Adam Quandt likes a challenge and he got one in the form of
a fiercely fighting Kingfish during the Annual Bastille Day Kingfish
Tournament, hosted by the Northside Sportfishing Club on July 10, at Hull Bay
Hideaway.
“We left Brewer’s
Bay just after 5 am this morning, so that we could be fishing off the north
side of the island for lines in at 5.30 am,” explained Quandt, who fished
aboard the 38-foot Bright Star, with
Captain Robert Vante, and fellow anglers Richard Czarnota, Jay Cassady, Jon
Cassady, John Feola, and Larry Olive.
It was between
9.30 am and 10 am when the king-sized Kingfish took Quandt’s bait. “The line
just peeled off. It was screaming. The fish just took off,” he explained.
The 5-minute
arduous fight ended with a series of happy hi-fives among the anglers. “We knew
it was a contender,” Quandt said.
Quandt’s
27.41-pound kingfish elicited envious looks from fellow anglers as it was
weighed in the shadow of a huge Coors Light banner, set up by sponsor Bellows
International, Ltd.
“I’ve fished this
tournament for five years and never won before,” said Quandt, who is a science
teacher at Antilles School.
For his efforts,
Quandt won a $2,000 cash prize sponsored by N.E.M. (West Indies) Insurance
Limited, managed in the USVI by Red Hook Agencies, Inc.
The Second
Largest Kingfish prize went to angler Cliff Bryan, with a 24.91-pound catch
aboard Double Header. Bryan received
$750 cash sponsored by FedEx.
Svta Lohr, with a
catch of a 21.02-pound Kingfish, pocketed $500 cash sponsored by Coors Light.
Lohr fished aboard the boat Life Line.
With 26 fish
caught total, St. Thomas Capt. Ryan Mertens aboard Karen Lee, won the Best Boat award. He pocketed $1,000 cash from
Offshore Marine.
The catch of 22
Kingfish also earned Mertens the Best Captain award and another $1,000 cash
award from Offshore Marine, while a catch of 14 fish weighing collectively
78.79 pounds landed Mertens the Best Junior Male Angler award and another $250
cash prize.
Ursula Bryan,
aboard Urshe, earned Best Female
Angler and $500 cash with a catch of six fish totaling 67.12 pounds, while Best
Male Angler went to Raymond Petersen on Turning
Green with nine fish collectively weighing 84.98 pounds. Petersen also won
$500.
The Best Junior
Female award and $250 cash went to Shannelle Brin with five fish weighing 32.70
pounds caught from Suga Lips.
Although the
tournament is focused around Kingfish, other species earn anglers prizes, too.
David Greaux caught the Largest Jack, a 17.45-pounder, from aboard
Yum-Z. George Ravella reeled in the
Largest Barracuda, a 21.63-pounder from aboard Tunnel Vision. The Largest Bonito was caught aboard
Double Header by junior angler Ryan
Berry, and was a 5.77-pounder. Parker Hall, fishing from Mainiac, caught the Largest Tuna, a 20.92-pounder. Murry Earle
reeled in the Largest Mackerel, a 9.86-pounder, from Tunnel Vision. Finally, junior angler, Nicolas Capozzoli, caught
the Largest Dolphin, a 2.92-pounder from aboard Slicksted.
Judges Herman
Richardson and Kevin LaPlace, Sr., officially weighed in the catches.
After weigh-in,
the fun continued onshore at Hull Bay Hideaway with special games – like a can
pitching and can-stacking contest.
More food and fun
were all part of special Fun Day afternoon activities at Hull Bay Hideaway
sponsored by the North Side Civic Organization.
The Cool Sessions
band entertained throughout the afternoon. Later,
the crowds gathered inside Hull Bay Hideaway for the awards ceremonies at 8
p.m., where Sea Breeze entertained.
All prizewinners
except junior anglers were eligible for a grand prize drawing of a Caribbean
cruise for two, compliments of Royal Caribbean International.
All 40 registered
junior anglers were eligible for a special “Catch In The Hat” award. In this
award, sponsored by Hull Bay Hideaway, the first eight names drawn from a hat
received $50 cash and the ninth name called won $100 dollars.
Each year, the
Northside Sportfishing Club makes donations to community organizations and
individuals. This year’s beneficiaries – The Joseph Sibilly School, St. Thomas
Rescue, the American Red Cross, and the Family Resource Center.
2005 RESULTS
75 Boats
312 Anglers (includes
40 Jr. Anglers)
226 Fish, Total Weight
1819 lbs
78 Kingfish, Total
Weight 703.27 lbs
PLACEMENT ANGLER LBS BOAT
Largest Kingfish Adam Quandt 27.41 Bright
Star
2nd Largest Kingfish Cliff
Bryan 24.91 Double
Header
3rd Largest Kingfish Svta
Lohr 21.02 Life
Line
Best Boat Karen
Lee 26
fish Karen
Lee
Best Captain Ryan
Mertens 22 kingfish Karen
Lee
(126.68
lbs.)
Best Female Ursula
Bryan 67.12 Urshe
Best Male Raymond
Petersen 84.98 Turning
Green
Best Junior Male Ryan Mertens 78.79 Karen
Lee
Best Junior Female Shannelle Brin 32.70 Suga
Lips
Largest Jack David
Greaux 17.45 Yum-Z
Largest Barracuda George Ravella 21.63 Double Vision<span
Largest Bonito Ryan
Berry 5.77 Double
Header
Largest Tuna Parker
Hall 20.92 Mainiac
Largest Mackerel Murry Earle 9.86 Tunnel
Vision
Largest Dolphin Nicolas Capozzoli 2.92 Slicksted
CONGRATULATIONS!
From Coors Light, Snapple, Paradise Rum – distributed by
Bellows International, Ltd. Yanmar, Yamaha, Caribe, distributed by Offshore
Marine. FedEx, N.E.M. (West Indies) Insurance Limited, managed in the USVI by
Red Hook Agencies
