KEY WEST, Fla. – While Florida youngsters took the top places in the fourth annual Mercury/IGFA Junior Angler World Championship (JAWC), Neil Dupree, 14, Rocky Mount, NC finished 21st with 115 points earned by catching six different species. Dupree was one of 34 young tournament winners from across the country and as far away as Papua New Guinea.
The girls and boys, ages 5-16, qualified for the all-release championship by winning one of the IGFA approved fishing tournaments held in the U.S. and several countries. Anglers ages 5-10 competed in the smallfry division; those ages 11-16 in the junior division.
The overall junior division winner was Kyle Wrenn, 15, Cape Coral, Fla. with 349 points. This was his fourth straight trip to the championship after advancing from his win at the Cape Coral Tarpon Hunters tournament. He captured 125 points alone on the catch and release of five tarpon over the two days. He also released amberjacks, barracuda, dolphinfish and sharks.
In second place was Richard Black, 13, Tavernier, Fla., with 327 points. He also won the stringer division title among the juniors by catching 10 of the 24 species, the most in the tournament.
In the smallfry division Tyler Smith, 8 Port St. Lucie, Fla. who won the City of Port St. Lucie Kid’s Fishing Tournament to advance, was the overall winner. He collected his 202 point total on six species released which included barracuda, jack crevalle, ladyfish, permit, shark and mutton snapper.
In second place with 186 points was Paul Pauchey, 9, Islamorada, representing his win at the Islamorada Fishing Junior Derby. He tied with Tyler “Catfish” Sage, 9, Weston, Fla. who was third. The tie was broken based on Pauchey catching eight species to Sage’s six. Pauchey also won the smallfry stringer division from the eight species.
“Most of the youngsters were new competitors to this ‘tournament of champions’ event,” said Peter Gaube, the IGFA’s Jr. Angler tournament director. “This was probably the best year based on the quality of fish especially with tarpon and permit still in the area, plus the size of the fish such as the ‘monster’ snapper.”
The event, dedicated to young anglers, has been a resounding success since its inception in 2002 and continues to grow.
“The goal of the Mercury/IGFA JAWC and the qualifying tournaments that feed into it is to encourage youngsters under 17 to become involved in fishing, and to keep them interested in the sport,” said Gaube. “Fishing promotes closer family relationships, plus these young fishermen are the conservationists of tomorrow.”
The young contestants were accompanied by a parent fishing in pairs with another junior or small fry angler over the two days for a variety of 23 eligible five to 25 point species. The local Florida Keys guides were selected by the IGFA. Circle hooks were used with all live and dead bait.
The young anglers were awarded points depending on species and degree of difficulty. There was no minimum length for eligible species, but a maximum of three fish of each species per day were counted by each contestant. Any other fish was awarded two points each with a maximum of three per species and a minimum of 12 inches in length.
Besides title sponsor Mercury Marine, other sponsors include Boston Whaler, Shimano, Plano, Double Tree Grand Key Resort, Oceanside Marina, Rapala, King Sailfish Mounts, Key West Bait and Tackle, Reel Life Art, Publix, Berkley, Pelagic Clothes, FWC, Daiichi, Glenda and Pat Kelley and Gene and Bill DuVal and Hook the Future.
The JAWC is the latest addition to the IGFA junior angler program, which recognizes separate world records for boys and girls in over 200 species of salt and freshwater fish. The IGFA has Junior Angler Club members in over 50 countries.
A video crew from the Hook the Future TV shows was at the event taping this year’s tournament for one of 26 weekly episodes seen on Comcast Cable Southeast, The Fox Sports Net Florida and nationally on The Sportsman’s Channel and The Water Channel (www.hookthefuture.com/).
Tournament directors of junior tournaments or adult tournaments with junior divisions are encouraged to contact Gaube at 954-924-4247 or pgaube@igfa.org for complete details on how to become a qualifying tournament for the junior championship. Parents who fish in tournaments with junior divisions should notify tournament officials of this exciting new opportunity.
Founded in 1939, the IGFA is a not for profit organization committed to the conservation of game fish and promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule making and record keeping.
For further information, contact the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum, 300 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach, Florida 33004; phone 954-927-2628, fax: 954-924-4299, website: www.igfa.org.
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