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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Pete Johnson
Johnson Communications, Inc.
Scottsdale, Ariz. 85267
480-951-3654 (phone)
480-951-0040 (fax)
johnsoncom@aol.com (e mail)
Steve Matthews wins Chuck
LaMar/Mercury Grand Slam; astronaut Bruce Melnick scores win in celebrity
division
Fourth Annual celebrity pro-am fishing
tournament on Tampa Bay is huge success for the Pediatric Cancer Foundation
ST.
PETERSBURG, FLA. ---
Supported by fabulous weather, Steve Matthews, Tampa, Fla., hit for a grand slam
of fish on Tampa Bay over the weekend to win the fourth annual Chuck
LaMar/Mercury Outboards Grand Slam, a celebrity fishing tournament for
charity.
Matthews, guided by Capt. Rob Gorta,
Tampa, Fla., caught a 28-1/4” snook, a 26” trout and a 29-1/4” redfish to beat
out 138 other anglers and celebrities as the overall winner in the pro-am catch,
photograph and release fishing tournament to raise money for the Pediatric
Cancer Foundation. Matthew’s
combined total measurement of the three fish was 83.5”.
“Those were three quality fish,” said
Matthews a manufacturer’s representative of outdoors products who didn’t catch
his first fish until after noon on Saturday. “The pressure was to get the three
different species but Capt. Gorta did a fabulous job in locating promising areas
to fish.”
Matthews won an impressive bronze
sculpture of the three slam fish in a mangrove setting. Alan Higbee, Tampa also
had an angler division grand slam totaling 70-1/4”in length.
Former two-time space shuttle
astronaut Bruce Melnick scored a grand slam of fish to take the win among the 46
celebrities. Melnick, Cape Canaveral, Fla., scored with a 29” snook, a 26- ¼”
redfish and a 19” trout for a combined 74-1/4” total. Capt. Dave Walker, Tampa,
guided him.
“I’ve been fishing this tournament for the past three years and this is
awesome,” said Melnick an avid angler of his win. “It’s almost as exciting as
flying in space,” he smiled. “Our guide really knows his stuff. He made the two days of fishing exciting
and kept our enthusiasm up at each spot we tried in hopes of catching winning
fish. And we
did.”
Mike Stewart, Tarpon Springs, Fla.,
in the angler division and former major league pitcher
Joe Niekro, Plant
City, Fla., in the celebrity division both caught the largest snook at 31” each.
NFL quarterback Steve DeBerg, Tampa,
had the top trout among the celebrities at 24”. Justin Peterson, Clearwater, caught a
23-1/4” trout for the angler divisions win.
Former major leaguer Von Hayes,
Tierre Verde, Fla., was the top celebrity with a 28-3/4” redfish. Claudio
Linden, St. Petersburg, had the biggest redfish at 30” fishing with Capt. Al
Doparik, Crystal Beach, Fla. Doparik also led “One More Cast” TV fishing
host Shaw Grigsby to the winning trout in the fly fishing division. Ted
Juracsik, Delray Beach, Fla., had the winning redfish at 24” on
fly.
For his win, Matthews will
be invited to compete in the Rolex/IGFA Inshore Championship next May against 38
champions of other worldwide tournaments.
The weekend also included
the Steve Yerrid Kid’s Fishing Derby, an annual luncheon and fishing event
within the tournament for over 40 young cancer survivors to fish on the Vinoy
Renaissance docks with celebrities and guides.
“This was the first year that all of the youngsters
each caught a fish,” said an elated Yerrid who’s Foundation annually contributes
major funding to the efforts of the PCF.
“Many of them were fishing for the first time, getting help from so many
caring volunteers and celebrities,” said Yerrid. “We stayed until each one of
them had a chance to catch one or more fish and then release them.”
In other honors, Frank Sargeant, the veteran outdoor editor of the Tampa
Tribune, was presented the Ted Williams Award. This award, established in 1998, honors
champions of charity who exhibit a deep commitment to their community, their
professional field and to environmental conservation. Capt. Todd Wood was presented the Bill
Miller Lucky Strike Award. Named after the tournament’s original chairman, this
award it’s presented to a guide who demonstrates extraordinary support of the
tournament and the Pediatric Cancer Foundation.
The tournament is named for honorary chairman Chuck
LaMar, the general manager and avid angler of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and title
sponsor Mercury Marine, world-wide builder of Mercury Outboards.
Other top level sponsors included Mako Marine, Mercedes U.S.A. Crown
Eurocars, Outback Steakhouse, Bay Pines Marina, duPont Registry, Florida Power
and AutoTrader.com.
Final totals are expected to be announced soon on monies raised from
sponsors, angler entries, auctions and donations for the Pediatric Cancer
Foundation and its work in the Tampa Bay area for children's cancer research.
Tournament
Results: Fourth Annual Chuck
LaMar's Mercury Outboards Grand Slam
Angler
Division:
Redfish: Claudio Linden, St.
Petersburg, Fla., 30 ” guided by Capt. Al Doparik, Crystal Beach, Fla.
Snook: Mike Stewart, Tarpon Springs, Fla., 31”, guided by Capt. David
Cole, Tampa, Fla.
Trout: Justin Peterson, Clearwater, Fla.,
23.5” guided by Capt. Woody Gore, Tampa, Fla.
Grand Slam:
Steve Matthews, Tampa, Fla., 83.5 total inches, guided by Capt. Rob Gorta,
Tampa, Fla.
Celebrity
Division:
Redfish: former Philadelphia Phillies,
Von Hayes, Tierra Verde, Fla., 28.3/4” guided by Capt. Gunner Gause, Holiday,
Fla.
Snook: former Houston Astro, Joe Niekro, Plant City, Fla.
31” guided by Capt. Matt Larson, Tampa, Fla.
Trout: former
NFL quarterback Steve DeBerg, Tampa, Fla., 24” guided by Capt. Jim Lemke,
Tampa, Fla.
Grand Slam: former astronaut Bruce Melnick, Cape
Canaveral, Fla., 74.1/4 total inches guided by Capt. Dave Walker,
Tampa, Fla.
Fly
Fishing Division:
Redfish: Ted Juracsik, 24”, Delray
Beach, Fla., guided by Capt. Tom Mohler, Pinellas Park,
Fla.
Trout: Shaw Grigsby, 17”, Gainesville, Fla., guided
by Capt. Al Dopirak, Crystal Beach, Fla.
Snook: none
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