02-22-2008, 06:10 PM
Skyler Robinson is just 9 years old and weighs only 59 pounds, but the fourth-grade student has racked up catches that older and more experienced anglers might envy.
The Ocean Beach, N.Y., youngster was recently named peewee out-of-county master angler in the 42nd annual Key West Fishing Tournament, with accomplishments that included scoring 41 releases of 12 species.
It was Robinson's third consecutive peewee master angler award in the annual eight-month challenge that targets more than 40 species.
His angling prowess earned him a divisional win for a 10.3-pound jack crevalle caught on 12-pound test line. He also scored the peewee division's heaviest fish honors, catching a 5-pound bonefish on 12-pound test, an 11.8-pound jack crevalle on 20-pound test, a 4.8-pound mackerel on spin, a 2-pound mangrove snapper on 12-pound test and a 17.8-pound barracuda on 12-pound test.
"He ate one half of the mullet and then came back for the next half," Robinson said of the barracuda.
The young fishing enthusiast's largest catches, however, weren't tournament entries.
"Last year he caught a 100-pound tarpon all by himself, and two nurse sharks back to back -- one was about 110 pounds and one was about 130," said father Chris Robinson.
An advocate of releasing every catch except food fish, Skyler Robinson admitted his arms get tired when he's reeling in a large fish or a fighter. Afterwards he tries to do some arm stretches before attempting another catch.
His third Key West win has only increased the young angler's appetite for tournament fishing. "I think I want to be a competitive fisherman and enter tournaments for the rest of my life," Robinson said.
In the adult competition, Dan Trapp Sr. of Ada, Mich., won the men's master angler award for out-of-county entrants. His achievements included divisional wins for catching an 8-pound gag grouper on 12-pound test, a 27-pound wahoo on 12-pound test and a 17-pound jack crevalle on 30-pound test.
Trapp also earned heaviest fish honors for his 47-pound black grouper and 21-pound jack crevalle, both caught on 50-pound test.
Chris Adair of West Palm Beach, Fla., caught the tournament's single heaviest fish: a 270-pound lemon shark.
Mike Allen of Key West scored the most releases overall with 101, the most bonefish releases with 50, the most permit releases with 36 and the most tarpon releases with 15.
The 2008 Key West Fishing Tournament is scheduled to begin March 14 with a two-day kickoff challenge and continue through Nov. 30, 2008. The associated Southernmost Swordfish Tournament is set for June 14.
The Ocean Beach, N.Y., youngster was recently named peewee out-of-county master angler in the 42nd annual Key West Fishing Tournament, with accomplishments that included scoring 41 releases of 12 species.
It was Robinson's third consecutive peewee master angler award in the annual eight-month challenge that targets more than 40 species.
His angling prowess earned him a divisional win for a 10.3-pound jack crevalle caught on 12-pound test line. He also scored the peewee division's heaviest fish honors, catching a 5-pound bonefish on 12-pound test, an 11.8-pound jack crevalle on 20-pound test, a 4.8-pound mackerel on spin, a 2-pound mangrove snapper on 12-pound test and a 17.8-pound barracuda on 12-pound test.
"He ate one half of the mullet and then came back for the next half," Robinson said of the barracuda.
The young fishing enthusiast's largest catches, however, weren't tournament entries.
"Last year he caught a 100-pound tarpon all by himself, and two nurse sharks back to back -- one was about 110 pounds and one was about 130," said father Chris Robinson.
An advocate of releasing every catch except food fish, Skyler Robinson admitted his arms get tired when he's reeling in a large fish or a fighter. Afterwards he tries to do some arm stretches before attempting another catch.
His third Key West win has only increased the young angler's appetite for tournament fishing. "I think I want to be a competitive fisherman and enter tournaments for the rest of my life," Robinson said.
In the adult competition, Dan Trapp Sr. of Ada, Mich., won the men's master angler award for out-of-county entrants. His achievements included divisional wins for catching an 8-pound gag grouper on 12-pound test, a 27-pound wahoo on 12-pound test and a 17-pound jack crevalle on 30-pound test.
Trapp also earned heaviest fish honors for his 47-pound black grouper and 21-pound jack crevalle, both caught on 50-pound test.
Chris Adair of West Palm Beach, Fla., caught the tournament's single heaviest fish: a 270-pound lemon shark.
Mike Allen of Key West scored the most releases overall with 101, the most bonefish releases with 50, the most permit releases with 36 and the most tarpon releases with 15.
The 2008 Key West Fishing Tournament is scheduled to begin March 14 with a two-day kickoff challenge and continue through Nov. 30, 2008. The associated Southernmost Swordfish Tournament is set for June 14.