Howell Wins Rolex/IGFA Inhore Championship
Plantation angler tops field of 42 tournament winners from 13 states and Bermuda in world championship fishing competition in the Florida Keys

ISLAMORADA -- Mitch Howell of Plantation, Fla., released a tarpon, bonefish and permit Wednesday, augmenting earlier catches in the week to take grand champion honors at the three-day Rolex/International Game Fish Association Inshore Championship Tournament that ended Wednesday in the Florida Keys.

Howell was one of 42 anglers who participated in the fourth annual invitational event. Each entrant won at least one of 50 qualifying tournaments staged earlier on four continents.
Point values of fish are determined by species and the angler's choice of fly-fishing, artificial lure or bait-casting preference. Anglers fished with a different guide each of the three days.
"In the world of inshore light-tackle and fly fishing the Rolex/IGFA championship event is the Super Bowl of saltwater fishing," said Mike Myatt, an IGFA executive.

Howell's 1,100 points was the highest among three anglers that caught all of five eligible species that also included snook and redfish.

"It's very gratifying to be able to win this one," said Howell, a securities investment advisor who fished with Captains Bobby Vaughn, Rob Fordyce and Todd McLean. "You're fishing against people who have won events all over the world."

Locals were pulling for Sharon Ellenwood of Tavernier who was scoreless on the first day but caught a slam of fish (tarpon, bonefish and permit) the second day. She then made it a super slam on the final day by adding a redfish and a snook. She was named the runner-up grand champion angler.

“I started questioning myself after the first day of not scoring any points,” said the florist. But as the weather became less windy her focus and enthusiasm escalated with each fish she caught. She ended the second day with three bonefish, two tarpon and a permit to jump her up to fourth place in overall points.

“I knew the harder target fish were out of the way and my goal was to get the snook and the redfish in the final round.”
Robert Collins of Naples, Fla., who led the tournament in total points from start to finish won the release division. He finished with 1300 points catching all but a permit. Jim Bokor of Tavernier, the 2002 Rolex/IGFA ICT grand champion was second in the release division.

Three of the nine women in the competition scored high in the divisional standings.

Sandie Bishop of Knoxville, Tenn., won the fly division scoring with all of her 500 points on the final day. Ms. Brooke Denkert, Tavernier, scored 900 points in the artificial division and Ellenwood finished second to Bokor in the bait division.
Pat Dorsy, Miami, a second past grand champion in the field also scored a super slam of fish but did not place in the awards categories.

Rolex timepieces were awarded to Howell and Ellenwood the tournament’s grand champion and grand champion runner-up based on slams, and also to Collins and Bokor as the overall release champion and runner-up release champion based on total points. The divisional champions -- first to third places -- in fly, spin and bait, plus the overall top three guides received trophies and merchandise among the 16 tournament award categories presented.

The anglers gained entry to the championship after winning one of the 50 International Game Fish Association (IGFA) sanctioned qualifying events during 2003, held in 22 states and on four continents worldwide.

The rotating guide and angler format relieves the ‘home field’ advantage to a degree and lends itself to maximizing not only the angler’s strengths, but also the guide’s. The top scoring guides were Captains Chris Asaro, Key Largo; Steve Thomas and Rick Miller, both of Islamorada.

The tournament headquarters were the Islander Resort and Worldwide Sportsman, both near mile marker 82 in the Keys.
The ICT is one of two prestigious world championship fishing events that include the fifth annual Rolex/IGFA Offshore Championship Tournament that will be held May 16-21, 2004, in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. In that tournament teams of anglers from over 29 countries will be represented from nearly 100 qualifying tournaments competing for a variety of billfish around the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula.

Rolex Watch U.S.A., respected world wide for producing the finest watches and other timepieces, became the title sponsor and exclusive timepiece of the ICT in 2000. Platinum sponsors Hell’s Bay Boats and Mercury Outboards join Rolex again this year. Other sponsors include AmeriStitch Custom Embroidery, Bacardi, Costa Del Mar, G. Loomis, Hook and Tackle, Islamorada Fish Co., Island Glass, Islander Resort, James Harris Fine Arts, KD & G Sea Life Masterpieces, King Sailfish Mounts, Rapala, Redbone Gallery, Shimano, Stiffy Push Poles, 3M Scientific Anglers and World Wide Sportsman.

The IGFA is a nonprofit, membership-supported, conservation and record-keeping organization founded in 1939 with members in over 120 countries. The association welcomes visitors to the 60,000 square foot IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum in Dania Beach, Florida. For further information, contact Mike Myatt at the International Game Fish Association, 300 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach, Florida 33004 Email: mmyatt@igfa.org,  Phone (954) 927-2628 Fax (954) 924-4299.


Fourth Annual Rolex/IGFA Inshore Championship Tournament
May 2-5, 2004, Islamorada, Fla.

Final award winners

Grand Champion:
Mitch Howell, Plantation, Fla., 5-species for 1,100 points
Runner-up Grand Champion:
Sharon Ellenwood, Tavernier, Fla., 5-species for 775 points
Top Overall Release Angler:
Robert Collins, Naples, Fla., 1300 points
Runner-up Grand Champion:
Jim Bokor, Tavernier, Fla., 950 points

Fly Division:
1. Ms. Sandie Bishop, Knoxville, Tenn., 500 points
2. Patrick Ford, Miami, Fla., 400 points
3. Stephen Ward, Coppell, Texas, 300 points

Artificial Division:
1. Brooke Denkert, Tavernier, 900 points
2. Robert Collins, Naples, 825 points
3. Dick Bassett, Lighthouse Point, 525 points

Bait Division:
1. Jim Bokor, Tavernier, 950 points
2. Sharon Ellenwood, Tavernier, 775 points
3. Bill Hurst, Miami, Fla., 750 points

Guides:
1. Capt. Chris Asaro, Key Largo, Fla., 1,550 points
2. Capt. Steve Thomas, Islamorada, 1325 points
3. Capt. Rick Miller, Islamorada, 1,275 points

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Contact: Pete Johnson, Johnson Communications, Inc.
Scottsdale, Ariz. 85267
480-951-3654 (ph) 480-951-0040 (fax)
Johnsoncom@aol.com  (e-mail)
Rolex IGFA Tourn@aol.com

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