By Tom Bzura Contributing Writer
Nearly 500 West Palm Beach Fishing Club (WPBFC) members, families, and friends gathered at the South Florida Fairgrounds to celebrate the club’s 85th annual, Awards BBQ & Auction. It was an evening complete with delicious cooked-on-site BBQ, a silent auction and raffle, and angling award presentations. Throughout the year, WPBFC members compete in the club’s year-long fishing contest, entering their catches for a variety of different species in numerous tackle categories. The annual BBQ is where these anglers are recognized for their angling accomplishments.
Every Peewee member, kids under 10 years old, who caught a fish got their moment in the spotlight. One by one they made their way to the stage to claim their trophy and new PENN fishing spinning rod and reel combo. Recognizing Peewee anglers is a long-standing fishing club tradition, which continues to engage our youth in the sport of fishing. While these kids simply just need to enter a fish to win an award, earning the title of Grand Champion Adult Angler and Junior Angler of the Year entails much stricter criteria through demonstration of true angling skill.
Fifteen year old Emily Hanzlik, a decorated IGFA world record holder, earned herself the 2019 Junior Angler of the Year award, one of the WPBFC’s most coveted titles. She posted several big largemouth bass and one massive 30 lb. 12 oz. jack crevalle. Emily landed contest qualifying fish on light spinning rods casting artificial lures with 8 pound test line, from the Sebastian Inlet, to out west in Loxahatchee.
The Grand Champion Adult Angler award is arguably the WPBFC’s highest angling honor recognizing the best fisherman in the club. With over 1300 members there’s a lot of competition. Winning this isn’t easily accomplished, it demands throwing a variety of tackle including light spinning gear, plug casting rods, and fly. Max Lichtig of North Palm Beach got it done offshore and inshore to earn the WPBFC’s top angling award, persistently entering fish all year long. A massive 47 lb. 6 oz. amberjack is one Max’s many contest entries; he caught grouper on the west coast, a 9 lb. 13 oz. tripletail, a permit on spin 8 tackle, and a solid blackfin tuna while fishing 12 pound test line offshore. Max and Emily are both repeat, back-to-back, winners of these angling titles. Congratulations to both on their continued impressive accomplishments in the WPBFC.
Special thanks to our friends at Tuppen’s Marine & Tackle & TD Bank for their sponsorship, to all the WPBFC volunteers who work tirelessly to pull the event together, and the WPBFC members and friends who attended. There’s opportunity to enter fish all year-round and walk away with awesome prizes at the WPBFC Awards BBQ & Auction; we hope to see you there next year as a member of the club!
Photos by Leonard Bryant Photography