While a fleet of anglers chased mahi and wahoo in Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts’ Bonfire Tournament on West End, Grand Bahama Island in June, artist Bobby Little stayed behind, keeping very busy at …
2011 Billfish Invitational Underway at the Bimini Big Game Club
19 May 20113:02 PM
During this week’s Billfish Invitational tournament, Fred Garth, Editor-In-Chief of Guy Harvey Magazine, will be filing a series of dispatches from tournament headquarters at the Bimini Big Game Club.
Fishing began today at the Billfish Invitational Tournament with clear skies and light winds. Local fishermen have reported good activity in recent days leading up to today’s kick off so there’s plenty of optimism in the air. Twelve boats headed out early rigged and ready for action.
Anglers and dignitaries enjoyed a full evening of festivities Wednesday evening at the newly renovated Bimini Big Game Club, which has been rebranded and rebuilt as a Guy Harvey Outpost Resort & Marina. Numerous world records have been caught in the waters here and, of course, Bimini was a favorite haunt of legendary fisherman and author Ernest Hemingway.
VIP guests in attendance at the opening party and captain’s meeting included Guy Harvey, Mike Myatt, COO of the IGFA, Bill Shedd of Guy Harvey apparel licensee AFTCO Bluewater, Frank Johnson of Mold Craft, and Sculptor Kent Ullberg, who created the Billfish Invitational’s “Hemingway-Lerner” trophy.
This is the first billfish tournament since the resort was rebuilt with the help and co-ordination of Guy Harvey. The tournament has not only attracted top fishermen but also an eclectic collection of artists and top marine photographers such as Pat Ford, Scott Kerrigan, and Bill Boyce, who is shooting a documentary with Guy and his crew.
The Big Game is On, so much more to follow…
Garth Out!
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![](mailto:?subject=2011 Billfish Invitational Underway at the Bimini Big Game Club&body=During this week's Billfish Invitational tournament, Fred Garth, Editor-In-Chief of <a title="GHM web site" href="http://www.guyharveymagazine.com">Guy Harvey Magazine</a>, will be filing a series of dispatches from tournament headquarters at the Bimini Big Game Club.
Fishing began today at the <a title="Billfish Invitational web site" href="http://www.billfishinvitational.com" target="_blank">Billfish Invitational Tournament</a> with clear skies and light winds. Local fishermen have reported good activity in recent days leading up to today’s kick off so there’s plenty of optimism in the air. Twelve boats headed out early rigged and ready for action.
Anglers and dignitaries enjoyed a full evening of festivities Wednesday evening at the newly renovated <a title="BBGC web site" href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com" target="_blank">Bimini Big Game Club</a>, which has been rebranded and rebuilt as a <a title="About Guy Harvey Outpost" href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com/aboutus.htm" target="_blank">Guy Harvey Outpost Resort & Marina</a>. Numerous world records have been caught in the waters here and, of course, Bimini was a favorite haunt of legendary fisherman and author Ernest Hemingway.
<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/nedcaptmeeting11.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-717" title="Capt. Ned Stone, tournament director, addresses the teams during Wednesday's Captains Meeting" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/nedcaptmeeting11.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="400" /></a>
VIP guests in attendance at the opening party and captain’s meeting included <a title="Guy Harvey Inc. web site" href="http://www.guyharvey.com" target="_blank">Guy Harvey</a>, Mike Myatt, COO of the <a title="IGFA web site" href="http://www.igfa.org/Default.aspx" target="_blank">IGFA</a>, Bill Shedd of Guy Harvey apparel licensee <a title="AFTCO Bluewater web site" href="http://www.aftcobluewater.com/" target="_blank">AFTCO Bluewater</a>, Frank Johnson of <a title="Mold Craft web site" href="http://www.moldcraftproducts.com/" target="_blank">Mold Craft</a>, and Sculptor <a title="Kent Ullberg's web site" href="http://www.kentullberg.net/" target="_blank">Kent Ullberg</a>, who created the Billfish Invitational’s <a title="About the Hemingway-Lerner Triphy" href="http://guyharveyoutpostnews.com/2011/04/29/hemingway-lerner-trophy-unveiled-for-guy-harveys-upcoming-billfish-invitational-in-bimini/" target="_blank">“Hemingway-Lerner” trophy</a>.
This is the first billfish tournament since the resort was rebuilt with the help and co-ordination of Guy Harvey. The tournament has not only attracted top fishermen but also an eclectic collection of artists and top marine photographers such as <a title="Pat Ford Photography web site" href="http://www.patfordphotos.com/" target="_blank">Pat Ford</a>, <a title="Scott Kerrigan's web site" href="http://www.scottkerrigan.com/" target="_blank">Scott Kerrigan</a>, and <a title="Bill Boyce's web site" href="http://www.boyceimage.com/" target="_blank">Bill Boyce</a>, who is shooting a documentary with Guy and his crew.
The Big Game is On, so much more to follow...
Garth Out! https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/billfish-invitational-underway/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Guy Harvey Outpost Initiates "Trash to Treasure" Art Program&body=<a href="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/11707509_946851132049337_3373697342381427908_n.jpg"><img class=" size-medium wp-image-2821 alignleft" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/11707509_946851132049337_3373697342381427908_n.jpg?w=300" alt="11707509_946851132049337_3373697342381427908_n" width="300" height="239" /></a>While a fleet of anglers chased mahi and wahoo in Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts' Bonfire Tournament on West End, Grand Bahama Island in June, artist Bobby Little stayed behind, keeping very busy at a table in the shade of Old Bahama Bay Resort as part of the “Trash To Treasure” initiative of the Bonfire Series.
One of several artists to be featured in the Guy Harvey Outpost "Trash to Treasure" program, Little used a wet saw and grinder to demonstrate for local artisans and resort guests how to turn waste conch shells into fashion jewelry.
Over a few hours, the piles of discarded shells were crafted into beautiful designs of angelfish, sea turtles, mermaids, pelicans and dolphins.
Guests purchased the finished products for $10 to $20 apiece, with a portion of the proceeds going to local vendors. Spending about $1,300 for tools and supplies, Little says, a Bahamian artisan could set up at a resort and make back his or her investment in about two days.
"One full-size conch shell is worth $300 to $500 when it's cut into jewelry," Little said. "You could create an industry on every island. Anyone who wants to work can work. Now you have a product made in the Bahamas you can sell in the Bahamas or you could export."
The Bonfire Beach Bash & Tournament at Old Bahama Bay featured Little-- a 53-year-old Hollywood, Fla. native who has lived on Rum Cay near San Salvador for decades and who doesn't limit his artistic vision to mounds of conch shells. On his frequent beach strolls, he collects washed-up plastic and turns it into trinkets; fashions rings out of whelk shells; converts dead coral into candle holders and lamps; and is best known for his dramatic 'burning' wahoo and marlin sculptures made of scrap metal. A 16-foot wahoo filled with flaming palm fronds and smoldering charcoal dramatically lit up the post-tournament Beach Bash. Both the wahoo and marlin are expected to be turned into artificial reefs that create habitat for marine creatures and attract divers.
Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts proposes to launch a series of beach clean-ups combined with fishing and art festivals in the Bahamas and South Florida where artists would collect trash, turn it into something beautiful, and compete for prizes for the best creations. Proceeds would be put toward ocean conservation.
"It will benefit the artists, the islands-- anywhere there's trash," Little said. "And there's such a large demographic that follows Guy Harvey's name."
Story by Sue Cocking, Guy Harvey Outpost Staff Writer https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/guy-harvey-outpost-initiates-trash-to-treasure-art-program-2/){kind=link}
![](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/enjoy-a-white-christmas-in-the-islands-with-old-bahama-bays-bahama-bucks/&media=https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/enjoy-a-white-christmas.jpg&description=Enjoy a White Christmas in the Islands with Old Bahama Bay’s "Bahama Bucks"!){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Swordfish Extravaganza II a Big Hit in South Florida&body=Kudos to <a title="Smith-Merritt Insurnace web site" href="http://www.smith-merritt.com/" target="_blank">Capt. Skip Smith</a> and the <a title="Swordfish Club web site" href="http://www.swordfishclub.org/" target="_blank">Swordfish Club</a> for the record breaking attendance at the <a title="Swordfish Extravaganza II info page" href="http://billfish.org/1356-swordfish-extravaganza-ii#continue_post" target="_blank">Swordfish Extravaganza II</a> event, which was held last week at the <a title="IGFA web site" href="http://www.igfa.org" target="_blank">IGFA</a> headquarters in <a title="Dania Beach, FL web site" href="http://www.ci.dania-beach.fl.us/" target="_blank">Dania Beach, FL</a>. Major names in the big game tackle business showcased their latest products for hooking up these behemoths, and key organizations produced informative seminars on the fishery. <a title="NOAA web site" href="http://www.noaa.gov" target="_blank">NOAA</a> and HMS gave presentations on government efforts to rebuild "trust" with recreational fishermen, and highlighted the importance of reporting your sword catch so the USA can keep a valid tally in regards to our international quota.
<a href="http://www.swordfishclub.org/"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-162" title="Swordfish Extravaganza II" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/sfii1.jpg?w=224" alt="" width="224" height="300" /></a>
Congrats again to Capt. Skip and the Swordfish Club crew for a great event! https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/swordfish-extravaganza-ii-a-big-hit-in-south-florida/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Bimini Offshore Fishing Forecast&body=<a href="http://www.biggameclubbimini.com"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-95" title="Bimini Big Game Club, a Guy Harvey Outpost Resort" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/final-resort-logo.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="159" /></a>
Courtesy of <a title="Coastal Angler Magazine web site" href="http://www.coastalanglermagazine.com" target="_blank">Coastal Angler Magazine</a>
For South Florida residents and visitors, having the beautiful islands of <a title="Bimini - Islands of the Bahamas" href="http://www.bahamas.com/out-islands/bimini" target="_blank">North and South Bimini</a> a mere 50-60 miles away certainly does open up a host of fishing adventures and opportunities!
August and September are typically similar with respect to the fishing conditions, except for the itinerant tropical storm that may impact the northwest <a title="Islands of the Bahamas" href="http://www.bahamas.com/" target="_blank">Bahamas</a>. Conditions are light winds, calm seas and warm water. August was a great month as September is forecast to be the same. Currents have been light and this will contribute to excellent fishing.
Bottom fishing on the reefs should produce grouper and yellow tail snapper along with the usual staples. For those that deep drop, mutton snapper, amberjack, yellow eyes and queens will be bending your rod. Trolling to the north, be prepared for your share of kingfish and mackerel. As we are now turning the corner on the autumn season, do not be surprised to hook a small wahoo or an occasional sail.
Just a quick note to mention that in late summer, fast developing and moving thunderstorms are a distinct possibility so ensure you are prepared and ready for changing weather conditions.
See you in Bimini soon!
Capt. Robbie Smith, Dockmaster
Bimini Big Game Club, a Guy Harvey Outpost Resort & Marina
<a href="mailto:rsmith@biggameclubbimini.com">rsmith@biggameclubbimini.com</a>
242-347-3391 https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/bimini-offshore-fishing-forecast/){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=Diving the Grouper Moon&body=<img class=" size-medium wp-image-3275 alignleft" src="https://guyharveyoutpostblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/grouper.jpg?w=300" alt="Grouper" width="300" height="222" />By Sue Cocking, Guy Harvey Outpost staff writer
scocking@guyharveyoutpost.com
Marine artist/conservationist/cinematographer Dr. Guy Harvey this week is scuba diving at one of the most exciting and ecologically-important sites in the Caribbean-- a coral wall about 100 feet deep near Little Cayman Island recognized as one of the largest spawning aggregation sites for endangered Nassau grouper anywhere.
Harvey plans to gather more video footage for "The Mystery of the Grouper Moon"--a documentary he first produced with George Schellenger in 2011. The aim is to help build a groundswell among Caymanians to continue protection for Nassaus that use the site for reproduction each year around the full moons in January and February.
Harvey's efforts paid off when the Cayman government extended a harvest ban in the area through 2019. But he said that's not enough to ensure a sustainable Nassau population.
"Our goal is to get the population here in Cayman up to 10,000 and repopulate the other islands and bring this fishery back to its former glory," Harvey said.
Not so long ago, tens of thousands of Nassau grouper-- a beautiful, slow-growing, and unfortunately very tasty reef-dweller-- reproduced successfully at five sites around the Cayman Islands in winter. But fishermen quickly figured this out and so decimated the aggregation that the only spawning site left in the area is off Little Cayman.
This pattern of overfishing also occurred at some 50 other spawning sites in the Caribbean and Bahamas, rendering between one-third and one-half of them inactive.
Today, the harvest of Nassau grouper is banned year round in the U.S.; prohibited December through February in the Bahamas, but open everywhere in the Cayman Islands except off Little Cayman.
Harvey would like to see all Nassau harvest closed in the Cayman Islands from November through March, and he's not alone.
The Key Largo-based Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) and the Cayman Department of the Environment have been researching the "Grouper Moon" for the past 13 years-- counting fish; implanting them with acoustic tags; collecting larvae and performing other research.
Harvey said it's fascinating observing the scientists working with the fish.
"The area is spectacular-- a wall on the western side of Little Cayman," he said. "They spawn at dusk in about 100 feet in the current. They turn black and white as they spawn-- one to two dozen males with one female. One of the wonders of nature. Very exciting,"
Harvey said efforts to protect the aggregation-- while not as comprehensive as he would like--have achieved some benefits. In 2010, he said, researchers counted about 2,500 spawners. Last winter, he said, about 5,000 were found reproducing at the site.
"I get first hand the feeling on how the spawning population has improved from previous years," he said. "It really is working."
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Sue Cocking chronicles the Guy Harvey Outpost travel and adventure experience in regular blog posts on GuyHarveyOutpostNews.com/. For 21 years, Cocking covered the full spectrum of outdoors adventure opportunities in South Florida and beyond for the Miami Herald, including fishing, diving, hunting, paddling camping, sailing and powerboat racing. She is a certified scuba diver and holder of an IGFA women's world fly fishing record for a 29-pound permit.
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