FLW Pro Nationals-Loose Lucy Sebago #1

WOW
WOW
WOW
We all knew it going in,
we wanted the win,
we felt the win,
we had the confidence.
Day One,
we worked our way through small fish and different spots,
and then magic happened,
we caught a decent fish,
confidence grew as we continued to fish,
then,
it all came together,
the fight was not much different than the others all day,
but when mike put the gaff in,
well folks,
things got more interesting,
in a big way.
He stepped to the mid of the boat,
and heaved twice as the big long kingfish emerged out of the water.
The boat aft our port,
our good friends, less than a football field away,
gasped and screamed,
as we all still could not see the whole image,
as it made the approach from water to deck,
WOW
big fish.
did not fit in the bag,
capt said, its time to go,
we have a 20 minute lee way if our ride is problem proof.
we rode home,
got back with 15 of those 20 to spare as the scales opened,
we all knew,
this would be a moment to enjoy.
Our fish weighed 57.10, just short of a personal best
for our team,
but just enough ahead, to take the lead, and secure a spot
in the top 5 on Sunday,
let the dance begin.
Saturday, weather turned, and fishing got cancelled,
we enjoyed a breakfast of too much food and bloody mary buffet\and capt Ed and Linda, poor little pincus, and Ramos Fizz, aka FUZZY RAYMOND.
We secureed the boat and bait and such,
thanks to many good friends for giving us their bait once they were
out of competition,
and I headed to spa Hard Rock with my super fun friend jen,
then we did camera stuff,
which trust me,
will be one of the funniest things you ever watch,
if you know us,
and really,
why would you read this if you didn't!
Jan 18th crew,
blah blah blah,
last day,
rough cold
cold rough
and then just cold cold cold
a whopping 38 degrees,
but we bundled up and froze,
to find the fish also,
were bundled up and not out gallivanting,
we moved around to our best ability,
and found a 20ish lb fish,
we ended up
after loading the boat,
taking it to wal mart parking lot for weigh in,
waiting, hoping, celebrating in our heads, and then
worrying,
the number 5 team,
weighed in a 39 lb fish,
therefore making us responsible for a 25.20 or better,
well,
we knew confidently our fish was 24,
but any more than that was just up to the fish gods,
we quickly sat anxiously,
nervously,
and for what seemed hours among hours,
to wait and sea.
I had already convinced myself that 2nd was good enough,
but knew 2nd is just the second loser,
I DIDN'T COME HERE TO LOSE!
27.7 it was,
we won.
Has been crazy since,
interviews, autographs (i know - right!),
and lack of sleep and overload of emotions!

But we planned our work,
and worked our plan,

Half of it,
our plan was and is,
to take both Championships in a row,

so here we are,
getting ready to do it again,
or die trying.

Many,
and I do mean MANY!
Thanks,
to our support,
our family and friends filled with good wishes
and congrats, on not only this,
but every time we fish a tournament,
and to Chris Blanton, the big bird and his crew of My 3 sons,
Bobby and crew on Cat Daddy,
Rick Ryan and crew on Crawgator,Jenifer who kept me sane and somewhat from getting nervous, thank you so much!
Mark Maus and Dell and Bill Platt(platapus!) and Joel and todd and that whole crew of Broxies,
Wylie at Yellowfin, and Myreon at Yamaha,
and that cute cajun redfish guy, can't remember his name,
and of course,
all the friends, that kept calling and wishing us well,
and last but certainly not ever least,
Karen, Mom B, and Mom K,
Gary, Jimmy, David, Rose, Peggy, and Glenda,
the Team!

love y'all!
peace love and fishing!

OKAY one more, with words......

Sorry, lots of photo's,
years of fun,
millions of memories,
and gosh only knows how many stories, jokes, and bonds of friendship amongst us, made us look forward all year,
to our yearly pilgramage,
to Capt Tony's,
where you did not have to be anyone, or anything,
just smile, and laugh, and meet new friends,
and old friends,
in a different light.
I personally felt a connection with not only Capt Tony,
but his off the beaten path bar of touristy Key West,
becuase it was locals, and down to earth folks,
and great sing alongs,
and the place where I and my friends,
still had more fun, than,
well,
anywhere.
Capt Tony, even at the last visit,
was vibrant, and happy,
to be in his bar,
the nicest thing he ever said to me,
after,
'you're the girl I wanna marry'
was,
'you, you and your friends,
(in his italian casanova accent)
you make my bar alive,
and fun,
and its like,
like it used to be in the day.
Come Marry Me!'
then he would grab for skin and such,
and smile for a photo.
I and Mike, were one of the few'yankees' ever invited to his home,
to play tuesday night poker, with the Key West Locals,
no one past Big Pine besides family was ever invited,
and I felt honored that we were considered,
Locals, in his town,
the town where he made Jimmy Buffet a star,
the town where he buried his anger at life and death,
in fishing and drinking with the likes of Ernest Hemingway,
his political agenda when he ran for Mayor of Key West,
was,t shirts, shorts, and warm hearts,
take care of your neighbor, and welcome the visitors.
He won by a landslide victory.

His daughter wrote him a letter in March 2005,
he gave me a copy of it one day,
and said, 'read this someday, not now, but someday'
TJ Tarracino
To My Father.
I am currently 18 years old, and when I was born, I had no idea that my family would so odd,
would be so different. My father is currently 88 years old and was 70 when my mother had me. I grew up my whole life with a father who could have been my great-grandfather in some other families. But there is a difference between my father and other people his age. His body is old, but his mind is as sharp as mine, if not sharper. I agree that people do stereotype others by age, .......growing up I would make new friends, and they would find out how old my father was, and they would begin to make presumptions about how he lives his life. Most people, like my friends, would start to create images in their heads about what my father looked like, they would picture an old man hunched over with a cane, no hair, and suspenders. But after they met him, they ended up thinking he was really cool, and how he wasn't how they excpected him to be. That is becuase my father never let himself fall under the stereotype of an 88 year old man, he has always been, and always will be, Capt Tony, and nothing else.
the point I am trying to make, is that in all of my fathers life, he never looked at an opportunity and said to himself, "I'm too old to do this, or I'm too young to do this" He always did what he felt, and said what he wanted. I have come to strongly believe that the reason why people find him so interesting is that he has never followed the same path as others have done at his age. He found his own path, cleared a sway, and has always fought through every obstacle until he could over come it. He is the definition of "when the going gets tough, the tough get going" I think he fought his whole life, just to be his own person, and to show people that it's okay to just be yourself.

This was written when Capt Tony first began getting ill,
and he passed it on to a few friends over the last few years,
he said he has never been so proud,
of his family,
his town,
and his own personal being.

Cheers,
sk.

Part Two, Capt Tony, THE Political Pirate

Double Issue, To Capt Tony, more photos, many years, many laughs