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Double Success for Rum Bum Racing at the Roar Before the 24

Daytona Beach, Fla. (5 January 2014) – Following a quick turnaround from the holiday season, Rum Bum Racing went back to work this weekend as the team looks to not only return to victory lane at Daytona International Speedway, but also make progress towards a third consecutive IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Championship.

With a mixture of old and new, the team struck a great balance over the weekend and is prepared to take on the challenge of the new IMSA era.

With three days of testing for the Roar Before the 24 test at Daytona International Speedway this weekend, Rum Bum Racing was in full force as the team took to the track with two entries.

Leading the effort was the defending champion No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche 911 with Matt Plumb and Nick Longhi behind the wheel, with the sister No. 03 BMW M3 being shared by Rum Bum Racing newcomers Hugh Plumb and Kaz Grala. The BMW hadn’t been used in anger for quite some time, and arrived to the test fully prepared as Rum Bum Racing fans have come to expect.

“It was important for us to bring the BMW to give us a kind of baseline of where everybody really is,” said Matt Plumb. “And to be able to dust this thing off after sitting for two years and have it be top-two and top-three on the time sheets every time we tried to go fast shows us that we have a lot to look out for this season.”

Laying down over 200 laps throughout the three day test gave the Rum Bum crew valuable information and experience going into the opening race of the season, and the entire team feels confident in their ability to contend with the field and finish the race well.

Although the Rum Bum crew comes into this season with two consecutive championships under their belts and a great amount of familiarity among the team, they are by no means taking anything for granted and know what it will take to get that elusive top spot on the podium at the BMW Performance 200.

“With all the years that this team now has worked together, it is comfortable–but there is no complacency–we are just as motivated as the first day we showed up here in Daytona four years ago,” added Plumb. “Everybody knows how everybody else works and as I have said before, everybody had been so familiar with everybody from the moment we started this deal.”

Grala, who is the 15 year old son of former Daytona Prototype pilot Darius Grala, set a new mark as the youngest to participate in an IMSA event at Daytona International Speedway. But the outing was no mere statistical exhibition run, as the youngster was right on the pace with the BMW as he soaked up as much guidance as he could from his experienced co-driver Hugh Plumb.

“This week was awesome! I have never raced on this track, never driven it and actually never even seen it until this week,” said Grala, who also was in short track action on Saturday night at the fabled New Smyrna Speedway just down the road. “I had also never been in this car before so it was a whole new experience for me. I had a little bit of experience with the heel-toe downshifting, but not much at all. I was never able to do it really smoothly until this weekend. I got really comfortable with it because this track has a lot of heavy braking zones and downshifts. Really I have just been having fun out there this weekend.”

Hugh Plumb, who has won in IMSA with brother Matt as his co-driver, was impressed with what he saw in his first outing with Rum Bum Racing.

“First of all what a privilege it is to drive with such a team of absolute champions,” said Hugh Plumb. “They prove it on and off the track. So it is a huge privilege to be able to drive with them and hopefully we can continue the relationship. My co-driver, Kaz Grala, did an amazing job, and a big thanks to Luis Bacardi and my brother Matt Plumb for giving me this opportunity today.”

With such a big weekend, it was understandable that Grala could hardly shake the grin from his face.

“It was huge to be able to partner with Rum Bum Racing,” said Grala. “Everything from driving tips, downshifting tips, just everything. These guys really helped out and they seriously know what they are talking about, obviously coming off of two championships they are no slouches.”

Rum Bum Racing will be back in action in three weeks’ time for the BMW Performance 200 at Daytona International Speedway January 25.

The post Double Success for Rum Bum Racing at the Roar Before the 24 appeared first on Rum Bum Racing.

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Double Success for Rum Bum Racing at the Roar Before the 24

Daytona Beach, Fla. (5 January 2014) – Following a quick turnaround from the holiday season, Rum Bum Racing went back to work this weekend as the team looks to not only return to victory lane at Daytona International Speedway, but also make progress towards a third consecutive IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Championship.

With a mixture of old and new, the team struck a great balance over the weekend and is prepared to take on the challenge of the new IMSA era.

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Rum Bum Racing Ready to Roar in Daytona Once Again

Orlando, Fla. (2 January 2014) – This weekend, Luis Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing will return to Daytona International Speedway, the site of its dramatic breakthrough debut victory, for a three day test as the team looks to score a third consecutive IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Team Championship  in 2014.

The team has enjoyed remarkable success at the fabled high-banked track and will open the 2014 IMSA season with three days of testing during the traditional “Roar Before the 24” test. The team is pleased to have Matt Plumb and Nick Longhi return to co-drive the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche as the 2013 IMSA Driver Champions look to add to their stellar race record together.

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Rum Bum Racing Ready to Roar in Daytona Once Again

Orlando, Fla. (2 January 2014) – This weekend, Luis Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing will return to Daytona International Speedway, the site of its dramatic breakthrough debut victory, for a three day test as the team looks to score a third consecutive IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Team Championship  in 2014.

The team has enjoyed remarkable success at the fabled high-banked track and will open the 2014 IMSA season with three days of testing during the traditional “Roar Before the 24” test. The team is pleased to have Matt Plumb and Nick Longhi return to co-drive the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche as the 2013 IMSA Driver Champions look to add to their stellar race record together.

Also on hand with Rum Bum Racing for the Roar test will be Kaz Grala and Hugh Plumb, who will be testing the No. 03 BMW M3 machine that the team first scored a victory with at the track in 2010.

Kaz Grala, who is the son of former Daytona Prototype pilot Darius, has been building a career on the NASCAR path and has already notched several championships and records on his way up. The wins and accomplishments are all the more impressive given that he is yet to turn 16 years old. (15 years, 5 days old as of the first day of the test, setting a record for youngest driver to participate in an IMSA event).

The young driver is eager to soak up as much experience as he can get as he samples the car in the test.

Hugh Plumb has raced the BMW M3 platform the last two years and will take part in the test to support Grala’s progress on the track while also helping the team get reacquainted with the BMW platform.

“Nick (Longhi) and I have known Darius for ages and have literally watched Kaz grow up, so we’ve followed his progress in NASCAR and it’s been nothing short of impressive,” said Plumb. “We mentioned to Mr. Bacardi that there was a young talent who was looking to get some experience in a sports car and he was 100% behind us bringing this M3 out for the test. Hugh has a lot of current experience in the BMW so he should be a great help to Kaz to learn the car and the track as well. This is going to be another incredibly competitive season, and we have a big list of things we want to learn this weekend to be in as strong a position as possible for when we come back to race in a few weeks.”

The test will run from Friday to Sunday (schedule link: http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/Tickets-Events/Events/2014/Roar-Before-The-Rolex-24/Schedule.aspx). IMSA.com will post timing and scoring information throughout the weekend.

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Kaz Grala notes:
- At 4 years old, Kaz got his first kart – a CRG Bambino with a 50cc Comer, which he raced at the F1-Outdoors road course in Massachusetts.
- At 7 he started racing year-round at F1-Boston, a multi-track indoor road racing facility also in Massachusetts. He accumulated over 100 wins and 2 championships.
- At 10 he started racing Bandolero cars in Charlotte NC. This was his introduction to oval racing. He won multiple championships (oval and road course) including the most prestigious Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
- At 12 Kaz moved up to Legend Cars. In 2012 he won 15 of 58 races run all over the country on both ovals and road courses. Ended Legends by winning the Winter Heat Championship at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the highest and age-unlimited Pro Division.
- Kaz kicked off 2013 as the youngest NASCAR driver ever to compete at Daytona International Speedway. At 14 years and 51 days old he started his first ever race in a Late Model Stock Car at the inaugural Battle at the Beach. On June 22, 2013 Kaz won his first LMSC race at Hickory Motor Speedway – becoming the youngest winner in UARA series history.
- When he climbs into the Rum Bum car tomorrow, he will be 15 years and 5 days old. The youngest driver ever to participate in an IMSA/Grand-Am sanctioned event.

The post Rum Bum Racing Ready to Roar in Daytona Once Again appeared first on Rum Bum Racing.

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A Step in the Right Direction for Australia

Recreational fishing organizations in Australia are applauding the newly elected Liberal Party’s plans to suspend and reform the management plans for the nation’s network of marine reserves. The newly appointed Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt, is also a welcomed change for the nearly five million anglers across the country. The party has vowed to take significant measures to not only restructure the management plans, but also ensure that there is adequate consultation with stakeholders and better representation for anglers.

Image: NSW Department of Primary Industries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier this year, the controversial management plans for commonwealth marine reserves were passed which would have locked out anglers from over half a million square miles of ocean (see “The Future of Australia’s Marine Reserves”). Some of these reserves included no-take zones within the Coral Sea that would prohibit anglers from fishing in some of the best marlin grounds in the world. This would result in huge losses for the recreational fishing industry in Australia, which generates an estimated AUD $10 billion annually. For the Cairns region alone, independent economic assessments have estimated that if the original management plans were implemented the reserves could lead to a loss of $15 million annually for the charter sector alone and a significant risk of losing half of the fleet. These plans were approved all despite there not being sufficient consultation with stakeholders and the lack of a sound scientific basis for the design of these reserves. Anglers and numerous other user groups alike felt that their voices were not heard over the powerful, foreign based environmental groups which exerted a strong influence in the creation of these reserves. These groups took an uncompromising approach to the issue which advocated for the entire Coral Sea to be managed as a no-take zone, closing off the Coral Sea to all fishing.

Fortunately, the Liberal party led by Prime Minister Tony Abbott is taking steps in the right direction. Abbott has pledged to establish a scientific panel to conduct a thorough review of the science behind the design of the reserves as well as regional advisory panels. These panels are intended to ensure that adequate consultation occurs with all stakeholders to fully understand the potential impacts of the reserves and ensure that a balanced approach is taken between conservation and the needs of users. Additionally, the Liberal party has vowed to establish a Recreational Fishing Council as well as allocate $1 million to support the Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF). The council will be responsible for improving communications with anglers by collecting catch data as well as data on the socioeconomic impacts of anglers to better manage fisheries and represent anglers.

Anglers around the world should also be pleased to know that the actions being taken in Australia represent a growing trend of recognizing the importance of incorporating into the management of marine environments, something that environmental groups failed to do here. In the end, the extreme, unwavering position taken by some environmental groups proved to be their downfall as indicated by one group who even admitted to making “errors in judgement” when dealing with the recreational sector. Their actions may ultimately prove to a detriment to any legitimate conservation efforts as now the entire drafting process will have to begin anew taking resources and efforts away from utilizing existing, proven management practices such as size limits and enforcement. However, this is not just a win for anglers, but for everyone who has a stake in the marine environment and the local economies that are driven by a vibrant sportfishing industry. Hopefully, political leaders in Australia will make good on their promises to help restore the confidence of anglers and give the recreational sector the “respect and recognition it deserve as contributors to the environment, healthy lifestyles and to the nation’s economy.”

The post A Step in the Right Direction for Australia appeared first on The Billfish Foundation.

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2013 ICCAT Negotiations Protects U.S. Swordfish and Bluefin Share

Photo Courtesy of Brian Cota

The annual negotiations by member nations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) concluded in late November following intense negotiations over western and eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna; North and South Atlantic swordfish; and North and South Atlantic albacore.  The current landing levels for both western and eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna were not increased, but rather extended for another year pending the outcome of 2014 stock assessments.  The swordfish management measures were extended for another three years, which protects the U.S. quota share for that time.  TBF President Ellen Peel, U.S. Recreational Fisheries Commissioner, said “fortunately the U.S. did not lose any swordfish quota, she encourages all anglers to report every swordfish they land to protect the U.S. interest.”  The landings limit for North and South Atlantic albacore will remain at the current levels.

The big disappointment was failure to reach agreement on a number of shark measures, especially requiring that all sharks be landed with fins naturally attached, which the U.S. proposed.

Compliance with ICCAT measures again received a lot of attention with nations agreeing that the records of the 47 member and 5 non-member nations be reviewed and action taken if found out of compliance.  The U.S. remains the leader in keeping compliance an important issue that receives a significant amount of attention during the negotiations each year.

The post 2013 ICCAT Negotiations Protects U.S. Swordfish and Bluefin Share appeared first on The Billfish Foundation.

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66th Annual Gulf & Caribbean Fisheries Institute

This past November, TBF staff members attended the 66th Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) conference hosted by the Harte Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies of Texas A&M University. More than 400 scientists, marine managers, fishermen, students, and NGOs from 35 countries came to Corpus Christi, Texas to share their work and exchange information on the management of marine resources.

Topics of interest to TBF included fisheries governance and recreational fisheries in the Caribbean which involved interesting research on artisanal fishing as well as the management of fish aggregations devices (FADs), issues which are of growing importance internationally. With marine protected areas (MPAs) threatening to lock out anglers from fishing grounds in places like Australia and most recently Bermuda, new research on MPAs was another important topic for TBF. Exciting research was also presented on dolphinfish (mahi-mahi), yellowfin tuna, and flyingfish, all of which are important prey for billfish.

This year’s GCFI award winners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TBF also participated in the conference by presenting some of its own research. Science and Policy Associate, Michael Kelly and TBF intern, Kristina Trotta both presented their findings from projects which focus on the Caribbean. Trotta presented results from research that compliments previous work conducted by TBF in the northern Caribbean for the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism. Similar methods used for prior research conducted in Puerto Rico and USVI were utilized by TBF to gauge the level of sportfishing in Colombia as well as the motivating factors and potential economic growth of sportfishing in the country. As part of a Caribbean wide campaign, ongoing research being conducted by TBF in the Caribbean was also presented by Michael Kelly. This work focuses on working with stakeholders and officials in the Caribbean to assess the existing levels of sportfishing in the region, the capacity to expand sportfishing and highlight the potential for Caribbean nations to capture the many benefits of sportfishing. The intent of this research is to help influence policies in the Caribbean toward conserving gamefish and promote sportfishing in the region. Ideally, this work will show that that sportfishing offers a much more sustainable means of benefitting from marine resources instead of practices such as longlining or selling fishing rights to foreign nations.

Keep an eye out for more on TBF’s work in the Caribbean and the results of the research in Colombia in TBF’s ‘News’ section or contact one of the TBF staff members for more information. Learn more about TBF’s work in our Research section.

The post 66th Annual Gulf & Caribbean Fisheries Institute appeared first on The Billfish Foundation.

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Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park

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Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park

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Rum Bum Outdoors goes Live!

Rum Bum Technology has reecently launched www.rumbumoutdoors.com which follows Andre Carbonell through his outdoor and hunting adventures around the world as a tv show coming to you soon. Rum Bum Outdoors is currently being produced and filmed at a few locations including but not limited to Florida, South Dakota, and Colorado. Currently on the website you can check out various features including location information, photos of hunts, future blogs, as well as preview video to the Rum Bum Outdoors show featured on the website. When your done checking out all the information, feel free to go and buy some of your own Rum Bum Outdoors hunting gear on the shop section that is part of www.rumbumgear.com

From the world to your eyes let Rum Bum Outdoors take you on the most amazing hunting adventures.

Follow Andre Carbonell as he embarks on an adventure to the ends of the world; hunting for all of the species known to man. Travel with him as he visits the savannahs of Africa, the mountain tops of Asia, Europe’s highlands, New Zealand’s mountains, Australia’s plains and forest and the heavy woods found throughout the United States of America.  Every situation can and will be different, sometimes uncomfortable and perhaps even dangerous…..Read more only on www.rumbumoutdoors.com

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Seminole Prairie Safaris

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Prairie Dog Lodge

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Seminole Prairie Safaris

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Prairie Dog Lodge

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TBF Talks Billfish Advocacy in Classroom

In October, the students in South Broward High School’s Marine Policy class participated in their annual mock debates about billfish policy as they worked together to create a management plan for billfish in the United States. Groups of students represented different stakeholders in the fishery such as recreational fishermen, commercial fishermen, environmental groups, scientists, and government officials as they debated on how to implement increased conservation measures for billfish. TBF’s Andrew Cox attended the final day of debates where the students finalized their positions and came to a conclusion for a new management plan. Students were given insight and feedback on their proposed management plan and how many of the items suggested were things that TBF is currently working on such as increased gear restricted areas and catch caps on billfish. TBF is looking forward to next year’s billfish debate!

The post TBF Talks Billfish Advocacy in Classroom appeared first on The Billfish Foundation.

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TBF Mourns the Loss of TBF Chief Scientist, Russell Nelson

Russell Nelson, The Billfish Foundation’s Chief Scientist and a former leader of the Florida Marine Fisheries Commission, has passed away. His unexpected death is a loss to those who knew him and to the fisheries he helped over a long career. When it came to ensuring healthy fish populations, Russell Nelson was the perfect combination of scientist and reason.

As executive director of the Florida Marine Fisheries Commission (FMC), which later became part of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Nelson helped develop regulations that brought redfish,  snook and other species back from the brink of extinction in Florida waters. Russell also protected sea turtles by getting Florida to require turtle excluder devices on shrimp boats.

Appointed by the governor, the MFC’s commissioners were citizens that sometimes had little knowledge or understanding of saltwater issues, but Russell always there to gently guide them to do the right thing for Florida’s marine resources. He not only knew the science that would help a species, he also knew human nature and how that had to be figured into the management equation.

“Russ was an enormous asset to the Marine Fisheries Commission and was a phenomenal contributor to the safety and conservation of many fisheries in the United States,” said R.Z. Safley, a former Florida legislator and one-time member (1986-1988) of the Marine Fisheries Commission. “He was a good scientist and a hard-nosed advocate for (marine conservation). He was important to the science of fishery management for decades.”

“He was well-educated; he was one of those guys, like Einstein, who had pathways through the brain the rest of us didn’t have,” said Roy Williams, former assistant executive director of the Marine Fisheries. “He was a good scientist but he also had pretty good political insight. Most of the issues we dealt with were tough, because you had to say ‘No,’ to somebody. Russ was good because he could balance the science and the politics.”

After leaving the FWC in 2000, he founded Nelson Resources Consulting, an Oakland Park-based international fisheries consulting group that specializes in conservation science and advocacy for recreational fishing interests.

With The Billfish Foundation, Russell was instrumental in several of TBF’s socio-economic studies in the Los Cabos region of Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama as well as being a loud voice for recreational fishing during international negotiations. His insight into dynamics of fisheries and the socio-economic benefits generated from sport fishing played pivotal roles in assisting many governments make decisions to further benefit sport fishing and tourism opportunities.

“All I can say is that Russell, in addition to being a brilliant scientist and analyst, had the most subtle sense of humor of anyone I’ve ever known,” said Joan Vernon, of Key Biscayne, who conducts the Presidential Challenge and worked with Nelson on billfish conservation issues in countries visited by the tournament series. “He had the ability to put complicated issues into perspective and reach sound conclusions that benefited not only the fish, but the economic issues involved as well. His outlook on life was an inspiration for all that knew him. It is hard to imagine life without Russell.”

“He was super,” said Capt. Bouncer Smith, of Miami Beach, who took Mr. Nelson and friends of his from Sweden daytime swordfishing two weeks ago. “He had semi-retired, bought a motorhome and went all over the Eastern United States trout fishing and visiting people.”

Russell received his doctorate from North Carolina State University, then worked as a research biologist for the National Marine Fisheries Service before working for the Marine Fisheries Commission. Highly respected, Nelson also served for 14 years as a member of both the U.S. South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Councils and also served on the U.S. delegation to the International Committee for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

Nelson is survived by TBF President Ellen Peel, two adult daughters, Rebecca and Kate, his mother and several siblings. A celebration of Nelson’s life will be held Sunday October 13, 2013, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) headquarters in Dania. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The Billfish Foundation by clicking here.

The post TBF Mourns the Loss of TBF Chief Scientist, Russell Nelson appeared first on The Billfish Foundation.

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Come See What’s New At TBF During The Fort Lauderdale Boat Show!

Look for TBF at the 54th edition of The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) running from Thursday, October 31st – Monday November, 4th. FLIBS promoters forecast this year’s event to be one of the best ever, with new attractions including Seafair, which features upscale food, drinks and shopping, and the Sailfish Pavilion located at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center. Be sure and visit The Billfish Foundation’s display at the Bahia Mar location near the front of the entrance tent.

Steve Goione, TBF’s 2013 artist will be a guest at our booth on the first two days of the boat show. Steve celebrated his home state of North Carolina and its iconic boat-builders when he created “A Rigger Full” for the TBF 2013 Print of the Year. The centerpiece of the print features a sleek sportfishing boat aptly name Release Me, with masts loaded with TBF tag flags. Two beautiful blue marlin complete this beautiful work of art. Steve will be at the TBF display on Thursday and Friday, illustrating an original pen and ink remarque on the print during show hours to increase its value and exclusivity even more! Those who join or renew their TBF membership at the boat show will be entered into a drawing for this one of a kind work of art!

TBF will also be debuting some brand new apparel from our conservation partner, Pelagic. You will definitely want to check out this great looking gear either for yourself, or be ahead of the game and start your holiday shopping for your favorite anglers!

The post Come See What’s New At TBF During The Fort Lauderdale Boat Show! appeared first on The Billfish Foundation.

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Introducing the TBF/TrollPro Monthly Video Contest!

Photo Credit to Alonso Abuchaibe

With billfishing at its peak in many destinations worldwide, TBF and TrollPro.com would love to see your amazing fishing videos. Similar to our monthly photo contest, we will reward you with prizes for sending in the best short videos to us!

All you need to do it submit your video to us via email, mail, or share your file via dropbox.com or Google Drive and be sure to “like” our TBF facebook page as well as TrollPro’s Facebook page. Once we contact and confirm the details of the video provider, we will post the top choices on our TBF facebook site. The winning video will be posted on our social media outlets and we’ll mail out your prize! We might even use your videos in future events!

RULES:

FORMAT: Videos should be 10 minutes or less in duration. Do not send us YouTube or vimeo links that are not your own! Send your files by email, or sharing them via dropbox.com or google drive  to [email protected] or just send us a flash drive to our office – ATTN: Video Contest!

1. Your submission e-mail should contain contact information, credits, a short description of location, species, highlights and if a TrollPro Video Housing was used.

2. Videos should be no shorter than 10 seconds and no longer than 5 minutes of footage. Edited footage is fine as well.

3. Videos must not contain any inappropriate material and should be in good taste, suitable for all audiences.

4. The videos can be of billfish in the water and/or underwater, jumping shots, on the teaser, in the dredge teaser or free swimming and must be submitted by the 1st of the month. The contest will begin October 1st, 2013 and you have until October 15th to submit your video. The top videos will be voted on and the winner will be announced in our monthly e-newsletter.

5. Since TrollPro is a proud co-sponsor of this contest, any winning video that is captured in whole or part with a TrollPro Underwater Marine Video Housing, TrollPro DredgePro, or TrollPro Down Rigger Series housing and displays proof will receive an additional bonus from TrollPro!

6. Prizes will only be mailed to addresses in the United States.

Eligible Video Formats

• .MOV

• .MPEG4

• .AVI

• .WMV

• .MPEGPS

• .FLV

• 3GP

• WebM

PLEASE NOTE: Any video of a fish that has been removed from the water will be disqualified. Not only is this harmful for the fish, but it is also illegal in the Atlantic and its surrounding waters according to Atlantic Federal Regulation 50 CFR 635.21.

**By submitting videos to The Billfish Foundation and TrollPro you have given us the right to use your VIDEO in any of our digital (Facebook, twitter, etc.) or traditional (brochures, publications, promotional materials etc.) media outlets.

 

The post Introducing the TBF/TrollPro Monthly Video Contest! appeared first on The Billfish Foundation.

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Rum Bum Racing Wins Second Consecutive GRAND-AM Championship

Notes: 2nd consecutive GRAND-AM Team Championship First driver championship for both Matt Plumb and Nick Longhi Rum Bum Racing Helps Porsche Secure Manufacturer Championship (Rum Bum Racing team manufacturer affiliation has won every year that Rum Bum has raced in GRAND-AM) 2013 Rum Bum Racing: 11 starts, 1 pole, 3 wins, 7 podiums, 9 top-fives,  91 laps led Total since 2010 GRAND-AM debut: 41 starts, 14 wins, 5 poles, 22 podiums, 28 top-fives, 2936/3168 laps completed (93%)

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Rum Bum Racing Wins Second Consecutive GRAND-AM Championship

Notes:
2nd consecutive GRAND-AM Team Championship
First driver championship for both Matt Plumb and Nick Longhi
Rum Bum Racing Helps Porsche Secure Manufacturer Championship (Rum Bum Racing team manufacturer affiliation has won every year that Rum Bum has raced in GRAND-AM)
2013 Rum Bum Racing: 11 starts, 1 pole, 3 wins, 7 podiums, 9 top-fives,  91 laps led
Total since 2010 GRAND-AM debut: 41 starts, 14 wins, 5 poles, 22 podiums, 28 top-fives, 2936/3168 laps completed (93%)

Lakeville, Conn. (29 September 2013) – On Saturday at Lime Rock Park, Rum Bum Racing made history, once again.

With scores of friends and family as well as team owner Luis Bacardi and wife Jennifer on hand, Matt Plumb and Nick Longhi combined to bring the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche home on the podium at Lime Rock Park to secure the team’s second consecutive GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Team Championship.

The run to the podium finish capped an 11-race run to the championship as the Bacardi-led squad completed a successful defense of their breakthrough 2012 championship.

The 2013 season saw Rum Bum Racing utilize both teamwork and speed in equal measure to score three wins and seven podiums, including the incredible debut for the team’s in-house built Porsche 911 that saw Rum Bum win at Mid-Ohio. After track debris went into the engine area at the penultimate round of racing at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca,  Rum Bum Racing fans had to wait until Lime Rock Park for the team to confirm the championship goal.

“Winning one of these championships is like getting struck by lightning; it rarely ever happens twice,” said Plumb. “And the fact that we have won it twice like this is really a testament to the team, from the top-down. From Mr. Bacardi to Joe Varde to all the guys going over the wall, everyone knows what their job is, they know how to do it.

“In 2009 when Joe Varde and I sat down and tried to map out what this was all going to look like, winning the 2012 and 2013 championship was not necessarily ‘hanging off the tree’,” said Plumb, who also works outside the cockpit as the general manager for the team. “But we knew we wanted to win races and we knew we had to please our owner whose goal was to win races and so we are just thrilled to have had the luck and the good fortune to get here.”

Longhi, who qualified sixth, then took a heads-up and conservative approach in the early stages of the race before turning the car over to Plumb to take to the finish. On the final pit stop during the all-green-flag race, Varde eschewed new Continental Tires to score track position.

The race, like much of what Rum Bum Racing has set out to achieve, went largely according to plan as Plumb was able to move up to fight for a third place finish as the team capped off an incredible year with yet more champagne.

“It was obviously a culmination of a lot of effort,” said Longhi. “It all started with Luis Bacardi and Matt Plumb who were the originators of the entire concept and approach, and then Joe Varde bringing that team together that Matt has run. Not only does he drive the car but he also runs the team, and over the last few years it has been a fantastically successful arrangement.”

Claiming his first-ever driver championship was something that Longhi was happy to do, but the New York resident has been focused on what the team could accomplish from day one.

“It’s an incredibly privileged position to be in, to be involved with this group of people because they are fantastic,” said Longhi. “It’s a fantastic group of people. I don’t know if ‘chemistry’ is the right word, but we are all friends and I think that is extremely important.”

Rum Bum Racing will look forward to continuing its legacy of success, and will announce plans for 2014 in the coming weeks.

The Lime Rock Park Champions Weekend race will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 on October 6 at 5:00 PM ET.

The post Rum Bum Racing Wins Second Consecutive GRAND-AM Championship appeared first on Rum Bum Racing.

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Title in Sight As Rum Bum Racing Set for Third Row Start

Lakeville, Connecticut (27 September 2013) – With a conservative approach in play, Rum Bum Racing will start from sixth on the grid for the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Championship Weekend event at Lime Rock Park on Saturday.


Nick Longhi, who along with co-driver Matt Plumb, leads both the team and driver championships, will open the race from the third row after he posted a fast lap time of 57.697-seconds around the quick 1.53-mile Lime Rock Park track. With a significant gap in the points, Rum Bum Racing is poised to score a second consecutive GRAND-AM championship on Saturday.

“The car is great,” said Longhi of the qualifying run. “We know what we have to do for the race and as usual (crew chief) Joe Varde and the crew have prepared an immaculate car. It’s good, it’s quick and it’s reliable. It’s a great track. We love Lime Rock. It’s my and Matt’s (Plumb) home track. We’ve won the last two races here. We just love this place. There is no place like it in North America. In terms of the feeling of this racetrack and the fans, I just love it. Well done for the crew, having the car ready to go off the trailer. I don’t think we’ve touched it in terms of set up changes. Joe (Varde) just nailed it.”

With just one 45-minute practice session held ahead of qualifying, the GS teams had limited time to work on car setups. But the Rum Bum Racing crew delivered yet another strong car with both drivers happy with the setup before the practice session was even completed. After just 18 laps of running, Rum Bum Racing was happy with the car as the team posted the fifth quickest time of the session.

Though the team has played a conservative hand entering the season-finale event, Lime Rock has traditionally been a very strong circuit for Rum Bum Racing with the squad having won the previous two events at the track.

“We’re being careful in terms of saving the car mechanically for the race,” continued Longhi. “We know we have to score the points because the big picture is the championship. We don’t want to get in the middle of other people’s races as well. There are plenty of races going for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, in the championship. Once we have done what we need to do, we’ll move on to the next thing, but right now we’re being conservative. The car is great and we’re ready to go.”

The qualifying session marked the final time the GS cars will be on track ahead of the race which is set to go green Saturday at 9:50 AM ET. Live timing and scoring is available on www.grandam.com. FOX Sports 1 will televise the race Sunday, October 6 at 5:00 PM (ET).

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Title in Sight As Rum Bum Racing Set for Third Row Start

Lakeville, Connecticut (27 September 2013) – With a conservative approach in play, Rum Bum Racing will start from sixth on the grid for the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Championship Weekend event at Lime Rock Park on Saturday.

Nick Longhi, who along with co-driver Matt Plumb, leads both the team and driver championships, will open the race from the third row after he posted a fast lap time of 57.697-seconds around the quick 1.53-mile Lime Rock Park track. With a significant gap in the points, Rum Bum Racing is poised to score a second consecutive GRAND-AM championship on Saturday.

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Championship Goal for Rum Bum Racing at Lime Rock Park

Orlando, Fla. (25 September 2013) –  In a season that has seen Luis Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing take three victories and six podiums while remaining at the top of the championship standings throughout the year, the 2013 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge championship has come down to the final race of the year at Lime Rock Park this weekend.

While the Florida-based team will be looking to add to its podium tally in Saturday’s race around the 1.53-mile Connecticut road course, Rum Bum Racing could well be celebrating its second consecutive team championship at the drop of the green flag as the provisional championship standings would see Rum Bum clinch the championship title at the start of the race.

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Championship Goal for Rum Bum Racing at Lime Rock Park

Orlando, Fla. (25 September 2013) –  In a season that has seen Luis Bacardi’s Rum Bum Racing take three victories and six podiums while remaining at the top of the championship standings throughout the year, the 2013 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge championship has come down to the final race of the year at Lime Rock Park this weekend.

While the Florida-based team will be looking to add to its podium tally in Saturday’s race around the 1.53-mile Connecticut road course, Rum Bum Racing could well be celebrating its second consecutive team championship at the drop of the green flag as the provisional championship standings would see Rum Bum clinch the championship title at the start of the race.

Rum Bum drivers Nick Longhi and Matt Plumb are also well on their way to the Driver Championship title as the provisional standings see the pair holding a 34-point advantage.

The Rum Bum squad has traditionally run very well in the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche at Longhi’s home track of Lime Rock Park, which stages two separate races for the GS and ST classes. He and Plumb drove from third to claim victory in 2011 and then followed up that effort last year by taking the pole and then leading 85 laps en route to taking the victory and winning the 2012 Team Championship title.

Though the team has shown strength at Lime Rock before, Rum Bum Racing will still have work to do in the one 45-minute GS practice session held ahead of GS qualifying on Friday as the team takes its first laps around Lime Rock in its new Porsche 997 which Rum Bum Racing debuted earlier this year at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

“Hopefully, with the limited track time, we can roll off the truck with a quick car,” offered Plumb on the Porsche 997 that the team built from the ground up. “But we have seen that this car sometimes likes different set ups than the cars we’ve had in the past, so there is a little bit of a question mark for us. But the team has stepped up to every challenge, time and time again, and we are all looking forward to having another strong weekend at Lime Rock and hopefully having something to celebrate on Saturday.”

As Rum Bum Racing pursues its second consecutive GRAND-AM Championship at Lime Rock Park this weekend, the group will also be targeting a fourth win on the season as many of Longhi’s hometown family and friends will be in attendance.

“Lime Rock has been a special track for this team, and there would be nothing better than to have a big result this weekend,” said Longhi, who resides in nearby Nyack, New York. “Being so close to home, having the finale at this track is great for me and I’m looking forward to Saturday in a very big way.”

It will be a very quick weekend for Rum Bum Racing with just the one practice session scheduled ahead of qualifying which is set to begin at 1:55 PM (ET). The 2.5-hour GS race will take place Saturday at 9:50 AM (ET).

Live timing and scoring is available throughout the weekend at www.grand-am.com.

FOX Sports 1 will televise the event Sunday, October 6 at 5:00 PM (ET).

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“Baby” Blue Marlin Story

Photo credit to Richard Brackett

Encountering a blue marlin is quite a feat in itself, but seeing one this small is extremely rare. Richard Brackett from Charleston, South Carolina contacted us about catching a small billfish. He sent us the picture above and after looking at it, it was confirmed that he caught a baby blue marlin!

Many thought the picture he submitted shows a sailfish due to the “sailfish-like” dorsal fin but blue marlin also have a “sail” early in life. Eventually it recedes and their bill grows out. Sailfish can be easily distinguished due to their dorsal AND bill. Luckily, anglers have also encountered “baby” sailfish in the Gulf of Mexico and sent pictures in for confirmation. For clarification on what is a blue marlin and what is a sailfish, please refer to the pictures and illustrations in the gallery.

 

By Richard Brackett

My boss, Joey Cagle and I decided to run out to swordfish for a couple hours (off of Charleston, SC), so we left about noon and trolled from 200’ straight out to the deep just to see what we came across on the way. We had a pretty good day and ended going 1-2 pm sails and had a couple other bites. Once the sun started to set we set up for a drift. After an hour or so, I saw what we thought to be a juvenile sailfish in the transom lights. Being such a last minute trip, I forgot the dip net so I had to resort to option two. I filled the bucket with water, opened the transom door and scooped him up with my hands and set him in the bucket. I have to say even at this small size they are crazy aggressive. I got him in my hands in the bucket to snap a quick picture so we could release it as quickly as possible.

 

Great story and thank you for sharing it guys. This could possibly be one of the easiest blue marlin releases ever! This is the smallest blue marlin we have heard of recently but other “baby” blue marlin were spotted from South Carolina down to South Florida.  It is amazing to think that these little guys can get to be over 1500+lbs when fully grown!  If you encounter any of these guys please let us know and email us!

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NMFS Releases Updates for Bluefin Tuna and Swordfish Management

Photo: Josh Ardis

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) recently released the Final Rule for Swordfish Management (Amendment 8) and a Draft Rule for Bluefin Tuna Management (Amendment 7). Both have particularly important information for anglers and the recreational fishing community.

The final rule for Amendment 8 for swordfish management  is intended to more fully utilize the domestic swordfish allocation. Beginning in 2014, a new General Commercial Permit for Swordfish will be available that authorizes the use of hand gear, excluding buoys, to harvest swordfish and legally sell to authorized swordfish dealers.  The rule also allows charter/head boats to fish under the same restrictions as the general commercial permit.

Regional retention limits were established for the three separate areas with a special Swordfish Management Area created for the South Florida region, the Northwest Atlantic (including the Gulf of Mexico), and the U.S. Caribbean.  Vessels in the Northwest Atlantic, excluding the Florida Swordfish Management Area will have an initial retention limit of three (3) swordfish per trip. The Caribbean will have an initial retention limit of two (2) swordfish, and the Swordfish Management Area will have an initial retention limit of zero (0).

Source: NMFS

An important note is that interested vessels would need to meet commercial vessel requirements and would forfeit their HMS Angling Category permits, making it illegal to target billfish outside of HMS registered tournaments.

The Draft Proposed Rule for Bluefin Tuna (Amendment 7) has several alternatives which include quota reallocation among categories and potential seasonal longline closures in the Gulf of Mexico. Of particular interest to The Billfish Foundation is NMFS is also considering opening the DeSoto Canyons and the Florida East Coast (FEC) longline closures to a limited number of longline vessels. Originally closed due to high interactions with juvenile swordfish and billfish, opening these areas to longlines could have a detrimental impact on the sportfishing industry.

Source: NMFS

NMFS is also considering TBF’s recommendation to allow the Gulf of Mexico a sub-quota of the total bluefin tuna Trophy Angling  for incidental catches. In recent years, landing an incidentally caught bluefin has not been possible because the fishery was closed in April and before the height of fishing season in the Gulf of Mexico. The proposed rule would separate the 4.2 mt of Trophy bluefin (greater than 73″) equally among the three regions – North, South, and The Gulf of Mexico. In recent years, the Southern Trophy bluefin tuna quota has been filled early in the year with subsequent closures of the fishery in April the previous two years.

To stay up to date on both of these important HMS Amendments, visit TBF’s Advocacy Center.

The post NMFS Releases Updates for Bluefin Tuna and Swordfish Management appeared first on The Billfish Foundation.

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Rum Bum Racing Moves Closer To Goal in Monterey

Monterey, Calif. (8 September 2013) - With team owner Luis Bacardi and wife Jennifer on hand, Matt Plumb and Nick Longhi combined to bring the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche home in 16th place in the Continental Tire Sports Car Festival as the team moved closer to the goal of securing a second consecutive GRAND-AM Championship on Sunday.

The race didn’t feature the team’s trademark speed and strategy to create results. Instead, it was teamwork that ruled the day after debris got into the motor area and shredded the serpentine belt. The part is a crucial one, driving a range of motor functions including the all-important water pump to cool the motor.

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Rum Bum Racing Moves Closer To Goal in Monterey

Monterey, Calif. (8 September 2013) – With team owner Luis Bacardi and wife Jennifer on hand, Matt Plumb and Nick Longhi combined to bring the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche home in 16th place in the Continental Tire Sports Car Festival as the team moved closer to the goal of securing a second consecutive GRAND-AM Championship on Sunday.

The race didn’t feature the team’s trademark speed and strategy to create results. Instead, it was teamwork that ruled the day after debris got into the motor area and shredded the serpentine belt. The part is a crucial one, driving a range of motor functions including the all-important water pump to cool the motor.

Recognizing the issue as the race hit the 30 minute mark, Longhi returned the car to pit lane after turning the motor off at the top of the hill and coasting all the way into the pit box to preserve the motor.

“Something–could have been a rock or any other kind of debris–shredded the belt,” said Longhi. “I felt the power steering fail.  The belt also runs the water pump so the car started to overheat and I had to stop. Obviously that’s a big fix. They changed it fast, but unfortunately it’s not the kind of thing you can change during a race and not lose laps, so we lost laps but we’ll never give up and keep going.”

The team jumped right into the overheated area and started to work on the very complicated repair, which would likely take several days in the service bay of the dealer down the street. But for Rum Bum Racing, it was less than 20 minutes work although it came at the cost of nearly 15 laps lost to the leader.

Plumb took over the driving duties, and worked on making the laps as he tried to convert the team’s hard work into crucial championship points.

“What goes around, comes around, and we have gotten our share of great luck this season,” said Plumb after the race.  “Everything has gone our way from strategy to mechanical durability, so it’s just a matter of time when something’s going to happen. But it’s just kind of crushing when it happens at a time like this.  The good news is that we’ve got a big enough lead where we can come back, not trying to do anything stupid, like we’ve done for the whole season and see what happens.  The Rum Bum crew, once again—a problem pops up, a lot of people panic, they don’t, they just figure out what needs to be done and luckily we were able to get out and finish it all. Great team effort. This wasn’t what we came out here to do, but we’ll just focus on making the most of our chance at Lime Rock Park.”

A second driver change helped to make sure that both pilots earned their points as the team now holds a 34-point lead in the provisional points.

The group will look to close the championship with a strong run at Lime Rock park, having won at the track in 2011 and 2012.

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Rum Bum Racing Focused on Championship at Laguna Seca

Monterey Calif. (7 September 2013) – The GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge championship-leading team of Rum Bum Racing will start  the Continental Tire Sports Car Festival at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca from the seventh row after Nick Longhi set a lap time of 1:37.800-seconds during Saturday afternoon’s 15-minute qualifying session. The No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche will line up 13th on the 54-car combined class grid.

Rum Bum Racing holds a 51-point advantage in the 2013 championship with just two rounds yet to run, and could secure a second consecutive GRAND-AM Team Championship with a finish of 11th or better in Sunday’s 2.5-hour race.

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Rum Bum Racing Focused on Championship at Laguna Seca

Monterey Calif. (7 September 2013) – The GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge championship-leading team of Rum Bum Racing will start  the Continental Tire Sports Car Festival at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca from the seventh row after Nick Longhi set a lap time of 1:37.800-seconds during Saturday afternoon’s 15-minute qualifying session. The No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche will line up 13th on the 54-car combined class grid.

Rum Bum Racing holds a 51-point advantage in the 2013 championship with just two rounds yet to run, and could secure a second consecutive GRAND-AM Team Championship with a finish of 11th or better in Sunday’s 2.5-hour race.

The group utilized Saturday’s two practice sessions ahead of the qualifying session to dial in the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche to ensure that Longhi and Matt Plumb have the proper set-up for Sunday’s race around the 2.238-mile Laguna Seca road course.
Longhi will open the race before handing the controls over to Matt Plumb who will take the Porsche machine to the finish. The team has four poles to its credit, but hasn’t yet fully unlocked the speed in the No. 13 as the group continues to work towards finding the best balance for the penultimate race of the season.

“We’ve improved the balance with the car, but for some reason we just are not as quick as we were hoping we would be,” said Longhi. “I made a mistake in turn nine and that certainly cost us some time that we left on the table. But, even if that hadn’t happened we still are not where we thought we would be. But this is just an incredible team, and we’ll keep working on it and be ready to go. We are very focused and will just keep working.”

Both Longhi and Plumb have years of experience at the California circuit and will look to use their knowledge of the 11-turn track to move forward with a clean, trouble-free run and come home with a top-11 finish to clinch the 2013 GRAND-AM championship title.

The 2.5-hour Continental Tire Sports Car Festival event is set to begin at 10:00 AM local time (1:00 PM ET). Live timing and scoring can be followed at www.grand-am.com.

The event will be televise on FOX Sports 1 on September 15at 4:00 PM (ET).

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