It's sailfish tournament time on the Treasure Coast!

For decades, Stuart, Florida has been known as the Sailfish Capital of the World. As a matter of fact, the early days of tourism promotion in the Stuart, Martin County Florida area revolved around the annual cycle of masses of sailfish that moved through the region from November through February. This tradition continues today. For the next three months, world class captains, anglers and mates will be competing for honor, glory and bragging rights as the sailfish tournament season gets underway along the Treasure Coast. This Friday we will bring you insight into the regional sailfish tournament scene and how the majestic sailfish has molded our region into a major sportfishing destination and tourism generator.

Talkin’ Tourism resident fishing and boating guru, Ed Killer will be with us at Sailfish Marina on the Manatee Pocket to provide historical perspective on the tournament scene and to share his perspective on this year’s round of tournaments.

The first local tournament, the Finest Kind Quickie will be represented by Krista Chasmar. The youngest tournament in the trio, the "Quickie" has rapidly gained the reputation of being a great event. Next is the Pirate’s Cove Sailfish Classsic, the first tournament in the Treasure Coast Sailfish Championship Series. The Stuart Sailfish Club’s 58th Annual Light Tackle Tournament, one of the country’s oldest, will be represented by Tournament Committee co-chair Char Griggs. The Stuart Sailfish Club is credited with being the first tourism promotion group on the Treasure Coast.
So Talkin’ Tourism fans and fishing fanatics, settle into your fighting chairs (or lounge chairs), drop the outriggers and troll for an informative and fun show. Let’s go fishing!

Summer fishing, tropical vacations and why hurricanes may be a positive for your travel plans

Show guest David Mills with guest co-host Ed Killer.

It was definitely a guys day in the studio this week. Talkin' Tourism co-host Robin Hicks-Connors was in Washington, D.C. visiting with friends and doing a little sightseeing on her traditional mid-summer getaway.  So, with Robin gone, host Gary Guertin, special guest co-host Ed Killer and Stuart Sailfish Club's David Mills did lots of chatting about what’s happening and what’s being caught fishing-wise in Treasure Coast waters this summer. 

Thanks to Capt. Pat Price of DayMaker Charters, listeners heard the fishing is still fantastic along the Treasure Coast even during the dog days of summer.  Capt. Price shared the sailfish bite is still strong and mahi-mahi, wahoo and the ever present blackfin tuna will keep anglers busy and their fish coolers full. 

'The boys' also covered reef fishing, where anglers can catch several types of grouper and snapper, sea bass, cobia and triggerfish—all very tasty and fun to catch. 

Next topic was summer and early fall low priced travel, including the pros and cons of risking a trip to a venue in the tropics (or sub-tropics) during hurricane season. Gary and Ed shared some fist-hand experiences, as well as a number of tips and precautions to take the edge out of planning such a trip.  Some of these included travel insurance and what islands have the lowest chance of hurricanes to suggestions about registering with the local U.S. Embassy in the country you are visiting.

Gary also introduced a Miami hotel (Sole on the Ocean) that is celebrating hurricane season with a slate of promotions, each pegged to a specific storm name. If you, a friend, or family member shares the name of an active storm on the 2011 hurricane list, you just might want to 'hunker down' and listen to this week's show to find out how this might benefit Miami travel plans.

Most kids LOVE to fish and if you have a youngster who falls into this group, there is still time to register for the 34th Annual Stuart Sailfish Club’s Jr. Angler’s Tournament.  David Mills, a committee member and secretary of the club, gave Talkin' Tourism listeners an update on the tournament's new dates, which was postponed when Tropical Storm Emily was wandering the Atlantic. David also shared why this annual tournament it is so much fun for the kids (and adults as well).

We love our listeners and fans, we always have fun doing the show, and we hope you had fun listening in!

See you on Friday, August12, this time from St. Lucie County, for another fact-and-fun-filled show on what's happening in tourism both near and far!

Here's the show file for those who missed it or want to listen again.

Let the sailfish action begin!

Radio Man was thrilled to be walking the docks of Finest Kind Marina in Stuart, Florida last Friday morning. With the sailfish season starting in just another couple of weeks, there were many friends and fellow fishing enthusiasts on the docks getting set for the upcoming tournaments. The smell of the salt air, sounds of mullet jumping and the general “buzz” on the docks as boat owners and captains were sharing their fishing adventures from around the globe, set the stage for Friday’s show. Co-host Robin enjoyed a lay-day (day off), as they say in tournament lingo, and area fishing guru and historian Ed Killer filled in the co-host chair. With jets flying overhead is was appropriate to promote the Stuart Air Show, one of the biggest Treasure Coast visitor magnets each year.

Things, however, quickly got down to sailfish tournament business. Radio Man (aka Gary Guertin) did his standard preshow research, and brought some very interesting and notable information on the early years of the Stuart Sailfish Club’s Light Tackle Tournament to the group discussion. If you desire a better understanding of what our area's sailfish tournament legacy is all about, you will definitely appreciate the show.

Taking a quick side trip to the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Fa-La-Me Capt. Rob Moore shared what it was like to be chased from port to port by Hurricane Earl, which lashed the British Virgin Islands as they were pursuing blue marlin.

Getting down to specifics, Char Griggs, Capt. David Berard and Krista Chasmar gave listeners the latest and greatest on the three major sailfish tournaments coming up in December. It was great to hear that each tournament has established its own special “signature."

On Friday, November 19, we'll becoming to you LIVE from the Bimini Big Game Club/Guy Harvey Outpost Resort on North Bimini. We’ll be talking fishing, sharks, history and much more. What will be the Treasure Coast connection? Tune in Friday at 10:05 a.m. to find out. More pre-show banter to come!

Here's the show from Friday, November 12. Enjoy!

Sailfish Fever…Coming to an Inlet Near You

Sailfish doing sailfish things.
Photo credit: Derek Goodrich@webshots.

The air has turned decidedly crisper, time has has been turned back an hour, and scores of world class captains, anglers and mates are beginning to show up on the docks and tackle shops along the Treasure Coast can only mean one thing:  Sailfish Tournament Season is just around the corner!

Long nicknamed the Sailfish Capital of the World, for the next three months Stuart and Treasure Coast offshore waters will host some of the world's best in the sportfishing world. This Friday, we will feature our annual Sailfish Tournament Season show bringing incredible insight into several local tournaments that have molded our past as a sportfishing destination and major tourism generator.

Talkin’ Tourism resident fishing and boating guru, Ed Killer will be with us dockside at Finest Kind Marina on the Manatee Pocket to provide historical perspective on the tournament scene and share his perspective on what the future of these historic tournaments may be. World-class competitor Fa-La-Me Captain Rob Moore, a consistent top-placer in local tournaments, as well as those in the Virgin Islands and beyond, will share his views on the tournament scene as well.

The first local tournament, the Finest Kind Quickie, will be represented by Krista Chasmar. As a relative newcomer to the tournament scene, the "Quickie" has rapidly gained the reputation of being a great event. Next is the Pirates Cove Sailfish Classic, the first tournament in the Treasure Coast Sailfish Championship Series. Dave Berard, a consistent tournament winner, will be give us details on the Classic. The Stuart Sailfish Club’s 57th Annual Light Tackle Tournament, one of the country’s oldest, will be represented by Tournament Committee co-chair Char Griggs. The Stuart Sailfish Club is credited with being the first tourism promotion group on the Treasure Coast.

So ladies and gentlemen and fishing fanatics, dust off your rods and reels, strap on your fighting belts, slap on your favorite SPF lotion, fill your coolers with ice and your favorite beverages, and “let go fishing”!

Travel Insurance, Summer Slams, and Parrots Squawking

Live from the Ambassador’s House on Palmetto Parrot Cay, Flahama, this week's show provided some real important information for those travelers who are headed “across the pond,” as they say in the UK,  or simply going to the Bahamas for a long weekend. Once you are out of the U-S of A, your health insurance is not the lifesaver it is here in the states. Could you afford a $27,000 air ambulance evacuation from a Caribbean island? How about your ability to communicate in French to the attending physician in a Paris hospital, or dealing with a family member who suddenly became ill on an extended cruise? History Lady and Radio Man had the show's resident travel consultant John Burson, CTC, of Indian River Travel, in the studio to answer these question and more. Call-in guest Andrea Frederickson of Travel Guard was a wealth of information on this topic, in addition to other related travel issues that can and do arise when traveling abroad. This is a segment of the show you cannot miss!

Sticking with the tourism theme and educating our listeners about the history of tourism development on the Treasure Coast, guest Dick Roland, board member of the Stuart Sailfish Club was onboard sharing with listeners how this world recognized sportfishing and conservation group utilized the fantastic sailfishing off Treasure Coast waters in the winter season, to attract visitors from around the country to our great area. If you listen closely, you will understand the difference between “J” hooks and "circle” hooks that are now used for game fishing.

Looking for a fun fishing tournament coming up on Father’s Day that won’t bust your budget? The Stuart Sailfish Club’s first SUMMER SLAM will fill the bill. Listen in for details and a whole lot of information.

Thanks for listening. We're broadcasting live from Tortola next week. 'See' you then!

An Island State-of-Mind, Travel Disaster Planning and Stuart's First Tourism Campaign

Smuggler's Cove, Tortola, BVI

In preparation for Radio Man’s semi-annual escape to Tortola, British Virgin Islands, this week Talkin' Tourism on Florida's Treasure Coast will be brought to you from the FLAHAMA-TM Ambassador House, located on Palmetto Parrot Cay, Flahama. This paradise is a good place to meld into an island state-of-mind. With lush tropical surroundings, parrots squawking in the trees, and an umbrella towering overhead, the location will be a real treat for this week's distinguished guests.

Not surprisingly, Stuart, Florida, the self-proclaimed “Sailfish Capital of the World,” had its early tourism promotion efforts coordinated by the Stuart Sailfish Club, which was founded in 1935. Dick Roland, a Stuart Sailfish board member for over 20 years, will join History Lady (Robin Hicks-Connors) and Radio Man (Gary Guertin) to share what impact the club had on early tourism promotional efforts. Additionally, Dick will talk about what the club is up to these days with their ongoing billfish conservation efforts, approaching tournaments, dock-tail parties, and more.

Next up—Travel Disaster Planning 101. So, you have a good health insurance plan and you are going overseas for a little vacation. Are you covered while in the Caribbean, Bahamas, on a cruise ship? Think about it. Are you taking your U.S. based health plan for granted? With Radio Man planning a trip to Tortola next week, and Robin headed for Paris, both need to know what they can do to ensure their heath insurance will take care of matters while abroad. Are you prepared? Appearing this week to educate our listeners will be our resident travel expert John Burson, CTC, principal of Indian River Travel, a 25 year veteran of the travel industry. His agency arranges travel for clients all over the world and works on their behalf to ensure that possible health care emergencies are not problematic.

So, tune in tomorrow at 10 a.m. on WPSL 1590 AM or on the Web at http://www.wpsl.com/ and take another hour-long trip with Talkin' Tourism and FLAHAMA-TM Free Radio, the pirate radio station of the Treasure Coast and beyond.

Let the (Sailfish) games begin!

This weekend marks the beginning of the legendary sailfish tournament season on the Treasure Coast. As most of us know, Stuart has long had the moniker of 'Sailfish Capital of the World' and for good reason. Historically, sportfishing has long been a tourism draw for the Treasure Coast region. How long? This year marks the 56th annual Stuart Sailfish Club Light Tackle Tournament! Over five decades of the best captains and anglers in the world coming to Stuart to fish this prestigious event. What other tournaments are on the horizon? Believe it or not, between the Treasure Coast and the Palm Beaches, there are 12 sailfish tournaments from December 1 through January 23.

Scott Fawcett, captain of the charter boat Boneshaker, a top placing boat for many years, joins host Gary Guertin and guest co-host Ed Griffith, who is the general manager of the Courtyard Hutchinson Island Oceanside/Jensen Beach, in the Captain's Lounge of Harborage Yacht Club for an exciting update on this season’s tournaments. Captain Scott has lived in Stuart since 1983. He has fished professionally off the Treasure Coast, Bahamas and Mexico since 1991. And, he has logged over 2,000 days in local waters--he knows the local fishing spots well!

Where’s co-host Robin Hicks-Connors this week? Out in the field, or mall that is. Robin will be connecting with the show “on location somewhere out there” providing listeners with a live call in report on BLACK FRIDAY. Will she clue us in on best practices for getting the best shopping deals?
As always the show will be entertaining, informative and most importantly FUN. See you on Friday!
 
PHOTO CREDIT:  Boneshaker Charters.

Coming this week: Stuart Sailfish Club, Film & Television Production, and the Feb 25th Martin County Tourism Development Council meeting

Guests this Friday, February 27, will include Ed Killer and Gary Scott.

Ed Killer, a native of the Treasure Coast, contributed to the Stuart News as a freelance sports and outdoors writer beginning in 1994 before being hired full time as the Scripps Outdoors Writer in 2005. His coverage includes daily fishing reports, weekly features, a weekly column and event coverage with fishing, boating, hunting and other outdoors activities. This week on Talkin' Tourism Ed will discuss the history of the Stuart Sailfish Club and its contributions as the earliest “Tourism Promotion” organizers in Martin County.

Gary Scott is head of production at New Vision Productions, Inc. He was born in Manhattan, New York, went to high school in Hollywood, Florida, and attended college in New York City. His major wasn't film production, but you wouldn't know it by looking at the list of movies and TV shows he has worked on: Mr. Nanny (shot in South Florida) starring Hulk Hogan; A Price Above Rubies (Boaz Yakim), Bullets Over Broadway (Woody Allen), Gloria (Sidney Lumet), Men In Black (Barry Sonnenfeld), Sleepers (Barry Levenson), The Mirror Has Two Faces (Barbara Streisand), Law and Order, Oz, and New York Undercover.

Gary relocated to the Treasure Coast in 2002. His first feature, Mr. No Shot (2007), was filmed completely on location here on the Treasure Coast.

Gary will share his insights into the “niche” tourism market of Film, Television and Production.

Talkin' Tourism host Gary Guertin and co-host Robin Hicks-Connors will also wrap up results of the Martin County Tourism Development Council workshop, which is scheduled on Thursday, February 25 at 2:30 p.m. in the Morgade Library.

Tune in to WPSL 1590 AM at 10 a.m. on Friday to hear the show LIVE!!