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Teams are getting ready for the Gasparilla Island Kids’ Classic 

There comes a time in many kids’ lives when they have to realize they have to pony up and take on the big fish … to stare that giant silver king in the eye and tell him he’s been bested. We’re hoping a lot of that takes place on Saturday, June 11 during the Gasparilla Island Kids’ Classic, a tournament that has become a well-loved island tradition since 2014. 

Blaze jumps to first place … and ‘The Buckle’

There’s a brand new diet that’s taking Boca Grande Pass by storm … It’s called “Wear the Weight of Waylon’s Buckles,” and it isn’t for beginners. When Capt. Waylon Mills’ son Owen successfully caught and released the winning tarpon in the 2022 Red Gill Tarpon Tournament that was held last Sunday, May 29, he cinched his dad’s title as the winner of the Jay Joiner Memorial Belt Buckle for the season.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Jerry and Chrissy take on the Continental Divide

Jerry has just retired after more than 30 years of managing the operations of the Boca Grande Marina and working in other capacities for Boca Grande’s Nicholas family. Chrissy is taking a leave from the Bowen Construction Company. Together they are leaving for the Upper Northwest of the U.S. to hike the Continental Divide Scenic Trail from the Canadian border of Montana to the Mexican border of New Mexico, passing through Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming along the way. In all, the trek will cover 2,700 to 3,100 miles. All on foot.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Some of the most legendary captains in Boca Grande Pass

It is fitting that we pay tribute to historical guides as a celebration of their lives in the context of the fishing heritage of Boca Grande. Cappy Joiner, president of the Boca Grande Fishing Guides Association, has provided a list of representative historical guides. We admire their unique skills, impressive fortitude and commitment to fishing in the menace of increasing competition and an adversely impacted environment. As Captain Joiner points out, they must master boating and navigation skills, possess specialized knowledge of the weather, the environment, fish identification and their individual peculiarities, likes and dislikes, be able to read the water by the swim patterns on the surface, know about tackle and about seasonal behavior and natural habitats of the fish. Thoughts on guiding by contemporary guides follow.