Miami captain heads north to win Sailfish Challenge

Capt. Ray Rosher fishes out of Miami, but he decided to fish well north of his home port Friday and Saturday. It paid off with a runaway victory for Miss Britt Contender in the Sailfish Challenge.

The tournament was held out of Government Cut, Hillsboro Inlet and Lake Worth Inlet, and Rosher decided to fish out of Hillsboro.

Fishing between Lake Worth Pier and Lake Worth Inlet, Miss Britt Contender had a total of 16 sailfish releases, 13 of them on Friday, to top a 64-boat fleet and win $174,310.

Stephanie Choate released nine of the sails to win the top female angler title as well as the master angler trophy. Her teammate Matt Bierly was the top male angler with four releases. Matthew Yee of Reel Captivating was the top junior with two releases.

Michael Kornahrens’Advanced Roofing/Sailsmen caught a doubleheader Saturday afternoon to finish second with eight releases. Charlie Greenberg’s Crescendo, with Capt. Skip Dana at the helm, caught a sail with 30 minutes to go to move into third, also with eight releases. Sandman, Kimbuktu and Goin’ Raptor each had seven releases.

Sandman maintained its lead in the Quest for the Crest series, with Advanced Roofing/Sailsmen eight points behind and both Miss Britt Contender and Contender One another two points back.

Bouncer Smith Brooke

of lost two bluefin tunas each weighing approximately 500 pounds using 20pound tackle.

Scott Krull Thomas

and caught 18.66 pounds Sunday, including the big bass of 5.64, to win the Bass-N-Fools club tournament on Lake Okeechobee out of Belle Glade. and were second at 12.35, followed by and at 11.77, at 10.41 and and

Joe Gruny Sr.

Paul D’arcy George Williams Aric Gainer Costabile

at 10.25.

Jim David Clark

of Muscle Shoals, Ala., won the Bassmaster Elite tournament on Lake Okeechobee out of Okeechobee and the $100,000 first prize with a four-day total weight of 83 pounds, 5 ounces.

His tournament was highlighted by a five-fish limit weighing 30-4 on Friday, which put him in the lead over first-day leader

of Knoxville, Tenn., who caught 31-3 on Thursday.

Horton, who caught 25-15 the first day, remained in the lead for the next two days, but barely. He caught only 11-7 on Sunday, but that was enough to beat out DeFoe, who finished second at 82-1.

was third at

Tim Horton Ott DeFoe Cliff Prince

78-3.

Capt. of Hollywood said lower water levels in Everglades canals have forced fish out of the marshes, resulting in catches of largemouth bass, spotted sunfish, bluegills, chain pickerel, oscars and Mayan cichlids using No. 4 Bagley Minnow B jerkbaits and Pop-R topwater plugs. Peacock bass in urban canals were caught on quarter-ounce AZ Jungle Jigs and Clouser minnow flies.

Alan Zaremba

of Boca Raton and his son ,of New York, caught nine peacocks and four largemouths on a morning trip in the Lake Ida chain. of West Palm Beach and his grandson 13, caught 10 peacocks up to 5 pounds on a three-hour trip in the C-9 in Miami Gardens.

Dick Weinstein David Greg Hostetter Tanan, Eddie Joe Jr.