Miami Herald
July 22, 2007
MARLIN TOURNAMENT
A few months ago, after four consecutive years of fishing the Drambuie Key West Marlin tournament with lackluster results, Islamorada resident Jack Strack told his son Jeff he was indecisive about competing in this year's tournament.
A few months ago, after four consecutive years of fishing the Drambuie Key West Marlin tournament with lackluster results, Islamorada resident Jack Strack told his son Jeff he was indecisive about competing in this year's tournament.
But the owner of the Giggling Marlin, a 56-foot Viking sportfishing boat, decided to enter the tournament anyway.
It's a good thing he did. Jeff Strack released a blue marlin Saturday, released a white marlin and caught a 22.6-pound dolphin on Friday, to give the Giggling Marlin team a total of 822.6 points and the top $25,000 cash prize in the tournament's marlin division.
The blue marlin hit a skirted horse balao at about 9:30 a.m. Saturday, the third and final day of the tournament.
''My mom and I moved up our first beer from 10:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., gave a little to the fish Gods and threw some money out like we always do,'' said Jeff Strack, a Chicago grocery executive. ``I didn't even finish [the beer] and the marlin hit.''
It took Strack about 25 minutes to bring the fish to the boat.
After that release, they continued fishing without success except for a small dolphin that was below the 15-pound minimum required for weigh-in.
''That last two hours [of the tournament] was pretty nerve-racking, because we didn't have any idea where we stood in the rankings,'' Jeff Strack said.
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