Al Keller, Author at Hell's Bay Boatworks

Guide- Marlin Marshall

June 28, 2022June 28, 2022

Grand Champions: Captain Andy Thompson and L. Mark Weeks

June 13, 2022June 13, 2022

Press Release:

Angler L. Mark Weeks and Guide Andy Thompson win 48th Annual Don Hawley Invitational Fly

Fishing Tarpon Tournament

48th Annual Don Hawley Invitational Fly Fishing Tarpon Tournament

June 6-10, 2022

Islamorada, Florida Keys

The 48th Annual Don Hawley Invitational Fly Fishing Tarpon Tournament, one of the “Big

Three” tarpon fly tournaments, had relatively consistent daily fishing compared to some previous

years and pulled in a total of 119 releases for the week. Aside from two afternoons of dodging

storms, the Tournament lucked out and had a great week after some major tropical winds

threatened the area just days beforehand. The best fishing took place on the first and last days of

tournament, bringing in 36 and 30 fish, respectively. Afternoon lightening lowered the releases

to 14 on Day 2, then 18 fish on Day 3, and 21 releases on Day 4. Ocean tarpon fishing proved

more difficult than the backcountry during the week. Locating where the fish are is one of the

biggest talents that Guides bring to the team. The Don Hawley attracts some of the best fly

anglers from around the world who are all competitive and passionate about catching the silver

king.

The Don Hawley was the first tarpon tournament to stop the killing, in 1987, of tarpon. Anglers

receive 1000 points for each fish measuring four feet or more caught and released on 12lb tippet,

in accordance with International Game Fish Association rules. The Grand Champion title is

awarded to the Angler and Guide with the most fish caught and released during the five-day

competition. In addition to other awards, Grand Champion names will be added to the Perpetual

Trophy showcasing the names of all past champion anglers and guides. The perpetual trophy

resides at Florida Keys Outfitters in Islamorada, Florida.

Angler L. Mark Weeks from Tokyo, Japan and Nampa, ID and his Guide, Captain Andy

Thompson, won the Grand Championship with 18 releases. This marks the second time the team

will have their names added to the historical perpetual trophy. Weeks said, “Five days feels like

a lifetime in these tournaments, particularly when you’re getting chased off the water by

thunderstorms and are neck-in-neck with several of the best teams to the bitter end.

Lucky for us, Andy knows how to find fish and is a wonderful coach when it comes to

catching them.”

Coming in second place was Angler Evan Carruthers from Maple Plain, MN and his Guide,

Capt. Greg Dini with 16 releases. They earned second place just last year, but this year added an

additional 6 releases to their results from the previous year. Third place was won by Angler Rich

Garcia from Islamorada, FL and his Guide, Luis Cortes with 15 releases. Scott Christian and his

Guide, Chad Huff, earned the High Point Day award with a whopping 8 releases on the first day.

Subsequent days 2, 3, and 4 only had 4 releases each day as the daily high point, earned by L.

Mark Weeks and Capt. Andy Thompson, Julian Robertson and Capt. Rob Fordyce, and Rich

Garcia and Capt. Luis Cortes, in that order. The final day brought 5 releases as the high point

day, won by L. Mark Weeks and Capt. Andy Thompson by time.

The Annual Don Hawley Invitational Tarpon Fly Fishing Tournament began in 1974. Proceeds

benefit the Guides Trust Foundation, which assists Florida Keys Guides in times of hardship and

provides scholarships to Florida Keys students interested in the marine sciences. Next year’s

tournament will take place June 5-9, 2023. For more information on the Don Hawley Tarpon

Tournament, the Guides Trust Foundation, our esteemed sponsors, or to apply for the

tournament’s waiting list, please visit: www.guidestrustfoundation.org

Governor DeSantis Vetoes SB 2508, Thanks To YOUR Efforts!

June 9, 2022June 9, 2022

Today, Governor DeSantis proved that he heard the voices of thousands of fishing guides, boat captains, business owners, and concerned citizens throughout Florida by vetoing Senate Bill 2508. In early February, the Florida Senate filed SB 2508 late on a Friday night as a budget conforming bill intending to quietly fast track major policy changes that would write into law the preferential treatment of the industrial sugar industry. This sneak attack undermined the proper legislative processes and short-circuited the opportunity for public input. Captains For Clean Water organized and responded with massive public awareness campaigns and public action opportunities, leading the groundswell of opposition against the bill. Over 50,000 Captains For Clean Water supporters like YOU expressed opposition through 156,000 emails to legislators, 1,500 phone calls to legislators, 50,000 petition signatures, and multiple trips to the State Capitol, forcing the Florida Senate to amend the bill twice removing most of the harmful Everglades language and the proviso language that held hostage $300+ million in state Everglades funding contingent on passage of 2508. Dozens of fishing guides canceled booked charters and lost thousands of dollars of income to travel to Tallahassee to publicly oppose Senate Bill 2508. At the first committee hearing for the bill, Senate leaders used intimidation tactics claiming guides had been misinformed, misled, and did not understand the nuances of legislative language. When we produced videos and social content to inform the public about the corruption unfolding, proponents of the bill attempted to censor us, threatening legal action. They deployed slander campaigns against Captains For Clean Water and targeted Floridians with misinformation materials. Time and again, they tried to silence our voices and tip the scales against us. This only made us stronger. Together with our supporters, we kept going and we fought harder. Capt. C.A. Richardson said it best in his remarks to the Florida Senate Appropriations Committee, “They don’t quit when they’re tired. They quit when they’re done…and they are not done.” To Capt. Richardson and all of you, your efforts have absolutely paid off. Today, we are “done” with the SB 2508 battle. Thank you to our supporters—every fishing guide, boat captain, outdoor brand, business owner and citizen that signed our petition, contacted lawmakers, traveled to Tallahassee and came together to urge Governor DeSantis to oppose Senate Bill 2508. You were the groundswell that finally swamped Senate Bill 2508.

Sincerely,

Capt. Daniel Andrews & Capt. Chris Wittman

Guide – David Accursio

April 15, 2022April 15, 2022

Guide – Chris Adams

April 14, 2022April 14, 2022

Florida Skiff Challenge Race

April 4, 2022July 26, 2022

The 7th Annual Florida Skiff Challenge is set to kick off at the Flora-Bama Ole River Grill in Pensacola on the morning of Thursday, April 7, 2022. This four-day test of mental and physical endurance began as a battle for bragging rights between boat manufacturers, but has evolved into an annual awareness event to spotlight Florida’s water issues and the connectivity between clean water and a healthy economy. This year, six teams will put their 18-foot skiffs to the ultimate test, circumnavigating the 1,300-mile Florida peninsula by water from state line to state line. Each five-man team includes two skiff operators and three land-based support crew. All teams are equipped with extensive safety gear and navigation aids and have pre-plotted their own pit stops for fuel, food, repairs, and rest. Boats may be powered by up to a 70-horsepower outboard motor and can carry a maximum of 22 gallons of fuel at a time.

2022 Florida Skiff Challenge Race

April 4, 2022April 4, 2022

Boating endurance event raises awareness about Florida water issues, draws thousands of fans.

The 7th Annual Florida Skiff Challenge is set to kick off at the Flora-Bama Ole River Grill in Pensacola on the morning of Thursday, April 7, 2022.

This four-day test of mental and physical endurance began as a battle for bragging rights between boat manufacturers, but has evolved into an annual awareness event to spotlight Florida’s water issues and the connectivity between clean water and a healthy economy.

This year, six teams will put their 18-foot skiffs to the ultimate test, circumnavigating the 1,300-mile Florida peninsula by water from state line to state line. Each five-man team includes two skiff operators and three land-based support crew. All teams are equipped with extensive safety gear and navigation aids and have pre-plotted their own pit stops for fuel, food, repairs, and rest. Boats may be powered by up to a 70-horsepower outboard motor and can carry a maximum of 22 gallons of fuel at a time.

2022 Team Roster

Hell’s Bay Boatworks– Titusville, Florida
Yellowfin Yachts– Bradenton, Florida
SeaPro Boats– Whitmire, South Carolina
Key West Boats– Summerville, South Carolina
Lake & Bay Boats– Sebring, Florida
Blacktip Boatworks– Pinellas Park, Florida

Route & Event Schedule

Teams establish their own routes and pit stops around the state. All teams will stop at the locations below. Arrival times vary.

April 7 – Challenge start at Flora-Bama Ole River Grill in Pensacola
April 8 – Mandatory media stop at Key Largo Marriott Beach Resort in Key Largo
April 9 – Challenge finish at Fernandina Harbor Marina in Fernandina Beach

3 ways to join the action

The event reaches over 7 million people through social media and digital channels. Throughout the event, viewers are educated about impacted water bodies around the state and can expect to learn about topics such as Everglades restoration, nutrient pollution, habitat degradation, and conservation organizations working to advance solutions.

Track teams live – Starting April 7, fans can track teams’ real time positions on a digital map at captainsforcleanwater.org/2022-skiff-challenge/
Join the exclusive Facebook group – Teams, fans, and field reporters post live content to the exclusive Skiff Challenge Facebook group, including behind-the-scenes, pit stop interviews, water quality education, and unfiltered commentary. Fans can also follow along on the @FloridaSkiffChallenge Instagram.
Donate – Fans can help their favorite team earn incentives by donating to support the mission of Captains For Clean Water.

Press access to teams for interviews and photos are available through Captains For Clean Water.

Update – Senate Bill 2508 Original vs. Final

March 17, 2022March 17, 2022

Senate Bill 2508 passes full legislature vote—final version is a far cry from its original. Yesterday, SB 2508 passed 33-0 in the Senate and 99-8 in the House, but the final version of bill that passed looks a lot different than the one filed five weeks ago.

During last week’s final negotiations, the bill was amended again, further watering down the remaining threats that the bill posed. Even though it passed yesterday’s vote, the major harm to our waters was avoided thanks entirely to YOUR unprecedented efforts.

The bill still doesn’t do anything to help our waters, and there are some concerns remaining, but the threat it presents is significantly reduced because you all fought harder than we’ve ever seen before. What started as an absolute train wreck for Everglades restoration now looks more like a fender bender.

Let’s take a look at how 43,000 petition signatures, thousands of phone calls & emails to the legislature, insane social participation, and two trips to Tallahassee were able to impact the final language in SB 2508…

KILLED: Dilutes funding for the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir by opening a dedicated funding stream to other competing projects. (Line item removed ✓)
KILLED: Subjects LOSOM and all other future Lake Okeechobee regulation schedules to the CERP savings clause. This would reduce beneficial environmental flows to the Everglades and the Caloosahatchee during the dry season, forcing higher lake levels at the start of the wet season and creating less capacity to take on summer rains. The result would be more toxic discharges and more nutrients to fuel red tide blooms. (Line item removed ✓)
KILLED: Ties over $300 Million of Everglades restoration funding to the passage of the bill, making it challenging for the Governor to veto. (Line item removed ✓)
KILLED*: Requires SFWMD reports be sent to the Legislature providing opportunities for them to be legally challenged. (*Still requires reports to be sent, however, the final legislation specifies the reports are not challengeable.)
WEAKENED: Takes authority away from SFWMD to change rules on how Lake O is managed at lower levels. (Final version of SB 2508 removed the portion turning existing rules into state law. However, it still creates an opportunity for the Legislature to block SFWMD rule changes, making them very difficult to change and ultimately benefiting the status quo.)

WEAKENED: Takes authority away from SFWMD to change rules on how Lake O is managed at lower levels. (Final version of SB 2508 removed the portion turning existing rules into state law. However, it still creates an opportunity for the Legislature to block SFWMD rule changes, making them very difficult to change and ultimately benefiting the status quo.)

Thank you for your relentless pushback against this bad bill—without it, a water-quality catastrophe was inevitable.

http://www.captainsforcleanwater.org

The Sheepy Fly Fishing Tournament

March 9, 2022July 26, 2022

The Sheepy is a annual fly fishing tournament to catch sheepshead, aka “Cajun Permit” held in Hopedale, LA benefiting the Gulf Coast Waterman. The GCW is a non-profit designed to assist in the education of Sportsmen about wildlife and wetland conservation in Louisiana.

Guide – Brecken Stinnett

February 28, 2022May 28, 2024