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Steady fishing and karma helps USA team to win in IGFA Offshore World Championship PDF Print E-mail
Written by IGFA   
Sunday, 18 May 2008
The team of John Timura, Robert Collins and Taylor Walsh, all of Islamorada, along with Scott Salley, Naples, Fla., and Ken Longaker of Seattle, Wash. beat 62 other teams from 27 countries on six continents to win the ninth annual IGFA Offshore World Championship held in Cabo San Lucas Mexico. (Photo by Daniel Mathews, IGFA)
The team of John Timura, Robert Collins and Taylor Walsh, all of Islamorada, along with Scott Salley, Naples, Fla., and Ken Longaker of Seattle, Wash. beat 62 other teams from 27 countries on six continents to win the ninth annual IGFA Offshore World Championship held in Cabo San Lucas Mexico. (Photo by Daniel Mathews, IGFA)
Previous leaders go scoreless on final day of all-release billfishing tournament

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico: They held the same position – fourth place – the previous three days but the steady paced fishing of team members from Islamorada, Fla. paid off in the end as they captured the title in the IGFA Offshore World Championship.

Despite a “slow bite” for most of the 63 teams of anglers in the fourth and final day, the five men released two marlin and a dorado as a weight fish totaling enough points to win. The ninth annual event hosts competitors from 27 nations on six continents, the single largest contingent of international teams to compete in a fishing competition.

Four teams that had been in close contention atop the leader board the previous three days – from Italy, Australia, Croatia and the Sultanate of Oman – found the final day less forgiving as each went scoreless.

The Florida Keys’ team was made up of John Timura, Robert Collins and Taylor Walsh of Islamorada, Scott Salley of Naples, Fla., and Ken Longaker of Seattle, Wash. Collins said the group has fished numerous occasions together and had two practice days in Cabo, enough time to put the mistakes behind them.

“We fished near perfect for the conditions presented to us,” Collins said. “On day two the boat had engine troubles and we weren’t able to back down on the fish or maneuver properly, but we still overcame those problems and did well.

The Outdoor Channel Offshore Classic team had an unbroken chain of days in scoring: Day 1 with three marlin for 900 points; Day 2 with four marlin and a sailfish for 1300 points; Day 3 with four marlin for 1200 points; and the final day with two marlin and a 25 pound, 6 ounce dorado for 625.6 points bringing their four-day total to 4025.6 points.

“We just fished steady,” said Collins. “Every one of the team members gets along great and that’s part of the success; our personalities are pretty much easy going.”

Coming in second with 3900 points was the Croatian team that led going into the final day. The team had 10 marlin releases on Day 3, but was skunked in the final round.

Finishing third, also with 3900 points, was the team from Porto Santo Stefano, Italy. The teams from Mooloolaba, Australia and Italy’s San Benedetto del Tronto scored 3700 points, with the Australian’s winning on time.

IGFA OWC tournament director Mike Myatt said, “Cabo san Lucas has the greatest striped marlin fishery in the world. We're thrilled with the numbers and we had a great dorado bite. These fish put our champion anglers to the test and the winners are truly world champions.”

Each catch-and-release of a marlin (blue, black and striped) or a swordfish equals 300 points. Sailfish count for 100 points. The billfish, all caught on circle hooks, are scored and released alive at the boat in accordance with IGFA tournament rules.
 
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