The Fifth Annual Bigfoot Snook Tournament is coming soon to a beach near you. The tournament was the brainchild of Compound Board Shop owner Jacob Shields.
“My idea was to help level the tournament playing field so younger kids and less experienced fly fishers had a good chance of competing against more experienced fly fishers,” Shields said. “The format also allows kids with a bike to be able to get to a spot as easily as someone with an expensive skiff. All our events are free, so there’s no reason not to participate. Many fly-fishing tournaments are about pride and ego, and I guess this one boasts that the main objective is to get the community together. After a fun night at the captains’ meeting, anglers are off to walk the beaches and bays on Saturday. I love the relationships that have been formed through our shop and I feel this event is just another way to become friends with other people that share the same passion.”
Bigfoot Snook Tournament coming in July
The tournament organizers assemble great prizes from their sponsors and will be giving away over $1,000 in cash as well as prizes. There are no boundaries with the tournament, so people from all over can participate in the event. The only requirement for anglers is that they must attend the captains’ meeting as well as the weigh-in event where they will show pictures of their catch.
The mandatory captains’ meeting will be held on Friday, July 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the Compound Board Shop in Sarasota. It’s essential that competing anglers are present to secure their spot in the competition. The challenge is exclusively for those who prefer to go fishing on foot. Vessels can be used to reach a favorite spot, but the catch must be made on foot, no fishing is allowed from a floating craft. The best part may be the fact that there is no entry fee. It won’t cost anglers a dime to participate!
Shields commented, “We believe in spreading the joy of fishing to all passionate souls. Anglers should mark their calendars for Saturday, July 8 when the tournament officially runs from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It’s a chance to showcase your skills, embrace the camaraderie of fellow anglers, and compete for over $1,000 in cash and prizes for the first-place winner.” To sign up, visit the Compound Board Shop website.
The Redfly, a premier Tampa Bay area tournament targeting redfish on fly tackle, is just around the corner and this is a good time to get ready for the 17th running of this popular event.
The tournament is the brainchild of Capt. Jon Bull, of St. Petersburg and provides a good opportunity for fishing enthusiasts to test their skills against some of the Tampa Bay area’s best anglers and have a shot at a bevy of great prizes.
What originally started as a small tournament based out of Cockroach Bay in 2008 has turned into the largest, longest-running fly-fishing tournament for redfish in the country. The 16th Annual Redfly was a huge success. The tournament topped past events with a record 84 anglers. Fishing was tough, and while that tournament proved hard for anglers, the event raised $2,260 for Tampa Bay Waterkeeper.
This year’s event takes place on Saturday, Jan. 14. The tournament starts with a mandatory check-in and captain’s meeting at 5:30 a.m. at the Salty Shamrock Irish Pub, 6816 U.S. Hwy. 41 in Apollo Beach. Each team or solo angler is required to bring their measuring device to the meeting to be approved by tournament officials.
The catch-photo-release tournament is open to two-person teams and solo anglers. Each angler or team must provide at least one digital camera with a clear memory card to participate. Pictures taken with a cellphone also are allowed. Anglers can use fly fishing gear, but no bait scents, live, dead, cut or frozen bait, chumming or tipping is allowed. Participants also cannot fish in another boat’s chum line or in the area where another boat is chumming.
Anglers can wade or fish from a boat, canoe, kayak, paddleboard, pier, dock, bridge or shoreline as long as they remain in the tournament boundaries and no more than 50 yards from their partner or vessel. Boundaries for the tournament stretch from Fred Howard Park in the north to Gasparilla Pass in the south. Participating anglers can launch from any public ramp and must fish between the boundaries. All anglers must have a valid Florida saltwater fishing license and adhere to all state fishing regulations. Anyone fishing from a boat must have all required U.S. Coast Guard safety gear on board during the tournament.
Anglers are asked to show courtesy to other tournament and recreational anglers while fishing. All participants will be operating on the honor system during the tournament regarding use of fly-fishing gear and adhering to tournament rules. If you cheat in a fishing tournament, you are just pathetic and sad.
Fishing begins at 7 a.m. with weigh-in taking place from 3-4 p.m. back at the Salty Shamrock. Any angler who is late to the weigh-in will be disqualified. Pictures of the day’s catch, including an approved measuring device, whole fish and tournament marker, will be presented to the judges during the weigh-in.
The angler with the largest two redfish total to the nearest quarter inch will win a 100% payback with the first runner-up earning a 60% payback, second runner-up earns a 30% payback and 10% goes to the third runner-up. The cost to participate is $50 per two-person team or $25 for solo anglers. Registration fees will be collected at the captain’s meeting and must be made in cash.
After the weigh-in there will be a prize raffle at the Salty Shamrock. Tickets for the raffle are $5 each or five for $20 and can be purchased onsite with cash or by using Zelle, CashApp at $shadowcastflyfishing, or Venmo at @shadowcastflyfishing.
All the proceeds from the event benefit Tampa Bay Waterkeeper. For more information, contact Capt. Jon Bull at 863-860-7250 or jbull1229@gmail.com.
HOLMES BEACH – Twenty-six-year-old Holmes Beach resident Matt Bauer has been diagnosed with leukemia for a second time and the upcoming Fishing for a Cure fishing tournament is raising funds to assist him.
Bauer discussed the tournament and his health on Friday, Nov. 15 speaking by phone from the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, with his mom, Julie Pecor, at his side. Pecor lives in Ellenton and is a nurse at the Bayfront Health hospital in St. Petersburg.
The tournament will begin with a captains’ meeting at Galati Yacht Sales, 900 South Bay Boulevard in Anna Maria on Friday, Nov. 22 at 6 p.m. The entry fee is $50 per angler.
“It’s a catch, photograph and release tournament. Lines can be dropped in the water as soon as the meeting is over. Check-in is Saturday, Nov. 23, and you must be in line with your photos by 3:30 p.m. Photo collection is from 3:30 to 4:30 and the awards ceremony is at 5,” Bauer said.
Participating anglers will earn points according to the length of the longest three snooks, redfish or trout they catch.
The Fishing For a Cure tournament will take place Nov. 22 and 23. – Matt Bauer | Submitted
“I’m an avid fisherman. I just got my commercial fishing license. I was working on getting my restricted species license and my captain’s license, but I had to put that on hold to take care of this,” Bauer said.
In 2002, when he was nine, Bauer moved from Vermont to Anna Maria Island. After his first bout with leukemia at 16, he moved back to Vermont where he finished high school and attended college before returning to the Island.
Bauer manages a mobile boat detailing business on the Island. His co-worker, Michael Sabato, helped organize the fishing tournament and secure the prizes donated by local businesses. Anna Maria Galati and Mary Lanzino also helped. For more information on the tournament, contact Sabato at 941-465-7622.
“I had 150 T-shirts made for the tournament. I also have 500 orange bracelets we’re selling for $5 to help raise funds for my bills and living expenses,” said Bauer, who does have health insurance.
Shelby Counihan designed these fundraising stickers. – Shelby Counihan Designs | Submitted
The fundraising efforts include the ribbon-shaped Team Bauer stickers available for $5 at West Ave Salon, 5008 Manatee Ave. W., in Bradenton. Stickers can be mailed for an extra dollar. Shelby, at Shelby Counihan Designs, designed the stickers and is handling the sticker sales.
Bauer and his girlfriend, Rachel Sturdevant, started an online GoFundMe page: “Matty B’s Second Battle with Leukemia.”
“Rachel has been very supportive. She’s stayed with me pretty much every night here at the hospital. It’s a lot to comprehend for someone who hasn’t been through this before,” Bauer said.
Bauer said he misses his dogs, Mackeral and Mahi.
“My roommate, Justin McKenzie, is helping take care of them. Rachael takes them to the dog park and my friends and their parents are helping pay for dog food and vet bills,” Bauer said. “I’ve also got a cat named Mullet. All my animals are named after fish.”
Leukemia returns
“I got a bone marrow transplant on Oct. 29, 2009, from by sister, Whitney Van Slyke, who’s a perfect match. On Oct. 25, I was diagnosed again. I felt sick. I had swollen lymph nodes and discolored gums. I felt weak, fatigued and had the chills,” Bauer said.
After inconclusive visits to local health clinics, Bauer and Pecor went to Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton.
“I asked the doctor to draw blood and I explained that Matt was 10 years removed from having leukemia. When they did, it showed the blast had returned,” Pecor said.
Matt Bauer and his mom, Julie Pecor, are facing his health challenge together. – Matt Bauer | Submitted
“I was readmitted to Moffitt on Oct. 29 – 10 years to the day from my first bone marrow transplant. My first diagnosis was on July 9, 2009. In July, it had been 10 years, so I thought I was clear. Me and my friends went to D Coy Ducks and celebrated. A few months later we found out it relapsed,” Bauer said.
“It’s been tough. It’s hard to comprehend. It’s hard to go through it a second time because it wasn’t supposed to happen again. I was shocked, flabbergasted and overwhelmed,” Bauer said.
“He finished seven days of chemo and the chemo is doing its job. Currently, he has zero leukemia cells. They’ll do the repeat bone marrow biopsy on the 25th and we’ll get a preliminary result on the 27th,” Pecor said.
“We found out Matt’s FLT-3 positive – he’s got the cell that mutates his cells and caused the leukemia again. He’s got two weeks of medicines that specifically target the FLT-3 mutation so it never comes back,” Pecor said.
“My prognosis is good,” Bauer said.
He hopes to be out of the hospital in early December but will need to return for a bone marrow transplant.
“The bone marrow transplant doctor just put Matt into the registry and Matt has 113 perfect matches,” Pecor said.
Justin Gratton, Justin McKenzie, Stephan Fortin, Michael Sabato, Matt Bauer, Chandler Noyes and Joe Precourt recently spent time together at Moffitt Cancer Center. – Matt Bauer | Submitted
Life-altering experiences
Bauer’s first bout with leukemia changed his outlook on life.
“The first one definitely changed me as a person. Before that, I was young and reckless. I went through intense treatment and had a lot of time to reflect. It opened my eyes to how fragile life is – even the little things, like walking on the beach, surfing and hanging out with friends,” Bauer said.
His second bout is impacting his signature hairstyle.
“I have dreadlocks and my hair started falling out yesterday because of the chemo. I wanted dreads when I was a kid but I lost my hair when I had chemo at 16. When it grew back, I said this is my chance and I’ve had my dreads for about seven years. It’s hard for me to accept that I’m losing my hair to a disease I originally beat. I know it’s just hair, but I put so much dedication into growing it.”
The Waterline Marina Resort and Beach Club in Holmes Beach hosted its first Kings for Kids Fishing Tournament April 21 in Holmes Beach. The event was held in conjunction with the Marriott Business Council. Winners include team Chasin’ Tail members Chad Grimmer, Kenny Grimmer, Adam Ray and Gregg Rodier for largest Spanish mackerel catch. The largest king mackerel was caught by Chad Grimmer. Aaron Berger and Russel Jones won for the highest total combined weight of king and Spanish mackerel caught. Sponsors for the event were the Waterline Marina Resort, Marriott, Coppertail Brewing, AMI Outfitters and Boars Head.
A fishing boat comes back into the marina at Waterline. – David Rano | Submitted
