by Mrs. Jill Whitcomb
Chairman of Hook’em in the Glades
The 8th Annual Hook’em in the Glades fishing fundraiser tournament, presented by the Everglades City Lions Club, was a huge success. This year’s Captain’s Meeting was held at Camellia Street Grill, with angler check-in at Everglades Fishing Company on November 7–8. Approximately 190 anglers fished the tournament, while many more attended the Captain’s Meeting and Friday’s Angler Check-In. Friday night’s meeting was filled with excitement, music, food, raffles, and the Annual Mullet Toss. This year’s Mullet Toss champion was Everglades City School’s first-grader Reagan Higgins with 24 points, followed by Harper Pratt with 17 points.
More than 200 supporters came out to cheer on the event and support the students and youth of Everglades City. Conditions on the water were slow, but several captains still managed to find the fish.
This year introduced a new Adult Artificial Team Boat Division, with 10 captains competing for the first title in Hook’em history. Capt. Wayne Meland and first mate Matt McLean took first place with 72 points. Second place went to Sticky Holsters, captained by Kyle Coar and crew, with 66 points. Capt. Sean Morton and crew followed close behind with 63 points.
The Adult Open Team Boat Division featured 42 boats and one of the closest finishes in tournament history. Team Wagner, captained by Brock and Maurine Wagner with Marissa and Melissa Antonucci as mates, took first place with 70 points. Francis Santos’s team earned second place with 68 points, and Josh and Jody Coar finished in third with 67 points. Only three points separated the top three teams.
The Paddle Division also saw a new winner. John Suleski took first place with 56 points, ahead of last year’s winner, Joe Henary, who finished with 44 points.
Junior Team Boats, led by a Jr. Angler Captain and all-junior crew, worked hard through slow conditions and found success. Chase Stokes, a rising future guide from Everglades City, secured first place with first mate Kingston Robinson with 28 points. Second place went to first-year Jr. Team Boat captain Trace Creel and his crew with 15 points.
In the Junior Angler Pee Wee On-Shore Division, first place went to Brentley Pike with 128 points, followed by Stacia Bagley with 57 points. In the Junior On-Shore division for 3rd through 12th grade, local junior angler Damien Stokes claimed the championship with 400 points. Last year’s champion, Maddy Thoner, finished second with 250 points, and local angler Mila Valdes secured third after landing a large redfish that nearly moved her into second.
Junior anglers fishing on adult boats also competed individually for longest snook, redfish, and seatrout. The longest snook was caught by Marissa Antonucci at 28 inches. Second place went to Michelle Osceola with a 21-inch snook, and third went to Jax Kolsea with an 18-inch snook. The longest redfish went to Giulietta Tavares at 25 inches, followed by Melissa Antonucci with a 24-inch redfish. Third place went to Nathan Fernandez with a 12-inch redfish. A three-way tie for longest seatrout at 15 inches came down to earliest catch time. Kingston Robinson won the division after landing his trout at 7:06 a.m. Second place went to Isabella Cavero at 7:18 a.m., and third went to Giulietta Tavares at 1:10 p.m.
Among adults, the longest snook was caught by Marcos Baldo with a 33-inch fish at 8:37 a.m. The longest redfish was landed by James Boender with a 27-inch catch at 12:58 p.m., edging out second place by just 25 minutes. The longest seatrout winner was Wayne Meland with a 19-inch catch at 7:34 a.m.
One of the most memorable moments of the event came from the kids fishing On-Shore. One seventh-grade angler, convinced she would “only catch catfish,” found her way to Mr. Whitcomb on the river and ended up catching a blackdrum, a snapper, and several jacks. As the day went on, kids and adults along the riverbank shared photos, compared catches, and laughed together. The joy and excitement along the water brought smiles to everyone who watched.
Funds raised from Hook’em in the Glades will support several youth groups and school programs in Everglades City:
- The cheerleaders, who are working to send 22 girls to summer camp in Fort Myers
- The prom committee, preparing a special prom in Naples
- The homecoming committee, planning this winter’s on-campus dance
- Student Government, raising money to attend the state conference in Lake Worth
- The girls’ softball team, funding their annual senior trip
- The EVG News crew, covering the cost of their field trip to the NBC2 news studio
Hook’em in the Glades and the Everglades City Lions Club extend sincere thanks to all sponsors, raffle donors, fishermen, volunteers, and supporters. Thank you to everyone who fished, sponsored, volunteered, purchased shirts, or attended any part of this event. The success of Hook’em in the Glades depends on the support and spirit of the entire community.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Jill Whitcomb
Chairman of Hook’em in the Glades
