Tournaments are BIG Business & Off to Grand Bahama Island

If you listened to Friday’s show, you will now know that fishing tournaments are really an excuse for a party! Well, not exactly. The fishing is certainly important but the 'catching' is what it is all about if you want to score some great prizes. The fun atmosphere and camaraderie that surrounds all fishing tournaments, whether a small local evet or major championship tournaments, such as the SKA (Southern Kingfish Association) or the BBC (Bahamas Billfish Championship), are very important components of the action.

Fishing tournaments play a big role in tourism promotion in many destination areas. The Francis Langford Memorial Fishing Tournament and the TCBA (Treasure Coast Builders Association) Memorial Weekend Fishing Tournament are no exception. Jim Moore, representing the Francis Langford Memorial Tournament, and George Cooper, representing the TCBA Memorial Weekend Tournament, enthusiastically gave listeners the scoop on their respective events and how they impact tourism on Florida’s Treasure Coast.

Needing a Bahamas fix after co-host Robin Hicks-Connors' recent excursion to San Salvador, Talkin' Tourism host Gary Guertin (aka Radio Man) took listeners on a Grand Bahama virtual vacation, just in time for the summer boating season. Gary covered the island from West End to McClean’s Town and everywhere in between. How to get there, where to stay, what to do, and more. Looking for the best conch salad or conch pizza, where to find bats in a cave, snorkeling hot spots near West End, world class diving with sharks, breakfast on the waterfront, great shopping and family fun? Grand Bahama, the closest island to the Treasure Coast, has it all. Go ahead, listen to last Friday’s show and enjoy a Grand Bahama virtual vacation and then head to the island!

Next up—chipped tooth, bad sunburn? No need to have these situations spoil your vacation. Robin provided the solution to these vacation downers.

Last, listeners learned what Grand Bahama notable recently inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame. Is she really the “Shark Whisperer”?

It was another fun and lively show. If you missed the fun, listen to it or download it HERE.

See you on Friday, a show that'll focus on National Travel and Tourism Week and more!

Enjoy your own virtual Grand Bahama Island vacation below!

Summer Tournament Fun, Travel Tips and Grand Bahama Island

Just as March is the turning point from winter to spring in South Florida, May is the turning point from spring to summer. Why? Because May is the start of the summer tournament fishing season! The Stuart Sailfish Club’s Ladies Tournament kicking off this weekend, followed by the Francis Langford Memorial Tournament the following weekend, and then the Treasure Coast Builders Association (TCBA) 25th Annual Memorial Weekend Fishing Tournament  (May 27th -29th), are the harbingers of summer fishing and boating fun on Florida’s Treasure Coast! 

This week, Jim Moore, the president of the Jensen Beach Chamber of Commerce, will be in the studio to talk up the activities and fun of the Francis Langford Memorial Fishing Tournament. This tournament uniquely combines an amateur event with a sanctioned SKA (Southern Kingfish Association) professional anglers event. According to tournament organizers, the Francis Langford Tournament is one of the most popular among the SKA competitions. 

The TCBA Memorial Weekend Tournament, one of the area's most popular tournaments, will be described by tournament co-chair George Cooper and TCBA staffer Maddie Williams. This year, a special 25th Anniversary Special Category has been added for anglers pursuing blackfin tuna. Both tournaments have a significant impact on local tourism and listeners on Friday will find out why.

Additional topics this week will include a potpourri of tourism tips to make your vacation as trouble free as possible, including: How to treat a scorching sunburn, how to manage motion sickness, how to fix a chipped tooth and more. Even non-travelers can find use for these tips at home!

Next, we’ll also take you on a virtual vacation on Grand Bahama Island, the closest island to the Treasure Coast. Whether you reach Grand Bahama via cruise ship, commercial air carrier, private plane or boat, Grand Bahama Island has lots of great things to do for the adventurer or the family vacationer.

All this and more is in store for you this Friday at 10:05 a.m. on Talkin’ Tourism. Catch the show on WPSL 1590 AM or on your nearest computer streaming live at www.wpsltv.com.

Let the summer fun begin!

Killer hits the airwaves to kick off summer tournament fishing season

The Harborage Yacht Club & Marina Reel Sassy
fishing team at last year's Frances Langford Memorial
Tournament, comprised of Heather Oblaczynski,
Dierdre Murray, Robin Hicks-Connors and
Desiree Mufson

It seems like just a couple of weeks ago we were getting ready for the 2009-2010 sailfish tournament season on the Treasure Coast.

But summer is just around the corner, and that means Talkin' Tourism on Florida's Treasure Coast is ready to hit the waters for this summer's inshore and offshore tournaments.

It sure feels like the summer season is kicking into gear earlier and earlier, especially with the number of tournaments added year-by-year. For decades, tournament fishing - and fishing in general - has been able to reel in both local and out-of-town fishermen who want to land some local catches. Martin County and the Treasure Coast are blessed with some of the most diverse fishing holes in this part of the country. With the Bahamas just a hop, skip, and a jump from most of the Treasure Coast and South Florida, the fishing crowd can't go wrong stopping by our area to try their luck.


On Friday, we'll get together with local fishing guru Ed Killer, whose headshot and byline are probably pretty familiar if you're a Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers subscriber. As the area's outdoors reporter, Ed is one of the best resources for the area's angler history and current fishing climate. Ed will hit on the key fishing happenings coming up, including the Frances Langford Memorial Inshore Tournament, the world-famous “Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing” seminar this weekend, and a host of terrific tournaments hitting our shores in the next few months. Ed will shed some light on how the summer tournament scene shapes the area's marine and related tourism. And, per usual, no fishing topic is sacred when Ed's in the house.

Ever wonder how the fastest fish in the sea became know as a wahoo? Maybe Ed knows.

The man behind a 24-year Memorial Weekend staple, Greg McCampbell, will also stop by to talk about the Treasure Coast Builders Association's 2010 inshore and offshore tournament. Be sure to check it out what the chairman has assembled with his committee for the May 28-30 event at Pirates Cove Resort and Marina.

As always - well, most of the time - History Lady will be in the co-host seat with all of her regular segments, and Radio Man, a.k.a. Caribbean Cowboy, has your Bahamas update. Tune in Friday, 10 a.m. on WPSL AM 1590, or at http://www.wpsl.com/ and help Talkin' Tourism ring in the new fishing season!

Photos of the Harborage Yacht Club & Marina-Reel Sassy Fishing Team from yesterday's Frances Langford Memorial Fishing Tournament. Our team didn't place in any of the divisions, but they did bring in six nice sized Mahi Mahi. Fire up the grill!

More photos and video footage to come. Here's a link to some of the photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/talkintourism/HarborageReelSassyFishingTeamFrancesLangford?feat=directlink.

Thanks ladies for representing HYCM well, thanks Reel Sassy for outfitting the team, and thanks to One Call Charters for putting the girls on the fish!