How Technology Is Changing Sportfishing Boats

The following article was published in Gold Coast’s Fort Lauderdale Daily: 

By Bernard McCormick

Sportfishing is a lesser part of the overall boating scene in South Florida. Most boat owners are in it for cruising along. But considering the enormous scope of the marine industry in the state, fishing boats are still a major economic factor. And unlike much of the industry, which sees major yachts built all over the world, sport fishing boats, including the finest custom designs, are concentrated in Florida. There are four builders in the Stuart area alone.

“Florida is the place with the pedigree when it comes to sport fishing boats,” says Paul Flannery, director of the SYS Yacht Sales office in Jupiter.

The major players in the sportfishing world are mass production outfits—Viking Yachts in New Jersey, Hatteras in North Carolina and Bertram in Tampa. But when it comes to custom builders, South Florida is dominant.

There is a story behind each of these builders, often started by colorful figures. Among the oldest is Michael Rybovich & Sons in Palm Beach Gardens, which traces its history to John Rybovich Sr. who came to the Palm Beach area in 1910. Merritt Yachts in Pompano Beach opened in 1948 and Jim Smith Boats in Stuart in 1959. These firms built their reputations on quality and innovation in custom-built boats.

“There are production boats and there are custom boats, they’re entirely different,” says Jamie MacGregor of MacGregor Yachts in Palm Beach Gardens. “Custom are handmade; they take two to three years to build. A production boat takes a couple months. And the ‘gentleman’ boat owner is going to go custom every time.”

It is not just the business that is big in Florida. The boats themselves are getting bigger, and correspondingly more expensive. Paul Flannery explains why: “Years ago, a 52-foot Hatteras was a huge boat. Today, 62 feet would be about average on the tournament circuit. We came to learn that a boat over 50 feet rode a lot better. With the advent of big engines, it gives us more response. You’d be amazed at the responsiveness of a 70-foot boat. You know, a Bentley Coupe is a hell of a big auto, but it handles beautifully.”

The more expensive boats have sleek designs and amenities, such as staterooms, associated with luxury yachts.

“These are not your daddy’s fishing boats,” Flannery says. “The technology gets better every day. In the Bahamas they’re using a dredge, a teaser that has as many as 48 baits. It’s like having a school of fish following your boat.”

The new boats also keep pace with technology. Bob Denison, president of Denison Yacht Sales in Fort Lauderdale, describes the use of drones to help spot fish beyond the range of outriggers.

Sport fishermen in South Florida need not go far to find action. “You don’t have to run [a boat] very far in this market,” says Mike Bass of Flagler Yachts. “Between here and the Bahamas the Gulfstream is closest to the U.S. You have good fishing two miles offshore. Up north, say New York, you have to go 50 miles offshore.”

That said, local fishermen do travel to favorite fishing spots. The Bahamas have always been popular. Lately, Costa Rica has become popular and has seen some extraordinary catches.

“Costa Rica has become one of the highest destinations,” Flannery says. “They’re using a FAD (Fish Attraction Device). On a fairly regular basis they are catching 15 to 20 blue marlin in a day. That’s epic activity.”

Flannery adds: “Different places have different seasons— spring and summer are best for east coast fishing. You’re not going to catch a lot of marlin in the winter off New York.”

Which is precisely why South Florida is as good for sport fishing as it is for baseball. When the fishing is good it lends fame to otherwise quiet places such as Stuart, which has used fishing as a tourist attraction almost from the day the town incorporated more than a century ago. It is no accident that its most prestigious gated community is named Sailfish Point.

And even when the fishing is bad, it’s still pretty good. The modern sport fishermen would rather use air conditioning than a heater on their boats.