Small Boats, Big Strategies

Story and photos by Capt. Stephen Spagnuola

There is a saying “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” The original origin of this quote is widely debated, some credit the legendary Mark Twain. It sums up the entire heart and soul of this article and life itself.

Sportfishing has historically trended toward larger, faster vessels with more range and technology. In the 1980s it was 40-foot vessels capable of 24 knots. The 1990s brought 50-foot vessels capable of 26 knots. The early 2000s had 60-foot vessel capable of 30 knots. Fast forward to today’s standards: 70-foot vessels capable of 40 knots, with Sea Keepers and Omni sounders as the standard.

Another advent in the last 15 years in competitive big game tournaments are professional teams with paid captains and crews that fish the tournament circuit on a worldwide level.

So how can a small boat crew compete? Why should they compete? It’s not for everybody. You have to have a crew who believes in themselves first, have a strategy and stick to a game plan. These are the three main fundamentals needed to compete in any sport and that will lead you to victory.