Tournament season is in full swing in Central America and South Florida where the El Nino phenomenon has brought record numbers of sailfish to near shore waters. The first leg of the Los Suenos Signature Series was completed last week off Herradura Bay in Costa Rica. The fleet released 652 sailfish and 12 marlin over the course of 3 days fishing.

Jimmy Nestor UPD Matte Black, G12 lens and Kaenon visor, prepares to release a sailfish aboard the Viking 50 Game On.

Also, see all the action from the Viking 50 “Game On” during the 1st leg of the 2010 signature series held at Los Suenos, Costa Rica in this video:

Day two turned out to be groundhog day for the BANDIT boys – boating a second slightly larger black and winning both days’ jackpots to take home a whopping $420,875 for their efforts. Not a bad couple days’ work.

A very stoked Anthony Hsieh with a second $200,000 black marlin in the boat. When you’re hot you’re hot.

Meanwhile team Karma, with Angler Steve Spina, and Kona Captains Kerwin Masunaga, Boyd de Coito (UPD Black G12), Shane O’Brien (Arlo Matte Black G12) and Russ Armstrong showed up at the scales with an absolutely massive 363# yellowfin tuna.

Fishing aboard TENACIOUS, Captain Gene Vanderhoek (Rhino Black G12), Sam Choy Jr. (Rhino Matte black G12 RX), Chris Choy (Lewi Black G12), Ron Tegland Jr. (Burny Black G12) and Ron Tegland Sr. (Porter Tortoise C12) finished second in the billfish release division with 3 striped marlin released.

Brothers Chris Choy (Lewi Black G12) and Sam Choy Jr. (Rhino Matte black RX) prepare to release a striped marlin aboard TENACIOUS.

Los Suenos Resort’s 250 slip marina boasts some serious big rigs and being only a 2 ½ hour flight from Miami, it is a top destination for East Coast fishing nuts. The majority of professional crews running the boats in the marina hail from Palm Beach, Maryland and New Jersey. Will James was invited to ride along with Kaenon Ambassador Captain Tony Carizoss, wearing Hard Kore Black C12, and his crew aboard the new Viking 50 “Game On”.

The new Viking 50 and 60 sitting pole position at the A dock. These two boats (left) are the fastest in the marina, topping out at over 50 mph. Don’t bother asking about the fuel bill. (Right) Back window of the Viking 50 demo boat.

Anglers Pat Healey, wearing Kabin Black G12, Bill Hixon in Spindle S2 G12 hooked up to double sailfish.

Mate Jimmy Nestor, UPD Matte Black G12, prepares to release a Striped Marlin (left) and later releasing a sailfish (right).

After gorging themselves all night on baitfish in the cool depths, sailfish can be seen in great numbers in the morning sunning themselves, sails up, on the surface. The sail on a sailfish serves two purposes, herding baitfish while feeding, and in this case collecting the warmth of the sun in order to aid digestion. Fish seen sunning in this manner are rarely in the mood to feed.

A sailfish attacks a hookless teaser pulled from the outriggers. Teasers and rubber squid chains bring fish into the spread behind the boat, the teasers are then pulled out of the water with electric reels from the bridge and the crew drops ballyhoo equipped with circle hooks to excited fish for the hookup.

Jimmy Nestor again face to face with a ballistic sailfish.

A Wahoo, the fastest fish in the sea (many consider the best tasting), is a welcome catch. At Los Suenos all billfish are released…but Wahoo aren’t so lucky. Mate Hans Alvarado, Rhino Black G12, brings in dinner over the stern.

Will James, Lewi Black Pearl G12, earned his supper spotting fish coming into the spread behind the boat. Perched 50 feet up, spotters can see fish well before the crew on the back deck, and are crucial in coordinating how and when the baits are dropped back to the fish and how many fish are in the spread. ADVANTAGE = Kaenon Polarized and SR-91. The head wrap, in addition to hat and Kaenon’s, helps cut out the extreme glare and harsh sun reflecting off the water. In contrast, for those who prefer the warm rays of sunshine over fishing, there’s always the bow cushion.

A longtime friend of the Kaenon Polarized family and Parlympic Gold Medalist Nick Scandone died Friday after a 6-year battle with ALS, also commonly called Lou Gehrig’s Disease, a debilitating neurodegenerative disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. A religious wearer of Kaenon Polarized prescription products, Nick wore Kaenon Polarized (Hard Kore, Beacon, UPD) to win the Gold Medal in the SKUD-18 class at the 2008 Paralympic Sailing Championship in Qingdao, China, this past summer. Nick’s sheer will to live, to experience and to ultimately win Olympic Gold was the dream that kept him alive much longer than his doctors ever expected.

Nick was a US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics member, named US SAILING’s 2008 Sportsman of the Year, nominated for US SAILING’s 2008 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtsman of the Year award and winner of US SAILING’s 2005 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Award

Every heart at Kaenon goes out to Nick and his family – he will be greatly missed. The sport of sailing has lost a great competitor and one of the most inspirational personalities on the planet.

From the LA Times:

“It was inspirational,” Rocky Scandone told The Times on Saturday. “Nick knew what he wanted to accomplish, and he kept himself alive for the Olympics. When he was diagnosed with [ALS], we thought it would be a couple years. Around the fourth year he had his eyes set on the Olympics, and we all said, well, that’s great to have that goal, but no one thought he would be that strong to last two years. He willed himself through it. It was an incredible, incredible journey.”
For the full story, read here