For the second consecutive year, the team on board_ Fishin’ Pole_ took top honors at the Mad Dog Mandich Fishing Classic that wrapped up October 7 in Islamorada.
Anglers Dominick Zannelli of Dania Beach, Fla., Larry Deddy of Coral Gables, Fla., and Islamorada residents Brian McCadie and Chad Wangen captured the $5,000 cash-and-trophy first-place boat prize. The Fishin” Pole team brought in a combined 101.8 pounds of kingfish and tuna.
Target species in the fifth annual event were dolphin fish, kingfish, tuna and wahoo.
Miami resident Kevin Cabrera, aboard_ Red Stripe_, was named the tournaments top individual angler with a combined total of 51.8 pounds. Cabrera caught two wahoo weighing 26.2 and 25.6 pounds.
Chad Wangen, aboard the Fishin” Pole, caught the tournament’s top kingfish at 27.9 pounds. A 19.1-pound fish landed the top dolphin title for Jack Neidbalski, who fished aboard Sea-Free, one of the boats representing the Florida Keys’ Mariners Hospital.
Audra Hill of Key Largo, Fla., captured the top lady angler title with a 12.1-pound tuna caught aboard the All Stoked.
Weekend Warrior titles for catching the top grouper and snapper were awarded to Fishin” Pole”s Zannelli for his 11-pound grouper and _My-Sea-Cin”_s Steve Orton for a 10-pound snapper.
A field of 103 anglers on 24 boats participated in the Mad Dog Mandich Fishing Classic, a fun-fish catch tournament.
The event is named for the late Jim “Mad Dog” Mandich, a tight end for the University of Michigan in 1969 and the Miami Dolphins from 1970 to 1977. Following his NFL career, Mandich was involved in a number of business ventures and was the color commentator on Miami Dolphins radio broadcasts.
—Source: Fla-Keys.com