Our best opportunity would be in SKA Division IV where we had amassed 47 points with 2 fish and had a single event left to scale a third. I did a myriad of calculations and determined a fish near 25 pounds would assure that our invitation soon would be in the mail. Despite what all of my local contacts were telling me ("...Jeff the fish are on the beach..."), despite my personal observations of large pods of pogies along the beachfront of Amelia Island and despite the knowledge that I learned about where the fish normally should be this time of year, I became determined to catch our qualifying fish at the Elton Bottom, some 65 miles east/southeast of the St. Simon's inlet. Day One -- we ran out stopping only to jig bait at a few offshore numbers. Once we arrived the fish were not there. 'THE' FishDancer and I spent the better part of day one of this event HOPING to catch a fish at a place where there were none. By some miracle we did catch a fish, 6 pounds and under the GA size minimum, which we released. During the ride back I considered my own irrationality -- my personal desire to achieve MY objectives had clouded my decision making, ignoring the pattern I had been exposed to over the past week. After reflection that night I discovered something THE FISH ARE ON THE BEACH --it was amazing I finally I heard this shouted from the recesses of my brain although every indication, which I previously ignored, had already pointed me in this direction. Filled with tournament stress, I could not access that data. Day two - we checked out ran south, castnetted pogies from the pods I had seen two days earlier and promptly caught a 25 pound king and qualified for the SKA National Championships. Captains and crew will make better decisions when the flash of cognition and adaptive unconscious understanding are allowed to freely flow and are accepted for the insight these processes can bring. These same concepts hold revealing truths about each of us. The powers of rapid cognition work well relative to human behavior and motivation. As the old saying goes "....if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and waddles like a duck......", its not a goose. There are those who are trying to give back to our sport and others who are trying to exploit it, use the power of adaptive unconscious understanding to separate the two, the insight gained is interesting.

Team FishDancer continues to be worried about our sport as the ever growing quest for cash can outweigh common sense, safety precautions or social propriety. Its kind of like the 'macho' scuba diver who gladly shares with everyone the million places he has dived. Only under the water will the truth about a diver's skills come out. Unfortunately the same is true within the kingfishing circuits. The current landscape has begun to create an '...either -- or..." scenario for anglers, who are being asked to support one trail or the other. Team FishDancer supports ALL kingfish anglers and only wants everyone to understand the facts about each competitive trail. There are circumstances in our sport today where some profess to be long time supporters of one organization -- then they go public with some tempest in a teapot negative issue they perceive about that organization. Claiming righteous indignation they indicate they are now supporting the other organization and in reality they have been crewing on teams competing in the new tour. "If it quacks like a duck.........". The FishDancer perspective is fish where you choose but there is no reason to tear each other down -- like the scuba diver -- only on the water will the truth become known.

The moral of this story is that the actual experience of tournament anglers, their knowledge of the fishery and weather conditions provide each team an opportunity to crunch this data to the betterment of the team's performance. Dependence upon VHF radio chatter, Captain's meeting tall tales, internet scuttlebutt and other outside influences might make the team feel better but many times does not equate to better team performance. So relax and have fun. Surround yourself with friends, build your experience base and ask questions of those willing to help. The FishDancer experience has been that ignoring the naysayer, doomsayer and 'paydayers' will contribute to your mental strength, reduce any tournament stress you may be feeling and allow teams to focus upon the core of knowledge that exists in all of us.

After several seasons of missing our home event, 'THE' FishDancer and I are looking forward to competing in the Nassau County King Mackerel event held in Fernandina Beach Florida. Reports of fish on the beach and good concentrations of bait in local waters -- coupled with the opportunity to pre-fish a bit for the upcoming SKA Professional Kingfish Tour event in Jacksonville next month, have gotten us excited about fishing from our home port. The event will be held next week with a Captain's meeting on Thursday, fishing on Friday and Saturday and the awards/fish fry on Sunday. We are calling all fishgods of the greater NE FLorida area. Stay tuned....................

6.20.2005 The sport of king mackerel fishing combines all of the elements of the natural world with many of the elements of human society. This is just one of the reasons why competitive king mackerel tournaments have become so popular over the past 30 years. Combine the challenges of navigating the ocean, finding bait, angling fish, dealing with winds, waves and tides with the innate human desire for competition the stage is set. The past 15 years or so have witnessed the continuous growth of our sport into a regional activity enjoyed by more than 40,000 participants each season along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina to Galveston, Texas. These competitive events were designed to be local in nature and while they offered the possibility of winning some money, the money aspect of the sport has historically been viewed by participants as a type of lottery, where your dollars are ‘wagered’ in the hopes of catching a true smoker and winning local bragging rights and the local tournament purse. In a recent email discussion, one of the founders of the Southern Kingfish Association, ( SKA a member driven association designed to offer sanctioning of standardized formats for the myriad of local tournaments), shared the story of his first tournament win some 20 years ago, a local event in North Carolina where he was awarded some $1,500 for first prize.

Anglers enjoy targeting king mackerel as they are relatively plentiful; due primarily to their fast reproductive and growth rates, low value as table fare and their spread along the southeast Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts. The SKA understood something early on - think of how many anglers there are from NC to TX – if only a small portion of these anglers participated in tournaments, the large potential market would provide the fuel necessary for the growth of the local tournaments and therefore the Association. The tournaments formed and grew while the SKA, as an association, assisted along the way with the growth through organizational support, sponsorship solicitation as well as acting as the ‘voice’ of the king mackerel tournament angling community. Anglers are notorious for NOT speaking with one voice and acting in a fragmented way (i.e commercial vs. recreational and today triple engine vs. single engine boaters), ultimately reducing their effectiveness upon the myriad governmental and quasi-governmental agencies that regulate our fisheries. The SKA, fueled by a growing membership, became a central point for the kingfish angling community. This centrality of the association and the breadth and depth of its membership provided needed legitimacy to attract attention, sponsors and brought our sport to a new level.

The SKA grew and so did our sport, with tournament anglers having more than 50 events in which to compete with and the ultimate goal of reaching the National Championships of King fishing at the end of the season. Along with the growth of this sport, the purses and money associated with it also increased. As with any combination of the natural world and human society, human nature was never far from the forefront and the combination of competition and money created the desire for larger events and larger purses. The $1,500 first prize money was now a thing of the past and events boasted first prizes over $100,000 and purses of up to $300,000. As others watched this growth some wanted to get in on it and other tours were formed (the USAA, a NC tour and several other events) came and went, with a new breed of SKA bashers being bred for their own personal or organization purposes. I do not agree with everything the SKA has done or continues to do and I actively provide my input to SKA management. Some of my ideas have been accepted and others ignored, but I am pleased that I am a member of an association of kingfish anglers dedicated to the sport and its ongoing success. In our capitalistic economic model, competition is usually a good thing, creating the need for competing entities to constantly improve to survive and I believe the competition is good for the SKA, assuming they take a rational stance towards it and continue to work to improve the association and provide support of its membership. I have seem nothing to indicate otherwise.

As many readers of this site know, the FishDancer team began competition in the SKA in 1998. Since our first competition, the Nassau County King Mackerel Tournament in 1998, we have competed in over 100 other SKA sanctioned events and credit the association’s membership with helping us learn, grow and hone our angling and boating skills. Many SKA members have assisted us over the years and out of respect for their privacy and fear of embarrassing them – you know who you are – we will leave them nameless. These pioneers of the king fishing tour taught us many things but no lesson was more important than this “….fish for the love of the sport and competition -- not for the money…’. If you won anything it was pure icing on the cake.

The icing on the cake was sweet when we won our first tournament prize, a Penn 535 reel (which we still use) won for scaling a 15.65 pound fish with the number 5 in the official weight at the 1999 SKA Division V Kingbuster 400 – where our assigned tournament number was a prophetic 61. We were pleased to cash our first check at the SKA Division IV Sapelo Open event where Nancy was awarded ‘THE’ FishDancer’s first Lady Angler award. All along the way we kept our angling mentors advised of our progress and received advice and counsel from them on the next steps for our competitive angling activities. After finishing 18^th in the Greater Jacksonville event in our 23’ Century, we were approached by Wellcraft to join their factory ‘B’ team. In keeping with the spirit of our team we contacted Century, advised them of the circumstances in hopes of maintaining our relationship. They expressed a sincere lack of interest in our sport and our team, so we made a decision to join up with Wellcraft. In retrospect we believe that Century had little interest in the SKA, its members and was interested only in selling boats, with no commitment to our sport. So we were pleased to be joining up with a company who had sponsored the SKA, local events and indicated their long term support of both!!!

We were excited about joining Team Wellcraft, purchasing the number four 29’ hull from the factory and powering it with twin Yamaha 250 OX66 engines. With this boat we competed well, enjoying our competition in SKA divisions X, V, IV and VII, qualifying for the nationals in Division IV and winning the Port Fourchon SKA pro event with a 104+ aggregate and a 61 pound fish. Keeping with the lessons we learned from our mentors -- we kept our sponsors advised of our progress and sent them pictures and press clippings of our accomplishments. We continued to communicate with our boat sponsor and received no feedback good or bad and wondered if anyone was interested in what the team was up to, we would soon have our answer. After two successful and fun SKA seasons and some 600 hours with the Wellcraft hull and Yamaha motors, we decided to purchase a new boat and wanted to move up into a 32 or 35 foot hull. We contacted our ‘friends’ within the aforementioned companies and were met with indifference. It seems that they were focused upon other matters, like taking what they had learned from their SKA mentors and starting their own tour and could not be bothered by Team FishDancer. Calls went unanswered, letters unopened, emails ignored. Team FishDancer was exposed to the business of king mackerel competition for the first time. We were sad to leave our friends at Yamaha – Mike, Arthur and the gang but no big deal, there are other boats, other motors and we still had our mentors to advise us. So off we went searching for a new boat and motor deal. In retrospect our relationship with Wellcraft was similar to that of Century, where the company has no real commitment to the anglers, the association and is focused primarily upon selling boats. The capitalistic competitive model seemed to be at work here and we cannot fault anyone for doing business in whatever manner they choose. As a team we prefer to do business with those who have a similar commitment to the sport, association and its members. There were no hard feelings, just a better FishDancer understanding of the real world of the marine business

Through a unique set of circumstances one of our crew was also promoting the RFA and was selling a promotional 35’ DONZI with twin Mercury Opti-Max engines and following a spirited negotiation we shook hands and made a deal to purchase this new boat. So it was goodbye to our past teammates and hello to 28 new ones, we become members of the DONZI nation. The DONZI/Mercury team was committed to the SKA and its members -- several of our mentors ran DONZI hulls over the years and we felt that the match between FishDancer and DONZI/Mercury was a good one. This experience provided our team a lesson that, although learned the hard way and not from our friends and mentors, would thankfully stay with us. This lesson; ‘……enjoyment is reduced when tournament fishing is less about fishing and more about selling boats and products….’ would serve us well in the coming months.

Following the 2004 season rumors circulated regarding Genmar and Wal*Mart teaming up to start yet another kingfish tour – one modeled after the flw bass events. While the new tour had yet to be announced; the close knit king mackerel tournament community was abuzz with the potential news of the new tour. The locations of the tour were a shadow of the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour and the first prize was boasted to be $100,000 cash with a total purse of $300,000 paying back to 40^th place. Rumors flew about the new trail paying anglers up to $100,000 to fish in four events and Captains scrambled to assemble teams and seek sponsorships. Internet sites opened to exploit the new SKA/flw controversy and running debates regarding which tour would be the best began even before the first flw event was finalized. In reality the new tour paid $40,000 for a win and offered cash prizes back to 20^th place – again similar to the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour model. The real difference in the new tour came from contingency money paid by boat manufacturer Genmar and Yamaha motors offering $30,000 each for a win and paying back 40 places IF you ran a Genmar boat and/or Yamaha motors during the events. My competitive nature challenged me to review our options and consider a way to fish the new tour. Many doomsayers incorrectly predicted the demise of the SKA and its tournament schedule and closet SKA bashers came out with public attacks upon the association and its perceived shortcomings. Personal attacks upon its management and membership were the order of the day – overnight the association which had nurtured our sport’s growth and from which the new tour had been spun off -- had been bashed from every side!! No member of any organization can ignore that volume of criticism and we became confused about the future of our sport. After 7 seasons of SKA competition we were uncertain regarding where we would compete in 2005 --SKA divisional, SKA Pro, flw or none of the above? Then we began applying the lessons we had been taught by our mentors and the marine industry.

Lesson One -- ‘….fish for the love of the sport and competition -- not for the money…’ – but what about the $100,000 prize for winning an event on the new tour, this is big money and hard to ignore? As new members of the DONZI nation running Mercury motors we would pay the same entry fees as everyone else and only have the opportunity to win 40% of what others could – while we do fish for the love of the sport, we aren’t naive and the inherent injustice in this situation helped to clear the smoke on the water. Lesson Two -- ‘……enjoyment is reduced when tournament fishing is less about fishing and more about selling boats and products….’. It was clear to us now that the new tour was designed to copy the flw bass/ranger model and would be focused not upon the anglers and the sport but rather production of a TV show and selling boats. The SKA, regardless of the impact of the new tour would remain focused upon angling and anglers. So the decision was clear; we would stay with the SKA, competing in the SKA Professional Tour for our third consecutive season. As an aside we view the flw tour as a TV show with each event an open casting call for actors who pay the flw to be on the show. The tournament structure as a stand alone economic entity (that is without Genmar and other sponsor money) provides anglers who aren’t in the right boat/motor combination an opportunity to fish for less than their own entry fees. Each event takes in $154,500 (103 boats * 1,500 per event) and returns $123,600 (as posted on the website) or 80% of the entry fees. So the tour itself pockets about $130,000 of angler’s money over the course of the season. If you finish in the top 50 you will have a free chance to win it back with the manufacturer’s championship in October. We wish all flw anglers well and miss competing with them in these events but the new tour doesn’t meet the needs of our team and violates the primary lessons we have learned about this great sport. We have many friends, and unfortunately a few new detractors, fishing the new trail. The desire to win the money is so high in some teams it has created multiple circumstances where the social fabric of our sport has been torn asunder. This is a sad state of affairs.

Recall the beginning of this story. When the sport of king mackerel fishing combines all of the elements of the natural world with many of the elements of human society – the stage is set. Add the human elements of self indulgence, ego, desire and greed and the stage is set, the curtain is up and the orchestra is playing the overture. While I am an unabashed supporter and active member of the SKA – I have kept my ear to the track and an open mind regarding the other tour in order to learn more about their model. The 2005 season is underway and the SKA has sanctioned 20 divisional events and two SKA Professional Kingfish Tour events, hosting some 2400 teams and the new Wal*Mart tour has held two events and hosted 206 teams. History has proven that there is enough room in our sport for more than one tournament trail, however peaceful co-existence has yet to take hold, fueled by association bashers, personal attacks, self promotion and the quest for a large pay day. A new tour focused upon cash, TV and product promotion competing with the establish association of kingfish anglers focused upon the fishery, anglers and sport, faces strong temptations to push the limits of safety and propriety and only experience and the actions of the tour will determine the outcome of this. We have previously discussed the breaches in social propriety created by the greed of some on the new tour and sending small boats out into seas with a tropical storm bearing down is yet another example of pushing the limits of safety. While it may seem that these decisions are unilaterally the domain of the new tour’s administration, ALL decisions made by ALL tournament directors have the potential to impact the entire community. God forbid something really bad happens due to a lack of experience, bad decision or freak of nature – it could ring a bell that cannot be unrung and greatly curtail tournaments for us all in the future. As several competitors recently wrote “….sure we are all taking chances…in search of $100,000….but we are all safe…” and "we....like the others, (are) just thankful to be alive. We were 125 miles west of red dog pass at 11:30. Wind went to 35 - 45 knots, seas 8 to 12 and even higher at times. Had dozens of waves break over the t-top...."!! While the FishDancer team is pleased to see that everyone ended up safe, these risks clearly take a short view of the sport. The lure of winning $100k today creates an environment where there is little concern about tomorrow. We are hopeful that the sport continues its progress and the new tour gains enough kingfishing experience to provide a more thoughtful approach to these decisions. The SKA, flw and ALL tournament officials have a direct responsibility to assure decisions are made with the good of the sport in mind, failure to do so will only damage both tours and all participants. From our point of view no prize is worth risking your life for -- we value our lives well above the $100,000 mark. While we remained concerned about the current process we will reserve final judgment this issue to a future point in time.

I have decided to communicate directly with the kingfish community via this website, a site designed with a single goal in mind; to return something to the sport we love, hopefully teaching a new generation about the joys and sorrows of the sport. This decision has been under consideration for a while and was taken after yet another round of internet and email bashing - frankly I do not seek nor enjoy the aggravation. I am selling nothing, maintain the site myself, do not take advertisements, promote only products I personally utilize and can endorse. Team FishDancer will not seek to profit from or gain personally from the continued exploitation of this tempest in a teapot SKA/flw controversy. We encourage all tournament competitors, regardless of what tour you compete on to be informed about the facts of our sport and then make informed decisions. You can rest assured the facts will continue to be published on the FishDancer site. I would love to hear back from our readers regarding these issues and have both our emails posted below. Drop us a note, tell us what YOU think.

Team FishDancer is currently in 51^st place on the SKA Pro Tour and ‘THE’ FishDancer is currently ranked 8^th in the Lady Pro Tour standings with 97.49 points and a 3 fish average of 32.50 pounds. This is short of our goal of 110 points at this point in the season but is primarily the result of scaling 3 fish out of a possible 4. The team has fished in Key West, Ft. Lauderdale, Fort Pierce, Florida and Port Fourchon, Louisiana and is preparing for upcoming SKA events in Fernandina, St. Mary’s and Jacksonville. Stay tuned………and check back often for the facts about our great sport.......................

6.10.2005 Team FishDancer has just returned from the second stop along the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour held at the Kajun Sportsman's lodge in Port Fourchon, Louisiana. More than 1500 miles driven on the road, nearly 400 miles navigated on the water and some 100 rigs later Nancy and I posted 67.20 points in the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour competition, with a 32.1 pound fish on day one and a 35.10 pound fish on day two. Fourchon and the waters of the west Delta, South Timbalier and Ship Shoals area are 'kingfish' waters with many BIG kings calling these areas home, the team is pleased with their overall performance but the big fish evaded us during this trip. Our preparations paid off for us as we were in the right places on each day of the event, fishing next to teams who scaled fish in the high 40s and low 50 pound range. We had a good time sharing a rental house with the Reel Won team (Bob and Susan Woithe and their son Bob) as well as the Right Hook team (Eric Branch and his crew Chris). This combination worked out great with all teams scoring 2 decent fish and the Reel Won team winning third place in the SKA Pro Tour (46 and 48), Second Place in the local Cobia division (55 pounds) and first place Senior Anglers on the SKA Pro tour. FishDancer congratulations to Bob, Sue and Bob. In addition to the good showing of our house mates, Team Donzi members of Team Lured away won the SKA Pro event with a two fish aggregate of 98.64 pounds (53.77/44.87) while The Strike Zone won the local Kajun Sportsman event with a large 57.91 pound king. Congratulations to our fellow team Donzi members as well.

Arriving in Fourchon on Sunday just ahead of a front, the team got situated in the dock outside of the house in the Pointe Fourchon subdivision and then watched the weather as a major group of t-storms and rain hit the area Sunday night and continued all day Monday. Fishing was literally washed out with the 6 inches of rain experienced in less than 24 hours. Tuesday morning dawned with a sunrise and some wind and Nancy and I decided to head offshore to find some bait, mindful of the small craft advisory that was in effect for large seas. We were greeted by 4-6's stacked up on each other and no bait on the close in rigs of the Fourchon area. Wednesday provided a great opportunity for the team to get out and prefish and put some baits in the "Baits Motel". We had no problem finding bait and Nancy caught the largest blue runner I have ever seen - close to 6 pounds!!!!! We fished rigs in the ST area from 70 to 170 feet and caught fish nearly everywhere, with the largest being a low 40s caught in 137' some 35 miles from Belle Pass.

An interesting thing occurred at a rig while prefishing; we ran into the Kingfish One, the SKA flagship. Jack, Deona, and Bobby Flocken were trying to get Ian his first king mackerel. After a brief radio chat the SKA boat hit the spot and Ian was soon on the bow. After a long fight with a foul hooked fish of about 38 pounds, the fish was released to fight again. Congratulations to Ian for his first ever kingfish catch and release.

The weather for the tournament could not have been nicer with mild breezes from the west and temperatures in the high 80s. Day one 'THE' FishDancer and I ran more than 60 miles to the west fishing in 150+ feet of water and saw only 4 other tournament teams. Each of these teams had fish scaled in the high 40s or low 50s - we were unable to entice a strike from a BIG gulf king and posted a 32.1 for day one. After exchanging some information with some of the teams at the dinner, we decided to stay a bit closer and fish some 35 miles from the pass, the same area where we had prefished. After spending the morning culling small fish, losing a few to wire bites and one that ran under another boat, the team put the 35.1 in the box as the same rig where Ian had caught his first fish.

The team made the return trip on Sunday and saw at least 5 teams pulled over on the side of the road with trailer issues - mostly flat tires and bearing issues. We stopped to assist those who were alone and hope that all teams fishing made a safe journey back to their home ports. All in all the team fell short of its goal of 80 points for the Fourchon event but we are pleased with our current 97.49 points and three fish average of more than 32 pounds. If this average can be sustained we would earn a total of some 214 points, more than enough to achieve the top 20. Nancy has fallen behind in the lady angler competition but should remain in the top ten or so and with a few good fish in the next three events, she still has a shot at the award. Next up for the us is the Nassau County KMT at the end of June and then the third leg of the SKA pro tour in Jacksonville in mid July. Stay tuned......

5.28.2005 There are literally thousands of fishing spots to choose from when fishing the oil rigs of the West Delta. From water depths of less than a fathom to more than a mile, the angler has a wide selection from which to choose a favorite fishing hole for the tournament. We believe that particularly in the Gulf a plan is needed and rig hopping, without a clear plan, should be avoided in all but the most extreme circumstances. Once the team decides where to fish, and deploys the baits on the chosen spot, if strikes are not immediate the urge to pick up and run to the next, or the next, or the next, or maybe the next rig after that can be irresistible. So 'THE' FishDancer and I have comprised a plan to target the areas we want to prefish/bait fish and are nearly ready to hit the road for the long haul to Port Fourchon. Before we left we needed to stop and pick up a few odds and ends at the Strike Zone and had the opportunity to talk fishing with several SKA Captains. Over some fine seafood from Andy at Gene's we discussed the importance of teamwork and the need to complete some small tasks over and over correctly. Sometimes this can make the difference.

While the basics of our sport are not difficult to master by those fishing the trail, its the small details, performed time and time again without fail that many times dictate the difference between a fish story and a fish for the scales. Line setting to assure the baits are properly positioned, the clickers are on, drags are properly set and the lines are clear of reel knobs, not wrapped around the rod tips and free from any restrictions is a critical technique to be mastered by those working the back of the boat. Too many sad stories are told about the loud SNAP heard after a fish struck the baits but the lines were not properly clear or the clickers were left off and the reel got spooled before anyone knew a fish was on. The same techniques are needed for lines set on the downriggers to assure the clips are properly set, rods have a bit of tension in them and will not tangle after a fish strikes.

Once the fish is on the team needs to clear the lines, turn the boat and perhaps keep a line out just in case. This is not a simple task and if any member of the crew watches the angler and looses sight of their current role, line ends up in the props, tangles occur, the boat is mis-positioned making the fight more difficult for the angler. Each of these kingfishing errors are both common and potential disasters. As the angler is fighting the fish the drag should not be touched and the thumb should never touch the spool; for some reason these two tasks are easy to say but difficult to learn. Once the angler gains experience and the fish has tired somewhat after its initial blistering run, the drag tension can be manipulated in small increments -- the angler needs to develop the right touch. Drag can never be too light and too often can be way too heavy causing hooks to pull and fish to be lost -- when in doubt keep the drag light. Finally after the strike and the chase comes the gaffing of your quarry. This technique is simple yet when poorly done is attributable for more lost fish than anything other than thumbing the line on the reel. Sometimes egos get bruised or feelings get hurt when the Captain points out team shortcomings that need to be addressed, we have seen more than one shouting match on the water over a lost fish. Ultimately its up to each team member to work with the others under the direction of the Captain to assure a safe yet productive day of tournament king mackerel fishing. Master the small details and have a plan...after that the variables take over and the fish gods dictate the outcome. Nancy and I like to keep our friendly fish gods pleased and try to understand as many of the variables as we are able to for each event. We feel well prepared going into Fourchon and look forward to putting two good fish on the scales.....stay tuned and we are calling the fish gods of the West Delta area..................

5.23.2005 "THE" FishDancer and I have been diligently preparing for our trip to the West Delta and our competition in the second stop on the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour. The Mercury Optimax 225s have been serviced and we spent yesterday 'tinkering' on our 35' DONZI to assure all systems are in good order for the next event. We check all bilge pumps, look at all battery connections and check the main electrical bus for tightness. We also cleaned and sealed the bright work and feel that the boat and motors are ready to go.

We are convinced that a team needs to have a competition plan for their season and understanding the playing field and what performance might be needed to achieve those goals at each stop on tour. Recently I reported on the importance of the Louisiana Delta to the overall performance of teams fishing the SKA Pro tour and there is no denying that the more points you can earn the better, this season will be no exception. The question now is what would be considered a good performance in the LA Delta in 2005?

Over the past few seasons strong kingfish bites were experienced by teams fishing the West Delta. Beginning in October of 2003 in Port Fourchon, followed up several weeks later in the SKA National Championships in Biloxi and continuing in 2004 at the Venice, LA SKA Pro stop, fish exceeding 50 pounds were a common sight at the weigh in. In 2003 at the SKA National Championships Team FishDancer weighed in a 49.9 pound fish on day one and we didn't even crack to top 50!!!! WOW. Nancy and I began wondering if this was a recent trend or something every team should expect every time they compete in the fertile waters of the LA delta?

A detailed analysis and review of the past five SKA Pro seasons indicates that teams should be grateful to land any fish in excess of 50 pounds. The statistics indicate that, since the 2000 season, of the 2,037 kings scaled in competition on the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour, a whopping 0.15% (3 fish) of the fish weighed in excess of 60 pounds and only 1.08% of the fish weighed in excess of 50 pounds. Said another way each team has a 98.83% probability of NOT catching one of these large fish during any event. So if you catch one, your performance in the event should be a good one. 165 fish (8.10%) that were weighed in along the SKA Pro Tour were in excess of 40 pounds.

Due to the variables of seasonality, weather and the improvement of equipment and angler knowledge over the 5 seasons, it is difficult to accurately correlate the numbers of big fish to any geographic location. So what does this all mean? It is different for every team based upon their objectives. We are seeking two good fish and a total of 80 or more points for the Port Fourchon event and if the fish gods have a large fish or two in mind for us we are ready, willing and able to accept. If they are reading this post, the older sister of our 61.1 would be nice.

Nancy and I will be heading to Fourchon early to get some scouting, bait and pre-fishing accomplished and we hope to be able to post a few reports, depending upon the telecommunications capability of our accommodations.....stay tuned and we are calling the fish gods of the west delta area for some lagniappe....

5.10.2005 Only 18 days remain before we depart to Port Fouchon – as you might imagine the ‘THE’ FishDancer and I are a bit busy. Regardless of a team’s start in Fort Pierce, the Louisiana stop of the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour can make or break the season for any competitor on the circuit.

For the past two seasons the SKA Tour stop in Louisiana has clearly determined the outlook for the remainder of the season for team FishDancer. The West Delta holds great promise and great disappointment for those chasing the tour’s top prizes. In 2003 we were able to earn our first SKA Professional Tour victory and launched ourselves into 24^th place in the standings. The West Delta delivered on its promise for us in 2003, however in 2004 the Bayou delivered to us great disappointment. Last season we were still running the 29’ Wellcraft/Yamaha combination and were having major electrical issues during the Venice KMT, only able to score a single fish and 32.13 points. On the first day of the event we were able to find a smallish Louisiana fish just outside of the pass and due to the aforementioned mechanical problems, we limped back to the scale and tried to repair the issues we had. On the second day, after running some 20 miles, down the Mississippi River with much of the fleet, the boat went completely dead and we struggled with this ongoing electrical issue the rest of the day and did not weigh a fish. A major disappointment to the team and a severe blow to any 2004 season goals we had established. As someone said, “…..those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it…”. With this concept in mind we are now running our DONZI/Mercury combination, looking at all historical data from the Louisiana Delta and focused upon delivering the performance required to keep us competitive for the remainder of the 2005 season.

For a team to place well in the SKA Pro standings two good fish from the Louisiana Delta are practically a mandated requirement. After reviewing and analyzing the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour standings from the past two seasons (2003 and 2004), the numbers reveal how important the Louisiana stop is to all teams competing.

Those teams finishing in the top 20 on the SKA Pro Tour in each of the past two seasons earned an approximate average of 35% of their total points from the Louisiana venues. When all of the points earned by teams cashing a check in the Louisiana Pro Events during the past two seasons are combined, the West Delta delivered a grand total of 1,862.46 points (962.62 in 2004 and 899.84 in 2003). These points reflect the average of 84.66 points necessary for a team to finish with a check signed in Louisiana. The fish, associated with the points earned, represented 50% of the Venice event’s top 12 team’s point totals for the entire 2004 SKA Pro season and 46% of the Fourchon event’s top 10 team’s point totals for the 2003 SKA Pro season. Since the Louisiana Delta historically contributes an average of 35% of the points earned by the SKA top 20 Pro teams, success in these events is mandatory for a good season. A great example of this is our own team’s performance and for the FishDancer team, it seems clear that, directionally, as the West Delta performance goes, so goes the team. Do well and the season will go well and visa-versa.

In 2004 the FishDancer team earned only 32.13 points in Louisiana or 27.43% of our season’s total – FishDancer finished in 68^th place on the SKA Professional tour. In 2003 team FishDancer earned 104.59 points in Louisiana, or 74.66% of our season’s total – FishDancer finished the SKA Pro season in 24^th place. Said another way, if we had earned the 2003 points during our 2004 season, team FishDancer would have been in the top 20.

Armed with this data, our goal to finish in the top 20 of the Professional standings will require a solid team performance in Louisiana. A point total somewhere between 75 and 90, will keep Nancy and me on pace to achieve our objectives and a top 15 placing in this event would put us ahead of schedule. Now that we have figured out what our performance needs are we only need to put together a plan that will deliver against these needs. Performance and execution, as always, will determine the future of our 2005 season and the Louisiana Delta is no exception. The LA Gulf is a location where our preparations are strong, history is solid and our team confidence is high. Both ‘THE’ FishDancer and I are prepared and excited about delivering upon our objectives. At the end of the day performance in this great sport is where preparation meets opportunity. We are calling all of the fish gods of the greater West Delta area……………………………..we are ready!!!!

5.5.2005 After starting the 2005 SKA Professional Kingfish Tour with a 30.29 pound fish, a career best for us at Fort Pierce, the FishDancer angling team has set in motion our pursuit of the 2005 FishDancer objectives; A) to post a top 20 Pro finish and B) to earn Nancy the SKA Pro Lady Angler of the year. We are pleased to have put a good fish on the scales during day one but we wasted a good chance by not scaling a second fish on day two. Many smaller fish were caught during the second day of the Ft. Pierce event, but teams posting a total of 60 or more points have jumped ahead in the competition. Our challenge now is to scale 6 good fish in the remaining 8 days of SKA Pro Kingfish Tour competition. The plan right now is to get two good fish in Port Fourchon, and then get 4 good fish in the remaining 3 SKA Pro events in Jacksonville, Fl - Savannah, GA and Morehead City, NC. So now we focus upon Port Fourchon, Louisiana, and the Kajun Sportsman KMT, one of our favorite events and home of our 104 point winning aggregate in 2003 and the big 61.1 pounder.

Our objective for this event, which will be held June 3^rd and 4^th, is to scale two good fish and add a minimum of 80 points to our current 30.29 total, heading into the Jacksonville leg of the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour with somewhere in the neighborhood of 110 points. This would provide us 60% of the points needed to place in the top twenty of the Pro Tour, as over the past five seasons the SKA Professional Tour 20^th place average weight has totaled 183. As we remain unsure what score will be needed to secure the top Lady Angler position for Nancy, we will have to measure our progress toward this objective event by event, Nan currently stands 11^th so she is off to a good start.

The Kajun Sportsman King Mackerel Tournament is hosted by the Toups family and Cajun hospitality can be expected with lagniappe for everyone. There is usually a great Cajun dinner at the Captain’s meeting and fun is had by all participants as delta friendliness greets the SKA competitors all along the way. However the remote location provides a significant logistical hurdle for teams to negotiate; for team FishDancer it’s a 12 hour - 700 mile haul of the DONZI and our angling equipment. The team will be focused upon bringing in most of what we need as civilization is at least 30 miles away and even then, certain commodities are difficult to find. This is one event where a team does not want to be searching for the proper engine oil, downrigger weights or some other such equipment. The FishDancer team has utilized the ramp at the Port Fourchon Hotel and marina in the past without any problems and we plan to do so again in 2005 - it is just about a mile or so past the Kajun Sportsman and accommodates larger boats. Accommodations in Port Fourchon are geared either towards the oil services industry or hard core anglers and sometimes can be a bit more Spartan than we would like. This year we have rented a private home on a canal in a gated community with a boat house; this convenience should prove to be worthwhile maximizing our angling time as well as securing our equipment; although unfortunate, reports of stolen or vandalized equipment seem to be on the rise.

Fishing from Port Fourchon is typical of most West Delta locations, go out of the pass (Belle Pass in this case) and fish the rig of your choice. There are literally hundreds of rigs within a 25 mile radius of Belle Pass and the fishing will be affected by water clarity, water depth and availability of bait concentrations. “THE” FishDancer and I have already scouted our historical records, past performances from other events in the area as well as charts to being to prepare pre-fishing and bait fishing plan for this event. Bait will be easy to locate but premier large baits, which can determine the outcome of this event, will take some time to locate, catch and put in the fish version of Hotel California.

Our team preparations will also include re-spooling our reels with new line (see the FishDancer Pro tip of the week in the right sidebar for a neat new product), twisting more rigs (you cannot bring enough to this area), and in general preparing all of our equipment for the trip. Boat, engines, truck, trailer as well as all angling equipment need to arrive in Port Fourchon ready to roll with redundant systems providing support to ALL single points of failure. So with little more than 30 days in the interim, the team will try to accomplish something towards our required preparations each day between now and then. We are calling on the fish gods of the WD area……stay tuned……

The first event of any season is always the most distinguished. The initial bloom of the dogwood trees in Atlanta are always the most beautiful, opening day for the Braves holds the promise of games in October and the first event of the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour declares to all kingfish anglers that the competition for angler of the year and the National Championship of King fishing is underway.

The past three years the SKA Pro opener has been in Fort Pierce so we were familiar with the local environs. However due to the 4 hurricanes of 2004, the city of Fort Pierce is still in reconstruction mode. The City Marina, one of our favorite places to dock, took a direct hit for more than 28 hours from one of the hurricanes and lost a huge amount of dock space as well as many boats. Dockside - Harbor Lights had both dock and building damage, with much of it repaired but some work still to be completed. The Mayor of Fort Pierce attended the Captain's meeting and indicated that he was not participating this season as he "....had a city to rebuild...". So it was with some uncertainty that we headed into the Sunrise City on Monday to prefish and bait up for the Friday/Saturday competition.

The week was started following sustained NE winds and large ocean swells which had created dirty water and scattered the bait and fish concentrations from their usual haunts. After several trips out the FishDancer team was able to jig up about 18 hardtails, troll up a few nice Spanish, caught some snapper blues and cast netted some jumbo mullet. Combine this with the purchase of a dozen goggle eyes (thanks to our friends on the Four Sons team for reallocating) and the bait was squared away. Happy in their fishy Hotel California bait pen (“…..you can check out any time you like but you can never leave……”) ‘THE’ FishDancer and I headed to an afternoon of meetings on Thursday. Team DONZI hosted a team meeting for the 28 DONZI entries on the SKA Pro Kingfish Tour. Mike Collins and DONZI Team Captain Dan Upton were gracious, the Pelican Yacht Club was nice and the food was good as we discussed fishing and life in general with Chris and Jan Chase. Following this, Mercury hosted a meeting at the Mana Tiki Restaurant for all of its SKA pros and we are thankful to Pam Behnke for her hospitality and information about the direction of Brunswick and Mercury. Finally there was the Captain’s meeting were we were pleased to see many of our angling friends. We got the latest information and discussed the upcoming season with many teams, including – among others - Reel Won, Reel Keeper, Four Sons, Triple Threat, Koolau, and Reel Gator. The excitement was building and we made a last minute decision to check out of the southern most checkout on Friday AM, at the St. Lucie inlet.

Arriving at the dock at 4:30am to obtain our dozen goggle eyes, we then headed to the new Harbor Isle marina to load up and head out. Arriving at the check out boat at 6:53am, we had 7 minutes to head to the sea buoy for the Bimini start – where about 120 boats were idling awaiting the signal to blast off. If you have never seen or experienced 120 or so large center console boats blast off from a Bimini start, take our words for it, it is quite a sight. To add to the excitement the SKA was filming with a helicopter and the copter would swoop down and across the mass of machines running at the sound of GO!!!!! WOW!!!! Our plan was to head down to Palm Beach and fish an area we had visited the previous week. The anticipation was great and the team was stoked to perform in the 2005 season opener. We had about 16 miles to run and soon arrived at our chosen fishing spot. With lively baits and clean water we were excited about our chances. 7:20am soon became 10:00 which quickly gave way to noon and then 2:00pm. Not a bite, knockdown or other hint of a fish. We had moved around within the area and heard of some good fish being caught but could not scare up anything. We both decided to head away from the pack and into deeper water when at 2:30pm the WWB line went off and I indicated FISH ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nancy took the rod and after clearing the lines, we angled the fish into gaff range and brought the fish onboard. I told Nancy I thought the fish might weigh 30 pounds. At 4:30pm weigh master, Bobby Flocken, confirmed my suspicions as Jack Holmes announced Nancy’s fish weighed 30.29 pounds. A good start for day one, this fish left us 2 places out of the money in 17^th place with a full day of competition remaining.

The day two plan was to run about 10 miles further south where several 40+ fish were caught the day before, including the 49 by Gatorbait. After an even more exciting Bimini start on Saturday, we timed it perfectly and never came off plane as the GO signal was issued, hit the throttles ran 23 miles and set out the lines. Fishing the PE shipping channel on Saturday we found cobalt blue water as the SE winds had pushed in Gulf Stream water to less than a mile off the inlet. Filled with weeds, working the lines was quite a challenge. At about 10am we decided to head a bit further North to an area where we had caught fish in previous events, the Loran Towers, running the 15 miles or so in flat calm conditions. Upon arrival we were greeted by about 25 tournament boats and several ‘jerkboats’, commercial mackerel anglers named for the motion of their arms when jigging for their quarry. Several of the tournament boats were hooked up and we had high expectations of having a chance at a fish. At around noon the starboard flat line went off screaming and ‘THE’ FishDancer and I began our Kingfish Mambo. Line cleared, boat turned and Nancy on the bow we chased what we thought was a BIIIIIG king. With a 30 already on the board we figured we needed better than 25 to be in the money and felt like we had the right one on. As the Mambo continued, we began to reconsider the species and as it turned out a 50-60 pound Cobia had reluctantly led us through the Cobia Cha-Cha. As soon as we saw the fish we broke off and got the lines back out. A large cuda was caught and a ribbonfish down deep was cut in two but no kings could be caught. The good news is that we have one good fish on the board and the bad news is we already have used one of our 3 zeros for the season. Now we have the catch 6 kings in the remaining 8 days of competition – something which we both feel confident we can do. Most importantly for the FishDancer team will be catching at 2 good fish in the next event – Port Fourchon. Should we able to finish this event with over 100 points total and 3 fish; the chase to achieve our 2005 goals will be on schedule as we have already moved up 18 places from 68th to 50th with only a single fish and have the 13th highest average fish weight after the first event. The 2005 SKA Professional Kingfish Tour hosted the largest ever list of teams competing with 95 teams checked out in the opener and a few more registered and not fishing. It is gratifying to see the continued support of the association and we look forward to the remainder of the season. Next up Port Fourchon, home of our favorite fish (61.1) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are calling the fish gods of the West Delta area....

The table below compares the two events held recently in Fort Pierce, Florida and the data was provided by the current standings posted on the web sites. The SKA Professional Kingfish Tour had 95 teams fishing two days (190 fishing days) for an aggregate weight while the other tour had 108 teams fishing two days (216 fishing days) for a big fish. The SKA Professional Kingfish tour has a 10 pound minimum weight while the other tour does not.

It has been said "...there is a thin line between genius and insanity...". The plan was simple and in its simplicity was genius. So we thought. We would head down to Dania Beach on Wednesday April 13^th and compete in the SKA Ft. Lauderdale KMT as a pre-fishing exercise for next week’s SKA Pro Tour 2005 season opener in Fort Pierce. The genius we calculated would be the fact that by executing this flawless plan we would get a good line on the location of good fish and have some baits already in the pen well in advance of the SKA Ft. Pierce Pro event. Quite an advantage should we be able to pull it off. Accommodations were made at the Springhill Suites, dock space was obtained at Harbor Towne marina in Dania Beach and the plan was put into action. We had a chance to get out on the ocean on Thursday and pre-fished well north of PE inlet in an area where large fish were caught during a recent tournament. Bait was not to be found and neither was the desired species, King Mackerel. While ‘THE’ FishDancer and I had a great time fishing and executing the plan to perfection, uncontrollable angling variables started getting in the way of our results.

The winds and seas were forecasted to increase significantly on Friday night and through the weekend. So much so that a special NOAA warning, in essence banning recreational ocean activities through the weekend, was broadcast on NOAA weather radio Friday Morning. The event producers and the SKA decided that the event would need to be rescheduled at a later date, heeding the official warnings, the posted small craft advisory and common sense.

So here we sit in Dania Beach, boat in the slip fueled up and ready to run – all dressed up with nowhere to go. On the bright side we got to see some of our SKA buddies (Terry Holmes and John Zalud) at the Captain’s Meeting. One of the things we enjoy the most on the SKA circuit is the camaraderie of the teams and as we swapped fishing stories we again reinforced the reason why we fish. We spent several hours talking fishing with Bob and Susan Woithe of the Reel Won. This family based team is one of the top producing teams on the SKA Pro Tour and you could not find nicer folks as well, Nancy and I both enjoyed our conversations and learned a few things as well. Bob put competitive angling and the SKA in context saying that success in this sport is where preparation and luck collide, quite a good sentiment. We wish Bob and Susan luck this season.

The plan now is to head to Fort Pierce on Monday, get settled and hopefully have better weather to pre-fish and collect bait on Tuesday through Thursday. So we will be packing up the circus tent and heading up the road to the next stop…there IS a thin line between genius and insanity. We are calling all fish gods of the greater Fort Pierce area….

4/01/05 From the FishDancer perspective, JT had it right. When shall I see the sea? It has been several weeks since the FishDancer team has had a chance to get out on the ocean and fish and we are itching to get the 2005 SKA Professional Kingfish Tour started. The kickoff event for the 2005 series will be held in Fort Pierce, Florida (4.21 through 4.23). In an effort to work out any rust in the team's famous 'Kingfish Mambo', 'THE' FishDancer and I have planned to fish the second SKA division 10 event of the season in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, the week prior to Fort Pierce. This event will give us a chance to prefish the southern areas, catch some bait and have a bit of fun before the pressures of the SKA Pro Tour confront our team. Now, each day that passes is one less we have to prepare. March and early April is a critical time to get those things accomplished on land that we choose not to do on the water or during the competition. A quick visit to the Strike Zone and we had some of Dave Workman's new jig heads and skirts and a visit to Don Whitman at Leader's and Sinkers filled our freezer with chum and large shiny ribbonfish.

Several hundred rigs have already been twisted with about as many still to be constructed. Logistics for each of the events have been completed with several 'upgrades' from last season as far as accommodations, including a waterfront home with a dock in Port Fourchon, YIPPEE!!!!!! We faxed in our DONZI team information and look forward to completing the 2005 season as a member of the distinguished DONZI team!!!!!! The boat is having some work done on the electronics as we have had some issues to deal with, so we are re-working the wiring and connections to assure we have radar, chartplotter, sonar and vhf. One critical task is to re-waterproof our foul weather gear. Several seasons past we forgot this minor task and learned the hard way when our gear soaked through during one of the many rain days we experienced. Now we use Henri Lloyd which is great gear for our application - aren't we stylin' in our yellow jackets?

For this season, we have decided to get back to the basics, from which we have enjoyed much of our success; stealthy presentation, light line, small hooks, extra light drag and precise line setting should again assist the team this season. I cannot wait to deploy an 'albino', 'bouffant' and zombie rig in the FishDancer 100, 50, 75, 75, 50, 13 bait spread. Anyone who has seen our kingfish College seminar series should understand this cryptic math. This style of fishing is not for everyone and takes a concerted team effort, something with which 'THE' FishDancer and I are comfortable with. So, the reels have been respooled with 15 pound test, the Yo-Zuri pink fluorocarbon is ready, the Voodoo Goddess of fishing is sitting atop the 61.1 and we are calling all of the fish gods of the southern Florida area....

3.26.2005 will mark team FishDancer's third season along the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour. With more than 100 total tournaments under our belts, three career victories, career earnings of approximately $75,000 and more than 20 in the money performances, we might be considered by some to be a successful tournament angling team. While we are pleased with the continuing evolution of our team, an objective assessment of our skills is the only way to understand in which direction our team is moving.

In our 'rookie' season, 2003, team FishDancer began competition as the 73rd ranked SKA Pro team. With a good performance, including a 61.1 pound fish and a win in Port Fourchon, LA we jumped up to 24th place in 2004. Nancy and I will start the 2005 SKA Professional season in 68th place - what does this indicate about our team? When fishing in the SKA divisional competitions, we believe that a team should measure its success versus its internal objectives and skills. This measurement allows for any team to accurately gauge its performance against its stated objectives. Teams compete for many reasons and while many believe that money and sponsorships are the best measure of a team’s standing, team FishDancer believes otherwise. Along the SKA Pro Tour, the truest measure of success is how you compete against the best of the best in the SKA. While 2003 was a magic season for team FishDancer with a win in the Port Fourchon Pro and local SKA event, 2004 was fun but also a performance let down, with the team falling 44 places in the standings. As the designers of the Kingfish College series of angling instruction, 'THE' FishDancer and I thought it was time to look at our angling grades and have developed a king fishing report card for our team. We identified what we believe to be key components for success along the SKA Pro Kingfish Tour and then rated our team against the rest of the teams on tour. The results are listed below:

The critical success components we agreed upon include 13 components of tournament angling including the chemistry of our team, the logistics ability of the team as well as the overall skill level in the most critical angling techniques. I see the team needing improvement in critical areas to continue the progress of our team and to improve the FishDancer performance. It seems clear to us now, that there are skills that need to be honed and this self assessment is the first step to designing a program to improve them. The one thing we do know is that other teams are working hard to improve and we need to do so as well. After all the major component of angling which restricts a team's overall performance is internal. The extrinsic factors of weather, water, bait and fish are equally faced by all competitors and the only 'controllable' factors are those in which the team can improve upon through practice, learning and application of knowledge to the circumstances on the water.

One of the keys for team FishDancer's success in 2005 will be consistency, which comes from achieving many small tasks in a highly efficient and predictable manner. During our previous two SKA PRO seasons and the 10 associated tournaments, we have been in the top 10 after day one 4 times, and have remained in the hunt 8 times, an acceptable record when considering the competition. However team FishDancer has only rarely performed on day two, a result of internal complacency. One of the largest challenges of the SKA PRO tour is to migrate from the divisional thought process of one good point's fish in two days of fishing to a thought about catching a good fish each day of the event. Overall out team would rates our skill level at a B grade but our performance has been, at best a C+. So we have some homework to do to hone the skills we have, improve upon the areas of weakness and better apply everything we have learned over the past eight seasons on the SKA trail. We are excited about the coming season and look forward to reviewing our 2005 grades……

3.17.2005 Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! March is a time of the tournament season when the itch to fish really begins to set in, yet Mother nature reminds us that the warm weather is still further down the road. The first SKA event of the 2005 season was in January in Key West and the competition moved to SW Florida this past weekend where teams competed in the opening of Division 11 of the SKA divisional trail. Most of the fish in these early SW Florida events come from the Dry Tortugas, some 110+ miles one way for the teams, but many times the rewards are worth the efforts. During the recent Marco Island KMT a trio of sixty pound fish were caught and weighed in along the Marco Island Esplanade. The Delph Fishing team won the event with another amazing fish of 67.13 pounds. Team FishDancer would like to welcome Team Yellowfin and Team PennyWise to the 60 pound club as they weighed a 65.32 and a 63.3 pound fish respectively. WOW, quite a leader board. Team Chaos had an impressive 58.19 while Scott Routh Captain of the Devocean Team also posted a career best with a 54.41.

Team FishDancer decided to enjoy the spring weather in Florida in a different way and headed to Orlando to take in a few spring training baseball games and chase a bass or two around the grounds of Disney. The weather was great for the games as the Atlanta Braves began their quest for a record 14th consecutive NL divisional title. However Mother nature wanted to remind us all that winter was not quite over and sent in a strong frontal system the afternoon before our bass outing. Fishing with our two brothers Mark and Brian, Nancy and I enjoyed the simplicity of lake fishing. The trip was professionally run and the fishing surprisingly good considering the weather as the bass were aggressive early rising to the top for top water strikes, very cool. Fishing from the stability of a pontoon boat, in flat calm water, within casting distance of land - we were reminded that the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour is not for the feint of heart. Putting our best bass skills to work the foursome was able to land 13 bass in 3.5 hours - the largest, caught by Brian, would have made great king mackerel bait - weighing in at about 3-4 pounds.

The FishDancer team is getting anxious about starting the 2005 SKA Professional Kingfish Tour and continues to prepare for the season. Fort Pierce is the first event and the team wants to get off to a good start in 2005, stay tuned ..... we are calling all of the fish gods of the greater Fort Pierce area....

3.10.2005 The FishDancer team continues to prepare for the upcoming SKA Professional Kingfish Tour season. 'THE' FishDancer and I can both tell that anglers and competition teams are beginning to catch cabin fever as there is increased "negative chatter" on the internet about kingfishing. Neither Nancy or I can understand why anglers, rather than pulling together, try to tear each other down? This has never been the modus operandi of Team FishDancer and we have worked hard to create a friendly and professional image along the circuit. This hard work has been rewarded along the SKA Class of 23' and Under, Divisional and Professional Tour with many friendships, success in competition and with continuing and growing support of our angling efforts. E-SeaRider is the newest company supporting our efforts. From the outset, our team philosophy has been to set a good example for our sport, respect everyone's opinion and only speak from our actual experience with the purpose of giving something back to our sport. After 8 years of competition in over 100 SKA events at every level of the sport, we feel we have accomplished that objective and in the process created our own FishDancer brand.

Just like consumer product companies we will continue to work to gain further brand recognition and will defend our brand. So when you read a FishDancer signed post on this or any other website, you can be sure that the basis of the post comes directly from actual tournament experience. There is no substitute for this experience and there are many wannabes on the internet who post opinion as fact to fulfill some unknown personal agenda. The latest internet bashing of the SKA is not only unfair and personal but totally untrue in FishDancer's experience. In the process these misguided souls and hidden agendas weaken our sport, divide the anglers and puff up the egos of the self described experts. We are the first to admit that there are many others who know more about angling than our team and we encourage dedicated teams to seek out these experts and learn from them. Lastly our team, your team and all kingfishing teams have a stake in the SKA. We need for the SKA to grow and to continue its fifteen years of success so that we can enjoy the events they put on and sanction. Without the association the competitive angler would have no outlet and no voice. Next up for the FishDancer team is the Ft. Lauderdale KMT in April.....stay tuned

3.05.2005 Several seasons have passed since 'THE' FishDancer and I have had to 'qualify' for the National Championships of King Fishing, having earned our way through our performance along the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour. The competition and focus required to qualify from any division to fish the SKA National Championship creates excellent motivation and provides immediate feedback for any team; pushing them to finish in the top twenty of their chosen division(s). Team FishDancer will again fish the Professional Kingfish Tour, but has also rededicated itself to finish in qualifying position in Division Ten of the SKA divisional trail. This is the South Florida Division with tournaments in Key West, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Pierce, Stuart and Canaveral. Our decision was made considering we have already fished Key West and will fish Fort Lauderdale as a prefishing event for Fort Pierce, which is again a stop along the SKA Professional Trail. An analysis of past SKA Division Ten finishes since the 2000 season indicates that somewhere between 64 and 76 pounds will be required to be in qualifying position (the 5 year average qualifying weight for this division is 72.176 pounds, based upon 20 qualifying positions). The team currently has 28.8 points and needs 2 good fish in the remaining 4 events to get into qualifying position. This quest will help guide and motivate our team in 2005. Both Nancy and I believe that the process of divisional qualifying helps teams learn how to better compete at this great sport and provides them a clear framework of measurable success. After eight seasons of actively competing and fishing these events, (over 100 total SKA events) we have learned the competition is internal and fishing solely for prize money or fame and fortune is a not a proposition we wish to subscribe to. Although 'THE' FishDancer enjoys accepting the checks and getting her picture in Angler magazine, its competing at the highest level and fishing our best that motivates our team. The FishDancer team success is measured by exceeding our own high performance expectations not through some arbitrary system of measure. Along with the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour and SKA Divisional competition, the FishDancer team will be competing again in the Northeast Florida Offshore Blitz, a local 'gentleman's' tournament with 6 species divisions and the first event our team won our first Kingfish Championship in 2002. The NEFOB runs from March to June so look for us to report upon each of these angling competitions. We are calling the fish gods of the greater Port Everglades area...

2.23.2005 The weather in Miami has been wonderful - sunny, warm with a few breezes thrown in. Team FishDancer landed in Miami for the boat show and is headquartered on the beach at the Courtyard hotel. The show has been interesting so far and we have had a chance to see some old friends at the Donzi, Mercury and Raymarine booths. Thus far the show has been fun and we had a blast hanging at the Donzi booth on Thursday Afternoon. Friday 'THE' FishDancer and I were grateful for the chance to sailfish with Howard and Donna Poe aboard the Killing Me, a 36' Contender with triple Verado 275s. We had a blast and a full report with pictures will be forthcoming. It is Saturday morning and we will spend the entire day at the show, so check back later for an update...we already have pictures of the Donzi 38, Yellowfin 36, Triton 35 and some others including a Navy Seal hardbottom skiff with hydraulic seats.....

2.17.2005 Recently the FishDancer team had the opportunity to attend the monthly meeting of the Atlanta Saltwater Sportsmen's Club (ASWSC), and it reminded us of the universal values held high among and between agnlers. In our divided society there is so much focus upon our differences between us that this sentiment pervades all parts of our world, including angling. Differences between and among anglers (big boat vs. small boat, quad vs. single engine, FLW vs. USAA vs. SKA, etc.) and across the marine community (commercial vs. recreational, trollers vs. bottom anglers, meat anglers vs. catch-and-release, etc.) accentuate the negative and ignore the facts that anglers have more in common than they do differences.

At the ASWSC meeting it was clear that the club was formed and operated to bring together those who like to fish, in a social and competitive way, while at the same time trying to teach anglers what the collective membership has learned. It struck both 'THE' FishDancer and I that this is exactly what being part of the SKA is all about for us. Team FishDancer began in 1999 in a single engine 23' boat and has earned many lessons along the way -- most of which were taught to us by fellow SKA anglers. The sense of 'community' within the SKA, especially the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour, combined with the opportunity to compete against the best in the world of kingfishing is why we participate along this trail. Money, fame and fortune, sponsorship and other incentives are secondary and we believe those fishing for prize money will always be disappointed. The first check we ever earned - with a 2nd place in the Sapelo Open did not cover our expenses for the month, let alone the season. Winning the Port Fourchon SKA Pro event and Kajun Sportsman local event in 2003 was a wonderful and humbling experience for our team. The money has long ago been reinvested in our boat and angling activities but the pictures, mount on the wall of our home office and memories of our victory will last forever.

As we prepare for the 2005 SKA Professional Kingfish Tour season 'THE' FishDancer and I have already set our goals and objectives and have set a course for how we might attain those objectives. There are no guarantees along the way and the tour becomes both an endogenous and exogenous challenge to each of the team's members. Part of the challenge for our team is personally committing to what will be required of each of us to be successful and establishing the lines of safety which can never be crossed. Nancy and I are seeking a 7 fish, top 20 overall finish for the team and a top finish for Nancy in the new Lady Angler Division within the SKA Professional Tour. Team FishDancer will begin the season ranked 68th and as such these are aggressive goals. When you consider the strength of the overall field, the talent level of the other 99 teams and lady anglers aboard many of the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour, in 2005 Team FishDancer will be seeking our best finish ever. Stay tuned...there are many twists and turns to come and both Nancy and I are excited about the coming season. We are scheduled to do some sponsor work at the Miami boat show and look forward to seeing many members of the SKA community at the show.......

2.15.2005 A new year and a finally we have had a chance to design a new look for the FishDancer website. Following several years of success with the past format, we found ourselves with over 190 pages of text, 2,000 pictures, over 40,00 hits and a server which was rapidly overflowing......so after realizing the problem, we set about creating a fix and after a bit of tinkering and much hard work the new site framework is ready. The content will remain the same with the site navigation buttons and sponsor logos to the left, click on them and you will be taken to the appropriate FishDancer webpage or sponsor's website. Look for the PRO tip of the week on the left in the navigation area. The hit counter has been reset so that we can track the site's traffic better. The FishDancer website will publish pages for 2005 SKA events, pictures, links, The Kingfish College Series (which will be refreshed, updated and republished) a weather information page and archives for reports only from the past (all old pictures will be in the pictures pages). To start off I have published below a few of the pictures from the Hog's Breath KMT that couldn't be published due to the web problem. Enjoy the site, send us your thoughts (we have our emails listed below) and continue to check back often -- next up for the team is the Miami Boat Show....

They haunt this dusty beach road in the skeleton frames of burned out Chevrolets;

The FishDancer team LOVES the sport of competitive king mackerel fishing and in an desire for full disclosure -- declares to their readers a sense of loyalty to the SKA for helping to create the current competitive playing field. With this said, the team and this writer have no axe to grind with the FLW -- the sole purpose of this story is to provide 'accurate' information and analysis to the loyal readers of this site.

America LOVES a winner. It is a thread that has been woven throughout the fabric of our society -- music, business, sports, politics; and kingfishing competitions are no exception. Americans LOVE to talk about everything, gossip if you please, about who did what to whom and why! The evidence of this love of gossip can be seen on TV, heard on radio or, in the most extreme case(s), followed on various chat areas of the internet. There are few occasions when the love of winners and gossip coincide with one another, but when they do it can be a bumpy ride for all involved. We most recently experienced this confluence of events in the 2004 national elections. With the 'big money' sponsorship of a few individuals who would spend anything to see the demise of those in office, the election progressed as perhaps the most derisive and divisive in American history, virtually tearing the two candidate's reputations asunder, regardless of the truth. Despite the facts that the incumbent won the election by more than 4 million votes, the early exit polls (in essence gossip about who voted for whom and why) indicated that the challenger would win by a landslide -- American's love of gossip made a strong effort to influence the outcome, in essence attempting to create the winner. Scary stuff in a democracy.

This past winter there was a similar nexus regarding the current and future state of competitive King Mackerel fishing. The SKA has been the pre-eminent organization in the world of competitive King Mackerel tournaments for quite some time. After fifteen successful seasons and literally hundreds of sanctioned events, the SKA has taken the passion of anglers and has nurtured the sport to its current status. Good or bad -- the current state of king mackerel tournaments has been influenced more by the SKA and its thousands of members than by any other organization. The SKA has seen, like most organizations, its own challenges -- yet it has enjoyed the benefits of dominance for many of its fifteen seasons. A few upstarts have tried and failed and as of yet no other organization has produced credible competition for the SKA. The SKA has been successful -- a winner, if you will. The gossip started in August of 2004, with the whisper of a new Kingfish trail being sponsored by big money sponsors with the promise of making "...king fishing for a living..." a reality for those who so love this sport. The FLW was heralding a $40,000 first prize with an additional $60,000 in bonus money from 2 major marine companies for using their products - the chance to win $100,000 per event. The gossip continued with claims that "...the (FLW) kingfish tour – set to kick off in April 2005 – will be the most lucrative kingfish tour in the world." The FLW's stated goal was "...to do for competitive saltwater fishing what we have done for professional bass and walleye fishing – that is, to meet and increase demand and bring more attention to high-profile, competitive tournament fishing...".

With all of this this in mind, the FishDancer team has performed a conservative analysis of opportunity to earn money along each trail. The payouts are listed below along with the assumptions for the SKA divisional payouts and calcuttas. (SKA bonus money for Angler of the year and top 3 places in the SKA Pro Tour have been omitted along with Jacksonville VIP tournament $50,000 first prize. SKA divisional prizes are low estimates based upon past experience. NO 'championship' money for either the SKA National Championship or FLW manufacturer's championship are included).

Any team winning the SKA Professional Tour event will earn the same amount of money as every other competitor regardless of what hull and motors they run. The SKA Professional Kingfish Tour is a qualification tour, that is all competitors have had to perform successfully at the SKA divisional level prior to earning the right to compete in the SKA Pro tour. This creates a strong sense of community along the trail. The FLW tour will not require any angling performance qualification to compete; the teams will be registered (qualified) only by the type of hull and motors they run.

The payouts are clearly more favorable along the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour; with the notable exception of the combined FLW first prize, marine company bonus money -- a powerful incentive to those few teams fishing a Genmar/Yamaha combination. Couple the SKA Professional Tour event payouts with the SKA divisional event and associated calcuttas and a team can expect to earn about $72k, second place finishers can expect $31.5k and third place finishers $21k -- great payouts for all. This compares to the FLW's top 3 place payouts of $40, $17 and $10k. A team running only one of the FLW main marine sponsor's equipment, earning the associated bonus dollars, would not surpass the SKA Pro tour winnings until 14th place. The FLW pays 5 more places than the SKA Pro Tour and the bonus dollars are paid to 40th place, but return only 50% of the $1.5k entry fees. Finally the FLW manufacturers championship payout is based upon a 100 boat entry in each of the four local events -- if the field is smaller than predicted so will be the FLW payout. So what is an angler to do? The more teams understand what the playing field looks like, what the rules of the road are and how these circumstances affect the team, the more likely it is that a team can make an informed decision. Just like the election, its easy to point out what is wrong but if you don't have a better plan and strong leadership credentials the American people will not elect you. Do not heed the exit polls, listen carefully, learn the differences between the choices and make the decision that makes the most sense for your team. The FishDancer team is hopeful that the FLW fulfills its promise of expanding our sport -- its a big task and something that those in charge of the FLW have not yet established a track record on. Only time will tell for sure. Email us with your thoughts on this -- the team would love to hear other points of view. Next up -- Fort Pierce....calling all fish gods of the greater Fort Pierce area......

1.28.2005 The FishDancer team kicked off the 2005 tournament season in Key West, Florida this past week by competing in the Hog's Breath King Mackerel Tournament. This event, an SKA division 10 event, is especially enticing as fishing in warm weather in January has a strong pull for many teams and the locals are happy to be the host location. Throw in BIG fish, some local history, excellent entertainment and good food and Key West stacks up as one of the premier stops along the SKA tour. The FishDancer crew met up with some old friends and found some new ones as the event progressed, landing in Key West a week before the tournament's Captain's meeting the weather was not good. Rain and wind ruled the days until Tuesday when the rain left but the wind remained. So the team rambled around Key West visiting Duval street, the Historic Key West lighthouse and the Hemmingway house...

Team FishDancer was docked at Oceanside Marina with an Atlantic Ocean view from their slip and want to thank the fine folks at Oceanside, especially Bill and Chris who assisted the team throughout their stay. The weather finally broke and the FishDancer team got a chance to get our and look for bait and prefish a bit. Following the 4 days of strong North winds and biog seas bait was hard to find but the team worked the KW area hard and was able to pen up several dozen good sized blue runners.

Prefishing the FishDancer team was able to scare up some kings but nothing of the size needed to place well in the actual competition. Fishing the WDR and Cosgrove they were able to rule out several areas and focus upon the areas most likely to yield a large king - it would take something over 45 pounds to win the Hog's Breath. The weather for the first day of the event could not have been better -- warm, sunny with light and variable winds so the team decided to head west some 50 miles to fish the Bullwinkle (aka the Moosehead). There were many boats in this area and the team was in the right place as a large fish was caught near where they stopped. Fighting several fish and releasing them, the team brought a 29 pound fish to the scales -- in keeping with the event's catch phrase, a 29 pound fish is better than no fish at all. Day two of the event was greeted with an approaching front, small craft advisories and high winds -- the bite was much slower and the team could not better its 29 pound fish from day one. The 2005 Hog's Breath King Mackerel Tournament fielded a record of more than 160 entries and the Kelli Anne landed a 60.1 pound fish and took home the 21' Contender, Mercury 200 motor and Continental trailer. Two other local boats rounded out the top three with Delph Fishing scaling a 59.13 and the R-Rated icing down a 58.11 - Reel Won was fourth with a great catch of 54.77 and Loose Lucy fifth with a 50.25. The event paid back 15 places with 15th place going to the No Doubt with a 42.15. The FishDancer team, was in the right place as they fished a spot some 47 miles West of the checkout where the third place fish came from but finished in the middle of the pack with a 28.8 pound fish.

So the 2005 season is off to a good start for the FishDancer team -- next up is the kickoff for the SKA professional Kingfish Tournament season in April in Fort Pierce, Florida.

" January 18th, 2005 Welcome to our island....Key West, the southernmost city in the continental United States, is a tropical blend of beautiful waters, exotic foliage, wonderful restaurants and lodging facilities and history-enriched attractions and activities. Visitors immediately enjoy the Caribbean feel of this island nation called the Conch Republic....". The Key West Chamber of Commerce has set the tone for a wonderful winter break for team FishDancer -- unfortunately, so far, Mother Nature has chosen NOT to cooperate with the Chamber. Since arriving in Key West, the winds have been blowing over 20 knots, the sun is nowhere to be seen and through the clouds comes a sideways rain shower every 20 minutes or so. YIKES, the 2005 tournament season is starting just as 2004 ended; weather, weather and more weather. Key West is an eclectic blend of laid back island charm and busy city, of the remote and commercial, and of tourist traps interspersed with wonderful specialty shops and restaurants. Much like beachcombing, it is up the the individual traveler and angler to find the gems amongst the Key West's vast offering of activities. Team FishDancer was hoping for a week of fishing the reefline but with small craft advisories posted through out the Keys and the seas predicted to be up to 9' through Wednesday, the team has had little to do from an angling perspective. The FishDancer is safely moored at Oceanside marina, ready to run, now all the team requires is a break from the winds.....stay tuned for more reports from the Conch Republic, the team is calling ALL weather, wind and fish gods .....

1.13.2005 The 2005 season is about to begin and team FishDancer will be heading some 560 miles south to compete in the 2005 SKA Division 10 season opener, the Hog's Breath King Mackerel Tournament. As it has been several seasons since the team has fished this event, Captain Jeff has been doing his homework, reviewing charts and old fishing notes to re-educate himself about fishing this area. The team has some spare time to enjoy due to a change in job circumstances for Captain Jeff and will head down to KW early to enjoy the weather, city and prefish and bait up for the tournament.

There is a sailing regatta in town the week before the KMT and many of the slips and hotels are full and it took a while but the team will be docked at Murray Marine and housed at a Marriott Property in Key West. Early fishing reports have been good with a strong run of kings underway and the weather relatively stable for winter. Over the past several seasons it has taken a king in excess of 50 pounds to win this event and the team is focused upon starting the season with a good showing for this event. Calling all of the kingfish gods of the greater Key West, Dry Tortugas and Rocky's partner's area.......

1.07.2005 The 2005 tournament kingfish angling season has promised to be a year of change along the tournament trail. The Southern Kingfish Association's Professional Kingfish Tour has, for many seasons, been considered by tournament anglers as the top of competition along the kingfish trail. Why? Because the trail is comprised of anglers who have earned the right to compete alongside the best of the best by demonstrating their mettle during SKA divisional competition. In addition teams who have been competing along the SKA Professional Kingfish Tour for more than one season have also demonstrated a true commitment and passion for the sport, the competition and the community camaraderie of the SKA Pro Tour. As many teams will attest and share from their own experiences, success along this tour is not easy. Traveling to distant and sometimes unknown waters, costs, competing effectively, managing land, water and lodging logistics, uncontrollable weather coupled with the need to maintain all boat, truck and angling equipment in pristine condition, pose a serious challenge to any completion team, yet there is a core of about 100 teams who draw a great sense of satisfaction, packing up and joining what Captain Jeff endearingly calls the '..traveling circus..' of the pro tour. Some times you play the ringmaster and other times you play the clown, Team FishDancer has enjoyed and endured the agony and ecstasy of each of these roles. The new year is ringing in changes for the kingfish tournament circuit

It seems that the USAA trail, centered mostly in the Carolinas may not be in operation in 2005, with reportedly both administrative and participation issues. This trail was designed to compete directly with the SKA with a unique scoring system and a championship tournament. It seems that the SKA has withstood the competition and if the published reports are true, the USAA may not be functioning in 2005. The SKA 2005 Mercury Divisional Tournament Trail schedule has been set and the upcoming season seems to be set to be another great one with 47 divisional events gaining the coveted SKA sanction. The divisional competitions are designed to help qualify teams and anglers for both the SKA National Championships as well as the prestigious SKA/Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour.

The 2005 SKA Professional Kingfish Tour is sponsored by Yamaha motors and is a trail of five events held usually in conjunction with the appropriate SKA divisional event. Champions of SKA pro events earn $30,000 plus the appropriate payout from their divisional placing. There is no 'direct sponsorship' prize money in the SKA pro tour, although many teams have long established relationships with motor, boat and other sponsors which bring the teams the opportunity to minimize their costs. The SKA Pro Tour will face new competition for angling team's attention, money and loyalty. The FLW (named after Forrest L. Woods) has been a trail of freshwater tournaments held throughout the nation focusing on Bass and Walleye. The FLW has become a giant among the freshwater circuit with sponsors such as Wal*Mart and Genmar (makers of Ranger boats) Recently the FLW has announced entry in the saltwater tournament trails with a redfish and kingfish circuit for 2005. The FLW Kingfish Tour has been widely hyped as an alternative to the SKA Professional Division and has obtained the support of Yamaha and Genmar (also makers of Hydra Sport and Wellcraft, among others) to offer those winning an FLW kingfish event an extra $30,000 each in what has been called 'contingency' money for using their respective products. With a first place of $40,000 and a possibility of another $60,000 in total contingency sponsor dollars for each event, a win (with the appropriate motor and hull combination) might net a lucky angling team a cool $100,000. In the end a team will need to determine where it will compete and the FLW is betting that many team will come over from the SKA. The rules and regulations for the FLW have yet to be published and the schedule is modeled after the SKA pro tour. Team FishDancer is focused upon the upcoming SKA pro tour season and will fish a few non pro events for fun. Next up is the Hog's Breath KMT in sunny Key West Florida......calling all of the fish gods of the greater Key West area....

The SKA Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour is the pinnacle of SKA competition, hosting the elite teams in king mackerel competition. Teams must qualify for the opportunity to compete along the pro tour with their performance in SKA divisional competition. The tour consists of five events held in prime locations from North Carolina to Louisiana. It is the toughest test of team skills of any fishing competition in the world. Not only do these highly skilled contestants have to fish in unfamiliar waters but in all types of sea conditions. They are allowed to weigh one fish per team per day, total of ten if they weighed a fish each day in the five events. The SKA tabulates the teams best seven fish and the winner, the team with the best aggregate, is crowned "Top Angler of the Year", sport fishing's most coveted title. The tour is named after it's title sponsor, Yamaha Outboards. The SKA pro tour 2004 season is also sponsored by Contender Boats, Loadmaster Trailers, and Raymarine Electronics.