16th Mercury/Cheeca Redbone Celebrity Fishing Tournament nearly Sold Out

16^th Mercury/Cheeca Redbone Celebrity Fishing Tournament nearly sold out

Gowdy, Havlicek, Boggs, Marinaro, Stabler, Stephenson and Hendricks among many celeb anglers helping to “catch the cure for CF”

ISLAMORADA, In the Florida Keys – Just five boats remain open in the16th annual Mercury Outboards/Cheeca Redbone celebrity fishing tournament, scheduled for Dec. 5-7 in the abundant waters near Islamorada.

The Redbone is the biggest jewel in the “triple crown” fall series of flats tournaments that raise funds for cystic fibrosis research.

The event, previously held in November, was moved to the first weekend in December to become the finale of what are now 24 annual international events sponsored by Mercury Marine.

Angling positions to team with sports, movie or television personalities are closing fast, though a limited number of openings still exist. Each boat is guided by a licensed captain, and the tournament will be limited to approximately 70 boats.

For non-anglers, tickets are also available for all of the celebrity social functions.

Among the top celebrities fishing are nine-time hall-of-fame sportscaster and American Sportsman host Curt Gowdy; NFL Hall of Fame members Ted Hendricks (Packers, Raiders) and Dwight Stephenson (Dolphins); NBA Hall of Fame’s John Havlicek (Celtics); and future MLB Hall of Famer Wade Boggs. Veteran NFL quarterback Ken Stabler (Raiders) and running back Ed Marinaro (Vikings), noted for his acting accomplishments (Hill Street Blues, Sisters), also headline the celebrity list.

Gowdy has been the celebrity host and emcee of the Redbone series since its beginning.

The Mercury/Cheeca Redbone, which began in 1988, targets redfish and bonefish. Anglers score multiple points by catching both species. All fish are immediately measured, photographed and returned to the water.

The Mercury Redbone series has contributed some $5 million to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and has spawned two dozen celebrity tournaments across the nation and internationally. An additional $1 million is the Redbone’s goal for all of the combined Redbone tournaments held this year.

Original and limited works of art are awarded as prizes to the top anglers and teams, as well as champion anglers in the general, spin and fly divisions. Artwork is also presented for the most fish and the largest fish in each target species.

The tournament’s grand champion angler also will receive a Rolex watch and will advance to the fourth annual IGFA/Rolex Inshore Championship in the spring of 2004 to compete against winners from 50 other inshore tournaments.

Registration is scheduled for Dec. 5^th, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Cheeca Lodge Resort’s Bougainvillea Room. It will be followed by a cocktail reception, rules meeting for anglers and guides, kickoff dinner and live auction.

Fishing is slated for 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 6^th, and 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 7^th. The awards banquet is scheduled for 8 p.m. Dec. 7^th.

For more information about the Mercury Outboards Redbone Celebrity Tournament Series, call Susan Ellis at (305) 664-2002.

Gold Rolex timepiece awaits Mercury Redbone series grand champion

The series grand champion of the Mercury Redbone Celebrity Series point’s race will also be crowned at the conclusion of the tournament. Point values of 1,000, 750, 500 and 250 are awarded to the top four anglers in each of the three fall series (Mercury SLAM, Mercury Baybone and Mercury/Cheeca Redbone) events. The winner of the Redbone series will take home a gold Presidential Rolex timepiece worth $18,000 and the series blue blazer sport jacket.

Four-time series grand champion Jim Bokor, Tavernier, Fla., has some ground to gain among the top contenders. He’s third in the standings with 1,000 points won in the SLAM, the trilogy opener in Key West in September. Bokor failed to place in the top four at the Baybone and needs to out fish Dr. Mike Gallops of Naples and Dan Zicari, Vero Beach, Fla., who are tied in the lead at 1,500 points. Gallops finished third at the SLAM and won the Baybone. Zicari has two second-place finishes worth 750 points each.

Pat Dorsy of Coral Gables, Fla., is next with 500 points, while Frank DeLucas, Plantation, and Kal Blumberg of Ft. Lauderdale have 250 points each in the series race.

Special one-day fly-fishing event precedes Mercury/Cheeca Redbone

The Tenth Annual Seamaster Superfly, a unique one-day, one-fly tournament, precedes the Redbone as fly-fishermen compete for combinations of redfish and bonefish.

Registration and dinner is at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4th at the Zane Grey Lounge at World Wide Sportsman.

Fishing is Friday, Dec. 5th from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The awards ceremony will follow the Mercury Marine/Action Craft Kick-off dinner.

Star gazing

Besides Gowdy, Boggs, Havlicek, Hendricks and Stabler, other celebrities competing include two-time NASA space shuttle astronaut Bruce Melnick; jai alai star Joey Cornblit; former NBC news anchormen John Palmer; Miami’s Channel 7 Carmel Cafiero; and football greats Dave Rimington, (Bengals, Eagles), Gary Dunn (Steelers), Mark Cooper (Broncos, Bucs) and Jon Geisler (Dolphins). Legendary fly fisherman Stu Apte and Michelle Akers, Olympic gold medal winner with the U.S. women’ soccer team will also compete.

Major League baseball will also be represented by playoff stars Tim Wakefield (Red Sox pitcher) and Alex Gonzalez (Cubs shortstop). Former veteran catcher Mike Stanley plus Rob Murphy, Richard Monteleone, Greg Pavlick, Bill Hurst and Tampa Bay GM Chuck LaMar round out the celeb field.

Besides title-sponsor Mercury Outboards the Platinum Plus sponsors of the 2003 Redbone series include Rich Products, Robert-James Sales, Rolex, Actioncraft Boats, the Boomer Esiason Foundation, Hell’s Bay Boat Works and the South Florida fishing guides who each donate a day of fishing to the event.

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2003 MERCURY OUTBOARDS/CHEECA REDBONE

ITINERARY

Dec. 4, Thursday

2-6 p.m. Early registration for Anglers, Guides, Celebrities, Silent Auction begins. Bougainvillea Room, Cheeca Lodge Resort

6-8 p.m. Mercury Marine Welcoming Reception for Mercury guides, Lorelei Restaurant

8 p.m. Seamaster Superfly Registration and Dinner, Zane Grey Lounge, World Wide Sportsman

Dec. 5, Friday

6:30 a.m. Continental breakfast -- World Wide Sportsman

7 a.m. Boats depart, Seamaster Superfly -- World Wide Sportsman and Go Fishing!!!

10 a.m.-6 p.m. Registration for Anglers, Guides and Celebrities plus Silent Auction.

Bougainvillea Room, Cheeca Lodge Resort

3 p.m. Lines out of the water- Seamaster Superfly Tournament.

5 p.m. Seamaster Superfly dockside party and awards, Zane Grey Lounge, World Wide Sportsman

6 p.m. Cocktail Reception. Redbone Tent, Cheeca Lodge Resort.

7 p.m. Mercury Marine/Action Craft Kick-Off Dinner, Redbone Tent, Cheeca Lodge Resort

8:30 p.m. Mercury Marine/Action Craft Live Auction

Dec. 6, Saturday

6 a.m. Lorelei Continental Breakfast, and reading of the rules, Lorelei Docks

7 a.m. Blessing of the Fleet and GO FISHING.

2-9 p.m. WKEZ Easy 96.9 FM Mercury Cheeca/Redbone Radio Auction, Hibiscus Room, Cheeca Lodge, open to the public

2 p.m. Silent Auction opens for viewing, Bougainvillea Room

3 p.m. Lines out of the water.

6-7:30 p.m. Silent Auction Closing Cocktail Party open to the public, Bougainvillea Room, Cheeca Lodge

Dec. 7, Sunday

6 a.m. Lorelei Continental Breakfast, Lorelei Docks

6:30 a.m. Anglers may depart after guide sign-in and GO FISHING.

3-5 p.m. Lorelei Celebrity Dockside Party, Lorelei Docks

7 p.m. Cocktail Party and Mercury/Cheeca Redbone Awards Banquet, Redbone Tent, Cheeca Lodge Resort

by SFHP

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