last night daughter Maya and husband Gabe had a healthy baby boy, Nikolas T.(I hope T isn’t for Twig) in Eugene,Oregon.
Life is good…..

When friends Bob Schnee and his wife Kathy are not fishing and partying on their “Amante” in the Carribean or grilling on the Texas ranch,he hunts big game.Check out this outrageous 223 inch Mulie he harvested in Colorado in Sept…..A lifetime of hard work by an honorable man has it’s just rewards.

Final leg of the 2010 WBS is the Presidential Challenge of Guatemala Nov19,20,21.IGFA rules apply except 20 lbs.test only provided by Tourney.IGFA observers on all boats.3 man teams,3 teasers(no hooks)3 hook baits which must be deployed behind the teasers,no dredges,no spreader bars,no pitchbaits.Dead bait only,#8 circles,all release format.Center bait only may be reeled up to fish that come up to teasers unless center angler is hooked up.Angler positions are rotated each hour.100 points each sail,500 marlin,6 hours fishing each day.

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52 mile run,calm seas.32 miles from Mexican border.We go 12 releases out of 15 shots.1200 points..Most sailfish over 100lbs with a few “grande’s” mixed in.Bill Sullivan our IGFA observer gave me the nickname after my teammates scored on my misses.6th place

At 12:01 I release striped marlin (500 pts.)I’m the man…..10 minutes later a large black marlin pops up and JW in the center position reels up and the black falls off and nails it.After a 20 minute firefight with the cockpit often flooded the observer calls release…If I wouldn’t have seen it I wouldn’t have believed it was possible on a 20….JW is 2x world champion 20 lbs. angler and I saw why.Along with our 15 sailfish releases that day we score 2500 pts. and move into 4th place…..Only 2nd grand slam scored in the 14 year history of the tournament.

I go an amazingly inept 4 for 14.Creative breakoffs included a cutoff on a tortuga(turtle) and later bending a hook.This time teammate Edwin Tejada picks me up with an incredible 14 for 16 day to earn top angler daily.Our day 3 total of 22 releases (2200 pts.) keeps us in 4th place for the event.Our 3 day total was 5900 points with 49 sails,1 black and 1 striped marlin.I earn my second nickname in 3 days “San Cocho”.Much love and thanks to JW and Pat Bones of Port Aransas Texas for the invite.Thumper leaves for Costa Rica Dec.3.The Bones have invited me back to fish the Tred Barta tournament in Guat. on their boat MOJO next May as long as I promise to hire a Captain and practice this winter.

Nov.12 Eric’s birthday …….Probst’s farm..Southern Lancaster County,PA
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Dear Ben passed away last week.Ben epitomized the concept of one life to live,live it in hi-gear.To hell with living gracefully.Ben led a fun life with a fantastic positive attitude.For the lancaster county boys our friend and mentor will be forever loved and missed both in the field and at sea.

Tree, Arrow, Blood, Deer, Backyard.

Thumper arrived today at John and Louise Carey’s classic palm fringed mesoamerican fishing lodge in El Salvador.Our 3rd visit and expectations are high.The local guides are on it and resident First Mate Beto has the pit…Of course the bite is wild but this is also THE SPOT for economical and first class total yacht maintenance and retrofit from Mexico to Panama.Thumpers got a new bait freezer,bait well and tuna tube high volume water pump and new Isenglass and canvas.A new outboard for the panga will extend our fishing options inshore and at Banko Hannibal.Fishing the Guatemalan Presidential Cup(IGFA qualifier) 3rd week Nov..Then home to GOLFITO and FISHHOOK MARINA for the season.