International Game Fish Association Announces
2023 Fishing Hall of Fame Inductees
Angling exemplaries honored by historic organization’s pinnacle award

Dania Beach, Fla. – In recognition of their extraordinary contributions to recreational angling around the world, The International Game Fish Association (IGFA)  named five angling greats to the 2023 class of the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame.

This year’s inductees include IGFA World Record consummate and tournament champion Roberta G. Arostegui; fly-fishing adventurer and trailblazer, Kay Brodney; conventional and fly-fishing master angler, captain and writer Dean Butler; distinguished Avalon Tuna Club member and conservation advocate, Gerald A. Garrett; and marine resources champion and fishing apparel pioneer Bill Shedd.

Elected unanimously by the IGFA Board of Trustees, the 2023 class will join 141 legendary anglers, scientists, conservationists, writers and fishing industry leaders whose contributions to sport fishing are forever preserved and celebrated in the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame.

“From championing conservation efforts to breaking glass ceilings in angling itself, each of these individuals have simultaneously worked to make our sport more prestigious and ensure it can be enjoyed for generations to come,” said IGFA President Jason Schratwieser. “They have earned their place within the Fishing Hall of Fame, and we couldn’t be more honored to induct them.”

The 2023 IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri.  The 2023 class will take their honored places alongside fishing luminaries, including Isaak Walton, Michael Lerner, Francesca LaMonte, Zane Grey, Mary Orvis Marbury, Ernest Hemingway, Ted Williams, George H.W. Bush, Bill Dance, Mark Sosin, Lee and Joan Wulff, Flip Pallot, Alfred C. Glassell Jr., Kip Farrington and Curt Gowdy, among others.

Roberta G. Arostegui Roberta G. Arostegui began pursuing IGFA World Records in 1999 and has since amassed a total of 223 World Records on 56 different species of fish in 10 different countries. She is ranked fourth for most IGFA World Records overall and second for most IGFA World Records for women, many of which come from light tackle and fly rod. In addition to her impressive list of World Records, Roberta has also completed IGFA Salmon, Bass, and Trout Royal Slams as well as Salmon and Trout Grand Slams and a Bass Super Grand Slam. Arostegui is the three-time recipient of the McManus Overall Fly-Fishing Award; the two-time recipient of the Rybovich Overall Release Award and the recipient of the Sherwood Overall Weight Fish Award and Ann D. Crowninshield Overall Angling Award. Roberta was also very active in the prestigious Metropolitan South Florida Fishing Tournament, where she won the Women’s Master Angler Award three times. She has been a member of the International Women’s Fishing Association (IWFA) since 2005, where she has served as Parliamentarian and Conservation Director. She was also a board member of the IWFA Scholarship Trust. Roberta is also the wife of IGFA Trustee Emeritus and IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame Inductee, Marty Arostegui.

Kay Brodney Widely recognized as one of the most spirited and adventurous fly-fishing pioneers of the 20th century, Kay Brodney became captivated by the sport of fly fishing in her late twenties after happening upon a casting tournament in 1948. Quickly becoming a competent fly caster herself, in 1950 she placed third in the Western Championship only to be later disqualified for being a woman. Undeterred, she continued to compete and went on to win the National Association of Accuracy Casting competition in 1956. Brodney received a master’s degree in library science from Rutgers University and went on to work as a librarian at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., where she eventually served as the head of the Life Sciences Subject Catalog Section. Known for her extended off-grid angling vacations in the remote corners of South America, Brodney was the focus of a 1981 Sports Illustrated article where she was accompanied by writer Clive Gammon. The multi-page feature cemented her reputation as a knowledgeable yet fearless fly-fishing trailblazer. She is thought to be one of the first to catch a dorado on a fly, and in 1962 landed a 137.6-pound tarpon on 12-pound tippet in the Florida Keys with baseball great Ted Williams as a witness. She also served on the American Museum of Fly-Fishing Board of Trustees from 1974 until 1983.

Dean Butler Dean Butler’s recognition as an angler, captain and writer extends far beyond his home waters of Australia. Having fished the world over from Papua New Guinea to the Florida Keys, Butler has been involved in more than 30 IGFA fly fishing World Records both as an angler and a guide. As captain, he guided IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame Member Tom Evans to several IGFA billfish records on fly, including the largest striped marlin ever caught on fly, a 240-pound fish caught on 10-kg (20-lb) tippet. He also guided IGFA Fishing Hall of Famer Enrico Capozzi to his incredible 735-pound black marlin on 3-kg (6-lb) line. He has refined and developed several successful techniques for pursuing pelagic species on fly tackle and in 1995 became the first person to catch a dogtooth tuna on IGFA-compliant fly tackle. An accomplished writer, Butler has published numerous features in prominent fishing magazines including Marlin, Sport Fishing, BlueWater and Fly Fishing in Saltwater. Butler was also a pioneer of Australia’s Fraser Island and its shallow water black marlin fishery as well as one of the early pioneers of Papua New Guinea’s black bass fishery.  A master of both conventional and fly-fishing tackle for inshore and offshore species, IGFA Fishing Hall of Famer Lefty Kreh was quoted as referring to Dean Butler as the best all-around fisherman in the world.

Gerald A. Garrett Gerald A. “Jerry” Garrett has been actively involved in sport fishing since 1946. In 1959 he distinguished himself by becoming a member of the venerable Avalon Tuna Club, where he was the first Tuna Club member to earn the Silver Frame medal for catching a marlin on 6-kg (12-lb) Dacron line. He is also credited as the first Tuna Club member to catch a marlin on 4-kg (8-lb) Dacron, inaugurating the Ruby Frame Medal. Often named the Avalon Tuna Club Angler of the Year, he has earned 10 out of 12 possible buttons, making him the most decorated angler in the club’s history. Fishing has taken Garrett to Australia, Peru, Mexico, Hawaii and New Zealand, where he caught an 813-pound swordfish that earned him the IGFA 37-kg (80-lb) line class record. An IGFA member for more than 50 years, he was appointed as an IGFA Representative in 2012. His extensive conservation efforts include working with IGFA Fishing Hall of Famer John Chibnall and former IGFA President Rob Kramer to prohibit the sale of marlin in New Zealand, for which he testified before the New Zealand Ministry that the value of marlin in the sportfishing industry supersedes that of commercial sale. He also previously served as the Director of the National Coalition for Marine Conservation’s Pacific Region.

Bill Shedd Bill Shedd’s name is synonymous with fisheries conservation in the United States and is part of a continued legacy passed down by his father and IGFA Fishing Hall of Famer Milt Shedd. Bill is the Chairman and CEO of the American Fishing Tackle Co (AFTCO) and oversees AFTCO’s fishing tackle and clothing divisions. For more than 30 years he has volunteered 500 hours a year on marine resource and recreational fishing industry issues. Shedd currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Coastal Conservation Association of California and the Hubbs/SeaWorld Research Institute. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Center for Sportfish Policy, the California Artificial Reef Enhancement program, and the California white seabass hatchery program. He previously served seven years on the Board of Directors of the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), and 30 years as Chairman of the ASA Government Affairs Committee. Bill joined the IGFA Board of Trustees in 2002 and served as the Chairman of the IGFA Conservation Committee until 2022. Shedd co-founded the United Anglers of Southern California (UASC), where he led that group’s efforts to develop the white seabass facilities to support the hatchery, and also played a key role in the UASC’s effort to eliminate set gill nets in California. He has been the recipient of many top conservation honors, including the American Sportfishing Association, Center for Sportfishing Policy, and the IGFA, among others.

For more information about the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame or to make a nomination, go to https://igfa.org/fishing-hall-of-fame/.

About the IGFA

Founded in 1939, The International Game Fish Association is a nonprofit organization committed to the conservation of game fish and the promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule making, record keeping and recognition of outstanding accomplishments in the field of angling. The IGFA maintains world records in freshwater, saltwater, fly-fishing and junior angler categories. The IGFA has members in more than 100 countries.”

I was especially happy to see Bill Shedd’s name on that list. Bill has been a friend since I got involved in the fishing tackle business with Garcia decades ago. When I was chairman of the American Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association Conservation Committee, Bill was the vice-chairman and equally committed to issues such as the 200-mile limit. He and his father Milt were at the forefront of marine conservation with their Sea World operation, and donate a percentage of AFTCO Tackle profits every year to conservation. I was able to join them on the Sea World collecting boat for an expedition to harpoon a sensor into the back of a swordfish off Baja Ca., Mexico in order to gain scientific knowledge about their movements in the water column during day and night.

The NY/NJ Bight forecast starts well with southwest winds at just 5-10 knots before going south 15-20 with gusts to 25 knots in the afternoon.

This week’s shows finish up with the Philadelphia Fishing Show at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks — and the N.J. Boat Sale and Expo in the N.J. Expo Center at Edison.

George Poveromo has a special TV show at 8 am. Sunday on Discovery Channel with a Bud’Mary’s Marina Experience as his crew fish in great depths for exotic species.

Steven Bender was fishing a green crab for tautog in Niantic Bay, Ct. last October when he hooked a real whopper that turned out to a fearsome-looking conger which set a Ct. record at 13 pounds, 13 ounces. Those fish are often called silver eels, and are most often caught on offshore wrecks — particularly after storm swells chase them out of their usual hiding places. I’ve also caught a very few at Shrewsbury Rocks and Romer Shoals Light. The Ct. conger was 51.75 inches long. That’s a big one on our side of the Atlantic, but they grow to over 100 pounds in Europe and are targeted by anglers using heavy tackle required to drag them out of wrecks.

Kil Song fished aboard Good Times from Hatteras, N.C. and reported a hot trolling bite of 100-pound class bluefin tuna. Some of the year’s best tuna action is available there now — and there isn’t much competition.

There’s a gale warning up in NY/NJ Bight through late tonight, but it moderates by morning to northwest 15-20 knotsbefore going west at 10-15 in the afternoon.

The Ocean Explorer from Belmar plans to fish for tautog in the morning. They had some keeper tog Wednesday along with a few cod up to 20 pounds.

John Letizia with Florida snook before release.

The Bradenton Herald reported a bull shark of record proportions was caught by a local angler fishing from shore at Virginia Key, near Miami, on Feb. 12. The bull was 9 1/2-feet long with a 55-inch girth and estimated at 550 to 600 pounds by Michael Hengle (22) before he released it with the aid of beachgoers. The state record is 517 pounds, but that requires actual weighing on a certified scale.

The angler used a kayak to drop a 20-pound “bonito’ (little tunny) 400 yards offshore, and fought it from shore on big game tackle.

A gale warning is up from Friday morning to evening. The forecast is for southwest winds at 20-25 knots plus gusts to 35. Rain is likely in the evening and after midnight.

Nick Honachefsky has a Saltwater Underground presentation, A Tale of Two Tunas on the Sportsman Channel at 10:30 a.m. Friday. That features both daytime jigging and night chunking in the canyons.

The Mimi VI from Point Pleasant is taking reservations for a limited President’s Day blackfish trip which departs at 6:30 a.m. Friday. All baits are included in the fare. Call 732 370-8019.

A gale warning is posted from Thursday evening to Friday afternoon, but tomorrow starts well with southwest winds at just 5-10 knots before going south in the afternoon along with rain. Looking ahead to Friday there are gusts to 40 knots in the forecast.

The Philadelphia Fishing Show runs from Feb, 15-17 at the Expo Center in Oaks, and John De Bona reports that the Fisherman magazine will sponsor free seminars at that event.

The Fish Bound from Ocean City, Maryland got out on a gorgeous day this week as the charter party ended up with 25 keepers up to a trophy 13-pounder.

Paul Haertel of the JCAA ensured a happy birthday today by getting into N.J. brown trout.

Anglers and boaters can attend shows covering their favorite sports all the way from Miami to New Jersey this week.

The huge Miami Boat Show runs from Feb. 15-19, and is the only boat show which also provides everything an angler could desire.

The Philadelpha Fishing Show runs from Feb. 17-19 in the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks, and is devoted to fishing of all kinds.

The N.J. Boat Sale & Expo from Feb. 16-19 in the N.J. Expo Center in Edison also includes seminars presented by the Fisherman magazine. Adult admission is $15, but free for kids 16 or younger. Discount tickets can be obtained by visiting jerseyboatexpo.com.

Wednesday’s forecast is for south winds at 15-20 knots which increase to 20-25 knots in the afternoon.

NOAA Fisheries has closed the commercial General category for bluefin tuna as of 11:30p.m. Feb. 14 until March 31 at the same time. That action is necessary as the present allocation has been exceeded. This does not involve any changes to recreational bluefin tuna fishing regulations.

The Jamaica from Brielle hasn’t been catching many cod during far offshore wreck trips, so they are switching to cod on 20-35-mile wrecks. The first 4 a.m. to 5 p.m. trip will be on Feb. 14. Call 732 528-5014 for details.

A small craft warning is up in NY/NJ Bight through Tuesday afternoon. The forecast is for northwest winds at 15-20 knots plus gusts to 30. That drops to west 10-15 knots with gusts to 20 in the afternoon.

A wahoo shows its colors after being trolled on the Happy Day from Ft. Lauderdale last week.

As noted in a recent blog, the SHO-NUF from Cape Charles, Virginia recovered a big striped bass carrying a Gray tag. They then found that it had been tagged from Connecticut waters in July, 2022. However. the most notable aspect of that recapture was the angler’s note that the bass had been gut-hooked and that it was difficult to revive. After first getting it moving again, it kept popping up and they had to retrieve and work with it again before it successfully went on its way.

Many other anglers would have given up on that striper which demonstrated how hardy that species is by traveling hundreds of miles to its spawning grounds and attacking a slow-trolled live eel while getting ready to increase the stock in the spring.

A small craft advisory goes up at 9 p.m. with northeast winds up to 25 knots plus rain after midnight. Monday morning starts with north winds at 15-20 knots plus gusts to 25. That drops to a calming 5-10 knots west in the afternoon.

Capt. Hans Kaspersetz, of Sea Bright, N.J., caught this tarpon while fishing with Capt. Luis in Puerto Rico.

Cole Riback was fun fishing with his father, Capt. Dave of the Queen Mary from Point Pleasant, when he boated this mutton snapper off Jupiter. Florida.

The unprecedented winter bite of trophy stripers off Cape Charles, Va. continues with no end in sight. Capt. Clinton Lessard of SHO-NUF reported Chuck Many’s party got 11 bites yesterday that resulted in seven bass receiving Gray tags, including one over 50 pounds.

If Lessard doesn’t get a charter for Wednesday, he will offer an open boat at $350 a person. Call him at 757 710-0098 for details of the 7:30-4:30 trip.

Absecon Bay Sportsman Center has been keeping both grass shrimp (see photo below) and bloodworms in stock for anglers seeking white perch in South Jersey tidal rivers. However, it’s best to call the shop at 609 484-0409 to confirm those baits are still available. They have also received another shipment of Super Perch Rigs.

The N.J. internal waters striped bass season doesn’t open until March 1, but Capt. Fred Gamboa plans to start chartering Andrea’s Toy that month out of Perth Amboy — which is where the first active bass are most likely to be found. Call Fred at 732 670-1561.

A gale warning will go up from late Sunday afternoon through Monday afternoon. Sunday starts off well with southwest winds at 5-10 knots, but goes southeast with showers in the afternoon.

Roberto Robaina (photo at bottom) at Fisherman’s Den, Belmar with the 9-pound, 2-ounce blackfish he caught from the Ocean Explorer this week.

One thing that you can count on when making a fishing trip with Crazy Alberto Knie is that the eating will be great if there’s a kitchen available to him. That was the case Wednesday when we joined Paul Castelli,a retired wildlife biologist with N.J. Fish & Wildlife, in Chokoloskee, Florida for a day of fishing in the Everglades.

Our main concern was catching some “eating fish” which Alberto could prepare in various ways that night for a guest I hadn’t dined with since 1972. Paul had only been out a couple of times with his duck boat since leaving his home in the Pine Barrens of South Jersey, but he had found an area with some bottom structure that would produce what we needed even if a few jigs were lost.

I quickly hooked a 13-inch sheepshead on a white jig tipped with a live shrimp, and we added a mangrove snapper, plus a spotted sea trout while releasing a short red grouper and the smallest Goliath grouper I’ve ever caught. They’re quite colorful when small as Paul shows before the release. Paul had saved a couple of sea trout and a sheepshead from his last trip, so we were good to go as Alberto needed three hours of prep for all he was planning.

Our guest was Gil Drake. a pioneering Key West flats guide who later owned Deep Water Cay Club in the Bahamas, where I fished for bonefish with himin 1972 after bringing a cold northeast wind in April that pushed the normally abundant bones off the flats and made for tough fishing. Upon returning to the States, he settled in Chokoloskee to take advantage of the fine fly fishing for snook that was available there when there was much less pressure on the Everglades fishery. Gil is in good health, but has reduced his guiding schedule.

Alberto made the most of everything we had from sushi to grilled sheepshead, though the stone crab claws were bought by Paul. There wasn’t much left of this feast an hour later!

The Canyon Runner Offshore Seminar will be held Saturday from 9-6 at Harrah’s Atlantic City. There may be a few of the $150 tickets available, but don’t make the ride before calling 732 272-4445.

The Hi-Mar Striper Club Fisherman’s Flea Market runs from 8-2 Saturday in the Port Monmouth VFW, 1 Veterans Lane. Admission is $5 for adults and free for kids 16 and under. Seminars are included.

The marine forecast in NY/NJ Bight is for northwest winds at 15-20 knots before dropping to 10-15 in the afternoon. Sunday is looking good with southwest 5-10 knots.

Just when it appeared as if the record-breaking winter run of jumbo stripers off Cape Charles, Va. might be slowing, that charter boat set a new standard as noted by Capt. Clinton Lessard as follows:

Guess what Chuck Tyman Manny , Shannon Pickens and I did today, besides catching 10 of 11 bites!!!!! We put a tag in a 60 pounder. To be exact it was 60 on the boga and 60.4 on the electric scale. So a true 60 in our books. Oh and (2) double headers. But wait …. We also hooked a quadruple and got all four in. Water temp was 46.1 and the fish were hungry. Back at it tomorrow then looks like a few windy days. Hard to believe the weather and water temp are cooperating and we are still catching these beauties. Still gonna run some trips if weather allows. 757-710-0098

Good news from Absecon Bay Sportsman Center is that grass shrimp are finally in stock. They are the prime bait for the white perch which are presently abundant in that area. At $15 a half-pint they are actually cheaper than bloodworms which are in stock at $25 a dozen. Call 609 484-0409 to be sure those baits are available.

The NY/NJ Bight forecast is for west winds at 15-20 knots with gusts to 30.

The Ocean Explorer from Belmar reported a nice day yesterday with decent blackfishing and a 9.1-pounder for Roberto.