Profiles in Passion: Chris Peterson

Chris Peterson, Owner Hell’s Bay Boatworks

By Ron Presley

This is a continuation of a series of personal profiles describing anglers, outdoorsmen, and outdoors women whose passion for their sport goes beyond the simple pleasure of engagement. There is something in their constitution that makes them different. Hopefully you will feel some kinship to them and learn from them in a way that will benefit your own outdoor adventures.

Rio Gallegos in Southern Argentina, Golfito, Costa Rica, Belize, Grand Cayman, throughout the Bahamas, and the salty rim of the United States from Louisiana all the way around to South Carolina are a few of the fishy places this adventuresome angler has travelled. There are bound to be more exotic locations in his future, but he still calls Central Florida home.

“I have a house in Orlando and in New Smyrna Beach, and fish the Mosquito Lagoon, Indian River, and the St. Johns River,” says Hells Bay Boatworks owner Chris Peterson. He adds the lakes of Central Florida to his fishing holes, a favorite area that dates back to his childhood.

Chris and his wife Wendi own Hells Bay Boatworks in a 50/50 partnership in which they split business related tasks. Wendi is VP/COO, handling the day to day operations of the factory, marketing and factory operations. Chris is President, CEO/CFO handling accounting, legal, insurance, and government issues. It’s important to know however, at Hells Bay CFO stands for “Chief Fishing Officer!”

Many of those exotic places he visits for business were dreamed of long before. “I watched Flip Pallot on the Walker’s Cay Chronicles and I wanted to go to all those wonderful wild places I saw on the TV screen. Today I do,” says Chris.

He was also a great fan of Jacques Cousteau TV specials which led him to earn his PADI diving certification when he was 8 years old. “When diving I observed all the fish I wanted to catch; I could see where they lived and watched what they ate and what they paid attention to. The experiences made me want to get a fishing line and fool them into eating my bait!”

Chris started fishing early in his life. “I actually started fishing before I can remember. My father would take me fishing with him when I was first able to walk.” When he got a little older Chris would spend summer days on the docks of the Chesapeake Bay dipping crabs off pilings with a net until he filled a bushel basket. “I don’t know what my Mom was thinking, letting me fish unsupervised. Maybe she was hoping I would fall in and be eaten by the crabs, but I kept coming home at the day’s end.”

Chris’s Florida fishing began in the fresh water lakes of Central Florida. It wasn’t just fishing; it was an attraction to the water in general. “I love being on and in the water. I even swam with my catches after they were released so I could study them below the surface. Fishing is part of the process of being involved with the aquatic ecosystem. It absolutely fascinates me.”

Chris’s early experiences instilled a sense of adventure in him. “Because my Dad taught me good boatmanship and navigation skills, I am more than comfortable shoving off into unknown places to explore, like I saw Flip and Cousteau do. I love to cast off to explore new areas and unknown fisheries.”

In this regard he mentions one of his favorite quotes, attributed to John A. Shedd in 1928. “A ship in harbor is safe—but that is not what ships are built for.”

The best description of Chris Peterson is probably that he is a fisherman’s fisherman. “My specialty is that I probably don’t have a real specialty,” says Chris. “I’m an inshore angler, sight fisherman, offshore fisherman, and freshwater angler. You might say I’m a jack of all trades but not a true master of any.”

That said, ask some of his fishing buddies, like Flip Pallot, and you will find that he can hold his own with anyone on the fishing scene. “Chris Peterson has fished a bunch and in a bunch of places,” according to Flip. “He’s also fished with a bunch of great anglers! All of that’s important…but secondary to an unabashed love of being out there. Chris has all of the above!”

Given his love for the water it is no surprise how he feels about conservation. It boils down to respect for the resource and science based management. “I feel that we need to do more scientific studies to discern what we humans do which affects the oceans. By oceans I mean from the sweetwater mangroves to the deepest ocean waters. We need to know what activities contribute to any resource not being sustainable.”

The issues of sustainability are many. Chris gives examples that include more emphasis on water quality and water management and how it affects the smallest marine creatures and the food fish we eat; intervention in the act of killing sharks for their fins; and reducing the devastating overharvesting of menhaden. “It’s about our overall stewardship,” he says. “The health of everything in the ocean affects the game fish we target and the health of the environment effects our enjoyment of the resource.”

His strong conservation ethic leads Chris to be personally and actively involved in organizations such as the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, the International Game Fish Association, Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, Coastal Conservation Association of Florida and the Herman Lucerne organization. “We don’t just contribute money,” says Chris, “but are actively involved in projects from tagging sawfish, tarpon and bonefish to removing ghost crab traps.”

His dedication to conservation efforts earned Hell’s Bay Boatworks the IGFA Conservation Award for Industry, an honor of which Chris is most proud.

His interest in conservation dovetails with the importance of fishing with kids. “Take them fishing often,” he says, “and catch fish. It does not matter what fish you catch, but let something pull on that line of theirs! It doesn’t matter if it is a grunt, a bream, or a stinky cuda, but catch lots of fish, and teach them the joy of releasing the fish they catch.” He also suggests taking plenty of pictures to show off to their friends. That, he says, “will start them on a long life of telling fish stories too.”

His thoughts on conservation, life experiences, and fishing with kids bring his philosophy full circle as he gives his take on his best day on the water. “My best day is one of superb weather, and good fishing action, spent with family or good friends. Then, after the fishing, be able to have the time to meet up with a bunch of friends and tell all kinds of stories about fishing and the day on the water over adult beverages and a hearty dinner.” These are the rewards of good stewardship.

Chris does not attribute his zeal for fishing to any one thing. “For me fishing and being on the water is a passion, and if something is your passion it just comes from deep inside you. I think I was born with it, it’s in my DNA.” He has no plans for stopping, saying, “It’s what I do!”

Capt. Ron Presley is the author of two award winning books, “Secrets from Florida’s Master Anglers” was awarded Best Outdoor Book by the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association in 2010. His newest book, “Fishing Secrets from Florida’s East Coast,” was awarded 2nd Place in the 2012 SEOPA competition. Both are available online and locally at Mosquito Creek Outdoors. Ron is the current president of the Florida Outdoor Writers Association.

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