IGFA LEGENDARY CAPTAINS AND CREW AWARD WINNERS

Great catches can often be traced back to the captains and crews that guide anglers to their prize. For the second consecutive year, the IGFA celebrates the contributions of the sport's finest at the IGFA Legendary Captains & Crews Awards Ceremony on Saturday, February 18 at 6 p.m. at the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum. Presented by Mercury Marine and Costa, the event will be emceed by Capt. Skip Smith and Fishing Hall of Fame member Mark Sosin. This year's honorees include:

Captain Bill Curtis — In 1949 commercial photographer Bill Curtis arrived in Miami — nine years later he was guiding full-time in Biscayne Bay, which he continued to do until 2005. His vast experience, expertise, and professionalism — as well as his dedication to the area's resources and his innovations which include the poling platform — have made Curtis a living legend in the world of Florida light-tackle and flats fishing.

Captain Bark Garnsey — Bark Garnsey grew up at Hillsboro Inlet, Florida, in the early 1950s, surrounded by some of the best and most knowledgeable captains and mates, and it is here that his lifelong passion for the sport and extraordinary career began. Garnsey is recognized worldwide for his superb fishing, boat-handling and communication skills, and for rewriting the book on billfish records with angler Stewart Campbell.

Captain Joe Mott — At the age of 19 Joe Mott was running his own boat, setting the groundwork for his well-deserved reputation as one of the best all-around captains to ever hail out of Hillsboro Inlet. When the lucrative cobia fishery was just coming into its own, Mott was there. He played a major role in the growth of swordfishing in South Florida and he was a pioneer of Cozumel, Mexico, sailfishing in the 1960s.

Captain Chip Shafer — In 1973 Chip Shafer worked as a mate in Hatteras, North Carolina, with veteran captains who became his mentors. The following year he began running the Temptress between North Carolina, Florida and the Bahamas — later adding Mexico and Venezuela — making a name for himself with tournament wins, double grand slams, and in 2004 a record-setting 500 billfish caught on fly with angler Nick Smith.

Captain Laurie Woodbridge — A skilled plumber by trade, Australian Laurie Woodbridge learned his craft serving as deckhand for George Bransford, and in 1973 Woodbridge acquired Sea Baby II for himself and became a legend skippering her. Multiple tournament wins and multiple black marlin granders followed, including Morton May's 1,347-pound catch, still the 80-pound line class world record, making Woodbridge one of the most successful captains in the history of Cairns.