Article by Capt. Franky Pettolina
As you can tell by the pages of this issue, the Ocean City tournament season is definitely in full swing. A few hours before I sat down to write this article I was standing in the sign up tent for The Huk Big Fish Classic. They ended up with 72 boats registered for the tournament. With a mostly decent weather forecast I am expecting to see some quality fish hit the scales. Hopefully one comes from the “Last Call”!
I fish almost every tournament that Ocean City has to offer. Over the years, I have fished every one that has been available at one time or another. My team of junior anglers has aged out of the Kid’s Classic, so I have missed that one for a couple of years, but I think I may have some prospects coming of age for next year’s event. I also missed the Ocean City Tuna Tournament this year, but I was able to participate as an advisor to the tourney directors, so I felt involved at least. From here on out though I am in every offshore tournament on the calendar. Like I said earlier, I am fishing the Huk Big Fish Classic this weekend (remember that my deadline is four to five days ahead of the day that this issue hits the streets). Right after the Big Fish Classic I have my ladies all lined up for the Ocean City Marlin Club Heels and Reels tournament. Of course, after that it is the big kahuna. The granddaddy of them all. The Big One. The White Marlin Open.
After a brief couple days of regular charters I will be back in Ladies Tournament mode for one of my all time favorites. The largest Ladies Tournament in the world. The Captain Steve Harman’s Poor Girls Open. On a side note, that event will mean more to me than usual this year as the Matriarch of the Harman Family, Mrs. Kathleen Harman, passed away this week. She has been a big part of the fishing community and the town of Ocean City for her entire life. She will be sorely missed. I offer my most sincere condolences to the Harman Family.
Immediately after the Poor Girls is the MidAtlantic Tournament. It is hard for me not to think of it as the Mid Atlantic $500,000, as it was known that way from its inception to only a couple years ago. This will only be the second time I have fished that tournament, thus I am very excited to participate again. The week after the MidAtlantic is the Ocean City Marlin Club White Marlin Tournament, or “The Labor Day”, as it has come to be called in recent years. Rounding out my tournament schedule is the Ocean City Marlin Club versus the Cape May Marlin and Tuna Club Challenge Cup. As I stated earlier, the tournament season is in full swing.
Fishermen have all sorts of rituals that they follow when preparing for tournaments. Some are pretty standard for all of the crews. New line on the reels. Drags checked. New leaders on the lures and fresh rigs for the natural baits. Some guys have special baits brought up from Florida. Some owners bring in “hired guns” from other areas to give their team an extra edge. Custom team t-shirts are printed. Those who are smart, place orders with the incredible Miss Paula Joachimowski for a Sea Witch Rum Cake or two (if you are reading this Miss Paula please consider them ordered and I will await your husband’s delivery). Then things will branch off from the standard to the superstitious. Lucky underwear. Stuffed mascots. Specialty drinks. Music playlists. Over the years, I have done most of the superstitious things, and it is just good practice to do the standards. There is one thing that I do that is off of the beaten path however. I read a book.
Those of you who follow me on my limited use of social media may have seen a post about this recently. The book is called “Tournament” and the authors are Herbert Livesey and Ron Hamlin. In fishing circles Captain Ron Hamlin is maybe best known for exactly that, circles. Capt. Hamlin was the architect behind circle hook fishing for billfish, but he was much more than that. He was one of the first world travelers in the sport fishing circuit. He had his vices, but he overcame them. Legend is often an overused moniker, but Ron Hamlin deserves it. Unfortunately Ron passed away a year or so ago, and I only had the privilege of meeting him very briefly in Venezuela back in the 90s. Mr. Livesy was (or maybe is, I don’t know) a professional author. The book was first published in 1980 and it was re-issued in 2008.
Captain Hamlin’s experiences were used as the background for this work of fiction. The premise of the book is a high dollar tournament competition between the five best anglers in the world (well the four best and Ernest Lichine who ends up in the mix by circumstance) and the crew members they fish with. Some of the things in the book apply more to the 70s and 80s than they do now, but the story stands the test of time. I have read it at the end of July every year since I got my first copy of the book in 1992. There are copies of it available on Amazon and other online outlets. It is definitely PG13, possibly R rated so junior anglers might want to wait a little bit to read it. My Mom first read it in 1985, but waited until I was 19 to give me my own copy. I encourage all fishing folks to read the book. I will leave you this week with one of my favorite passages from the book. Some of the quote will be edited (I did warn you that it isn’t for kids). The setting is when Lichine, the protagonist of the story, meets his crew, Captain Jeeter Doakes and mate Wink Andros, for the first time behind the boat he has just purchased.
“Never mind that,” Doakes continued, his indignation deepening, ignoring Lichine. “What’s it gonna do backin’ on a fish? Shake like a ---- is what. Like to rattle every rivet out. And it won’t track worth a darn. I rode this model once. The rudders are too shallow. It wallows like a scow in any sea worth remarkin’ on. Takes an hour to get up on plane even when it’s slick calm. And will you look at that crap in the cabin? Tricked out like a Mexican cat-house. Man who put this together was thinkin’ on playin’ pattycake in Biscayne Bay, not about catchin’ fish.”
“Since you feel that way , Captain,” Lichine heard himself saying, “I don’t imagine you’ll want to join us.”
Doakes swiveled around at the sound and regarded Lichine as if he had only now arrived. He took a step and planted himself inches away from Ernest, who was surprised to discover he didn’t have to look up.
“Wink says you’re payin’ four hundred a day,” Doakes said.
“That was my offer.” I will not step back.”
“Two fifty for me, one fifty for Wink and another hundred for when we got to take on a second mate.”
“But I thought from what you were saying….”
“What? Oh. Listen Mr. Lichine. I won the Master’s in a boat that makes this one look like the Queen Elizabeth. Is the split okay or not?”
“If it’s customary.”
“Good,” Doakes said. “Now we got to understand each other. Right here, on the dock, you’re the boss. You’re payin’. But soon’s we’re on board, everyone moves to my notion, includin’ you. We go where I say and fish where I say. I’m gonna take you out, hang your bait over Big Mo, you’re gonna reel him in, and Wink’s gonna boat’m. Far as I hear you don’t know diddly-squat about this business, but even if you did that’s the way it’d be. Also. I’m gonna run this boat hard. Can’t catch fish if you baby the equipment. Seams are gonna split, bilge is gonna flood, hoses are gonna snap. You’re gonna have to pay the bills and I don’t want have to explain every piddly nickel-dime repair. Now close as I can figure, we’re expected to come out fifth out of five in this horse-apple contest, maybe a tie for fourth, if we get lucky. Me, I’m goin’ for the whole nut, and if you don’t think we’re gonna do it, you tell me now and I’ll walk.”
Good Luck in the tournaments everybody. Hope to see y’all at the scales!
Capt Franky Pettolina is Co-Captain of the charter boat, “Last Call”, owner of Pettolina Marine Surveying, Inc. and multi-term President of the Ocean City Marlin Club. If you would like to book a charter on the “Last Call”, please call 443-783-3699 or 410-251-0575.
