We recently wrapped up the 8th Annual Harwich Headhunt, and it was a big success again. We had the most boats we’ve ever had, had a killer day out on the water, and had one familiar team on the winners stand.

A big thanks to Jake Rooney’s for hosting the after party, and to all of our sponsors – the Puma gear we gave as part of the prize packages was great. This has always been about having a local tournament, and all of our local sponsors and participants have made this a great annual event that we’re proud to be a part of.

The tourney day got off to a rough start. There were torrential rains in the early am and a lot of boats didn’t leave until a bit later. On our boat – Team Jackal – we went out around 5:30 in the rain, and had to carry two other tourney veterans who were hooking up with a new boat out of Osterville. After some early fishing, with some decent fish, we did a boat transfer out on the rip and dropped off the dead weight. For us, we had a good day, caught well over 25 keepers, but just couldn’t get into the size needed to win the event. Late in the day we made the decision to head north off of Chatham and it paid off, with consistent hook ups and multiple double headers (including two good size bass on one umbrella rig) but couldn’t get anything big enough to place.

The day turned out great, with a lot of fish caught and great weather after the rain left us, but in the end, a familiar crew hoisted the crown. Team Arlie Ex, with now 5 time champion Mike O’Brien on board, brought in a monster 32 lb fish that took top prize by over 3 lbs. Next year we may handicap the charter boys, but congrats again to a great team and a crew that has been with this tourney since the beginning. We were hoping Mike’s brother broke out the victory helmet he’s worn in years past, but it sadly didn’t make an appearance.

We’ll post more later, but we hope everyone had a great time and we have more t-shirts if folks want one – just email us at headhunt@gmail.com. Overall, thanks again to everyone for a great tourney, we had a record number of participants, a great day on the water, and gave away another scholarship to a local student. We’re always open to feedback on how to make the tourney even better, and hopefully we’ll even be able to win our own tourney some day.

Stay tuned for more details, and pictures and get ready for next year!!

Ryan & Sean Burke

It’s almost go time, and a few more boats are coming in. I think we got 3 more boats in today, so should be close to the numbers we’ve had last year. Some day we’ll blow this puppy wide open but right now we like it smaller, manageable, and with folks who are in it for the right reasons. This isn’t for big money, or different categories, etc. but just for trash talking rights and a good time, and are raising money for a scholarship again this year. Imagine the lucky high school person who walks away with Harwich Headhunt Scholarship recipient on their resume. Might as well be a full ride to Bama to play
football.

Tomorrow night will be some good pre-game festivities – Team Jackal will be at the Hot Stove by around 5, and will try to get out of there early. Last year our RI
teammate convinced our captain they should stay up late drinking and sleep on the boat, and let’s just say that the captain provided his own chum slick on the way out that morning. I’ll be keeping a close eye on my team this year, and will resort to force to get the team to bed early if need be.

On other teams, sounds like Team Powe has some team chemistry issues – again. I hear their fighting about their team name, who is paying what, and who the best fisherman is. I still love hearing the tall tales of the fishing expertise of the crew who pays to charter a boat, brings bananas on the boat, and last year even had a crew member wearing a polo button down. Either way, they’re done before they leave the dock, and that is what the fans really want.

We also have new entry ‘Bad Larry’ out of Osterville. Should be interesting, they have two tourney vets on board (one of whose boats is in the shop) but a rookie captain and a wildcard from Boston. Word is the captain is driving down after a night out in Boston, and has to be back for a family dinner that night – I don’t think he knows what he’s in for.  

On the fishing front, sounds like the fishing is pretty hot out there right now, question will be if the size is there. We’ll be out there somewhere between Wildcat, Regal Sword, and the Flemish Cap looking for our winner, and may actually get some pre-fishing in tomorrow. Word is that channel 71 will be tourney channel, so please direct all trash talking chatter to that station. 4 years ago I remember it was great, about 7 tourney boats were stacked up on one rip, fish were everywhere and the trash talking was thick.  
 
Sounds like there could be rain in our forecast, but the tourney will go on. Jake Rooney’s is set up for a great after party and they’ve been awesome in prepping for the tourney and getting us a good spread. Keep in mind, they do this for us on a good deal, so NO drinking your own beers in the parking lot (they’ll lose their license) and be kind to the staff (tip!). Some apps will be provided, but feel free to order off the menu as well. 

Should be a good day, and hope to see folks at the Stove tomorrow. We’ll have t-shirts, and maybe cozies, to go around. Let’s do this (and hope that my wife makes it to her due date in a week and a half!)!!

The 4th is over, and it’s time to celebrate the Headhunt. We have one week to go, and action is heating up. ¾ of Team Jackal hit some good bass out the way of the point this past weekend, although we were mostly east of Chatha looking for tuna, where we fell short – yet again. There was some chatter on the radio of a few fish caught, but overall seemed real slow. Either way, the tuna can relax because Team Jackal will let them live for another weekend as we turn to the bass for the 8th Annual Harwich Headhunt. 

As usual, we will be hitting the Hot Stove on Friday night, so make it happen. We should have t-shirts for sale, and cozies as well. Our friends at Hammerhead Creatives – Cape owned and operated business that provides kick ass promotional gear. We have sweet Headhunt visors
and a cooler, and if everyone remembers the nice orange Headhunt cozies from last year – they were the ones who made it happen.

For shirts, let us know if you can how many and what sizes. We never know how many, sizes, etc. to order, but we should have plenty at the party, and can also get more made or send them to you if you can’t make the party. They make great stocking stuffers, father’s day gifts, or wedding anniversary presents for that special lady in your life (you’ll thank us later on that one). 

On the boats, looks like it is an open field and could be a little lighter than years past. I think we have 17 boats so far, and always get a few in last minute so spread the word to anyone you think may be interested. Remember, only $100 a boat, and you can fish anywhere on the Cape, so about as low key,  welcoming tournament as you can have.  

One of the entries again this year is the Cape Cod Sport Bags (pic above). They are great supporters of the tourney and do an awesome job of their own giving a unique perspective on all things Boston sports with a sprinkle of Cape Cod local flavor. If nothing else, they can talk smack with the best of them and hopefully
will be all over any/all Jets fans again this year at the party. Check out their Facebook page and definitely listen to some of their podcasts.  

Well, one week to go and let’s just hope my wife and new kiddo can hold out 2 more weeks so I can fish. One other prize for the winner is you get naming rights to my newborn son, so a lot is on the line. I’m partial to Otis, Mako or Herring Bone, but hopefully the winner will have a good name my wife can live with. Either way, get out to the Hot Stove this Friday, get us your $$ if you haven’t yet, and spread to word to get a few more boats in. 
 
Good luck to everyone (except Team Powe, Cape Cod Sport Bags, and Lewis
Bros).

This tournament is coming up on us faster than I have remembered in the past which unfortunately makes me feel like myself when faced with a deadline.  On the other hand, I have actually only been hitting random bouts of panic and not stressing very much about the tournament this year which is nice until my family asks me too many questions!  The t-shirts are getting wrapped up and should be on sale this weekend, Jake Rooney’s is all set for us, we caught a few fish, and the boat seems to be cool after a slight scare and I am on vacation so all is great as far as I am concerned.  

I also just got off the phone with team JACKAL teammate Dave “Dock Father” Tria who called from his boat in Rhode Island. He is heading out for the final evening of commercial striper season down in his little shady state of Rhody but after talking with him about strategy I am not at all nervous about our competition
which is sweeeeet!!!

My kiddos are off Cape with their mom and my dog Grady and I are chilling in the back room doing whatever we want which has me sort of stumped.  I spent the afternoon on the Jackal rigging stuff up and checking over my usual sounder issues but it was all good as I think that we are going to win our own event this year.   

Bring it Arlie Ex, Jailbreak, Cornelia Marie, and Ben and Teller!  

If you are in this thing this year let’s go!  Look at last year's winners in the picture, they don't look too intimidating.

What about you ladies in Falmouth/Bourne/Wareham?

Seriously though, we know that many of you are most likely joining us again for the tournament but we need to get as many teams as possible registered asap so we know what the field consists of.  As you know, or if you do not, the total money prize package is solely based on the amount of boats entered.  Once again, if there are 15 boats or 45 I am cool as this is not a money making endeavor for us but I just want the competition to be as steep as possible and the top cash prize to be as big as possible.  

We also plan on giving out another college scholarship with the amount being based on our team entry fees so that is another reason why we want to get fishing teams on the bracket as soon as we can.  

Maybe we should set up a pre tourney bracket?

Did my brother mention Calcutta? Bring it!

The bass are in thick right now not far from the point. 
They are all over the surface feeding on sand eels which made them pretty finicky yesterday but there were too many all around to not be able to hook up. 

The fish were under the birds at all times on and off the edges but they were so focused on the feeding frenzy that you could pull right up on them with the boat and not spook them.  If we had put some solid effort into netting them from the boat we seriously may have
had a solid chance at nabbing one and I think that I have only been in that position once before.  

The whole event reminded of a late night on the houseboat on our everglades fishing trip a few months ago.  I was burping up balls of stomach acid from all the crap we had been eating and I guess maybe drinking all day and night for two days but I could not go to sleep
until I attacked the jalapeno cheese sauce with chips. 
I was so done and I consciously knew I should stop but I kept force feeding myself knowing that I was in danger. Okay, I am done as I love that cheese
dip so much which is why it is never allowed in my house. Oh yeah, back to the bass feeding frenzy that reminded me of Petey eating potatoes chips in bed on
our last houseboat trip with his eyes completely closed asleep. He was chewing and shoveling in chips and crumbs were falling out everywhere in his bed and he was asleep and he still could not stop.  

Weird things do happen in nature and on houseboats that cannot be explained which is why we cannot explain to the crowd that Mike O’Brien and his crew might win
this event again this year.

Could you at least make a serious run at this thing for once you freaking Lewis brothers?  

First off, love Petey’s fire in the comments section from last post, but coming from a guy who brought a thing of bananas on Seamus’ boat two years ago, it really doesn’t carry much weight. I still wish I could have had a picture of Seamus face when they got all the way out to the rips, and Petey pulls out a bunch of
bananas and in all seriousness asks Seamus if he wants one. Classic, and typical of a Jets fan.

 Well, the Burke bros. may finally get out tomorrow. I took the day off and we’ll be hitting something hard – maybe a combo of tuna east of Chatham and bass on the point. Given my luck, and another kiddo due in a few weeks, I’ll take a foul hooked sea robin at this point. Or the 55 foot sea monster in the picture that our boy Hwang caught over in China yesterday - http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3652122/Chinese-find-55ft-sea-monster.html
 
Either way, we’ll be on the water which will be nice and if anyone else is out there hit us up on the radio. We’ll be the Boston Whaler out near the point with two guys fist fighting on the deck while the boat spins in circles.  

If anyone else has any luck, let us know. We’ve heard some good reports on hankerchief and the point, so looks like the fish will be here for the tourney. Also, we’ll be heading out tonight in Harwich, if anyone is around and up for a beer or talking trash, let us know – may hit Brax, Hot Stove, or the Mill Hill, but up for meeting wherever folks other than Corduroy are hanging out. Let us know.

Stay tuned for reports from our trip, but after going 0-94 last year in my tuna trips, my hopes are not that high. 

Ryan

It is mid June and we are coming up on the 8th annual Headhunt tournament.  When we first started this tournament with three boats 8 years ago we were extreme amateurs with a rough boat and little to expect.  Back then we just wanted to get out there to catch a couple fish without screwing up our gear or spinning our wheels fishing in the wrong spots. Looking back it is actually funny to think of how well we did (numbers wise at least) without an exact plan in place. It is years later and we have a bigger much better boat, better gear, but we are pretty much in the same place as we were back then. 

We made it past the end of the world recently so we are all “good” other than the fact I finally sit down at my laptop outside with one kid sick and another on my back begging for attention and the freaking space key on my computer is broken.  The computer is not even two years old and another thing is busted.  I will never by anything but a Mac ever again is all that I can say.  I cannot really type like this right now so I will be back later with an external keyboard.

I am back and done with my whiney journal entry thanks to the help of my old mac’s external keyboard.  

What day is again?  Oh yeah it is late may and I have yet wet a line since our everglades fishing trip just over a
month ago.

The reports have been great so far from what I have heard and read.  Could we get some more regular reports on this blog from folks?  Poppa Dock out of Westerly R.I. is making it happen along with Bassmaster Ben out of Westport MA and it looks like our personal  Plymouth reports are also beginning to light up with the arrival of a bunch of baits both north and south of Harwich.  

July 9th is coming fast and furious so get involved with us now to help us get this year’ tourney rolling. We had to go early due to my brother’s birthing schedule which is going to make it harder than usual to pump it up out this way.  

Go Bruins!

I have, and have had to, step away from this post three or four times already and wondering at times these days if I am ever coming back. Not coming back is what scares me so coming back is what this post is all about and coming back is what this year’s HeadHunt is going to be dedicated to. 

Is anyone else up for taking a solid run at this competition again????

If so, I need to hear and I need t hear it soon. Let’s get talking about some real competition again and let’s get some ongoing fishing reports going on this blog.

Let’s go!

It looks like I am finally back!

Who’s with me!?!

Sean

Been a few days since we’ve updated anything here, been busy celebrating the B’s
  championship, and waiting for my bro to step it up. 
He’s done with school now so should be full bore and is putting together the new t-shirts as we speak – they should be legit.  

This week at work I had to do a karaoke number in front of the company, as part of our push to have a fun, creative culture or something along those lines. Anyway, once we won the Cup, I quickly changed my plan that am from Rick Astley to renting a full bear costume and singing ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘We are the Champions’. Can’t say it was the best performance ever, but the bear costume was sweet – even if it did smell like a dead yeti inside.  Best part is I get the costume for 3 days so you may see me in full gear tomorrow at the parade – while I was renting WAAF called the shop and rented the
other one so I may have to go on the attack. And my 2 year old son is going to get a suprise tonight.

 Enough of that nonsense, we had two more boats sign up this week – should put us close to 15 and we still need to get forms and cash in hand since most folks haven’t paid. Try to do it early if you can – we’re finalizing numbers for food at the after party and it’s tough without knowing who is in or not.  If you need a form, just email us at headhunt@gmail.com or hit the registration form on this website – and you can just send the $100 to my brother at – 

26 Vacation Lane
Harwich, MA 02645.

Lastly, has anyone been fishing? We haven’t heard much other than our fellow Jackal crew member doing some serious damage out of RI. Doesn’t seem like the fish have hit the rips yet but should be any day. If anyone is getting out this weekend, let us know and let’s get this trash talking dialed up. 

Bruins are on a roll, and the entries are starting to roll in. Have heard from a few of the past entrants and some newbies who should make this a killer tourney. Trying to spice up the trash talk so please don’t act like a Sedin twin and sit on your hands, get involved and stir some crap up. Send me a note if you want me to blog it, or throw it up on the comments. 

So far this week we had our friends at On the Water agree to support the tourney again. Not sure if you’re subscribers but it’s the best fishing rag in the business, and they do a great job with their TV show and their site. As always, we’re psyched to have them on
board because they’re what this tourney is all about – local, hardcore and fun.

We had Judge Schmales and his crew on the Navigator call in from their 50 footer down south to say they were back in with a crew of like 10 people. They came in 2nd two years ago, and can trash talk with the best of them, even if one of their key members prefers fly fishing for bluegills. I also had a local old school Harwich Rough Rider enter this year. We’ll see if he can fish as well as he can put back the beers.

Our friends at Flipkey.com are back as well –both as ex
champions (Team Powe two years ago) and sponsors. I ANYONE is involved in renting property on the Cape (or anywhere in the world actually) this is the site to use. I use it religiously and can’t say enough about the help for both finding a place or renting your own property. Their team may basically be a crew of Max Lapierre’s who can’t fish a lick, but the site is legit.  
 
Overall, I think the tally is up to around 15 boats so far, but we hope to get more so spread  the word. T-shirts should be finished this week and they’ll be sweet again. Lastly, the party will be at Jake Rooney’s again this year – they’ve been great to us and
definitely swing by there anytime between now and then to build up some pre-tourney chatter and get some kick ass food.  

I’m off to pre-game for the B’s tonight, but let’s keep this baby rolling. And if anyone is going to game 6 on Monday and wants to grab a few before the game, let me know. I’ll be there ready to drop the gloves.

Ryan

If you would like to be a sponsor time is running out!

 I met with Karen at ESP Tees today and we are looking to finalize the shirt design wed of next week so June 8th is going to be our cutoff for sponsorship if you would like to be on this years shirt.  The pic above is an option our awesome designer Nick at Design By Disorder came up with, but we may go with another option he gave us last year. Feedback is welcome.

Once again, we are all over the place with the design and the colors and we could go on and on with ideas but the HeadHUNT is coming early this year and we need to get the show on the road.  

Karen at ESP was telling me today that the price of cotton has gone up quite a bit these days as we now import all of our cotton from other countries.  Is that just another kick in the gut and/or another scary sign of our
times?  Oh well, the HeadHUNT will roll on and hopefully the cost of fuel will drop a bit as it seemed to be doing
a bit last week for a day or two.

Other things I hope for:

I just hope that Cuordoroy and his brother Timmy might actually show this year even though the Vegas odds do not look good for team Lewis.  

I hope so badly that the Bruins can………………

I hope that my sounder finally gets fixed.

I hope that KFC might jump in as sponsor this year in addition to On the Water magazine possibly giving us a shout out.

Please join us Charlie Moore and get on a boat to catch something other than another Sallie.  

Oh my goodness I hope the Bruins……..!@#$%^&*(*&^@

As for business notes:

(Once again) We are looking to finalize the T-shirts this week so if you would like to have your name on the shirt as a sponsor we need to know asap.  We hate to leave anyone out and always get flack for doing so but we also
get flack when we push the issue too much.  Consequently, I am done dealing with the Catch 22 as much as I have in the past so spread the word and let us know if you would like to sponsor and be on the t-shirt by next week at the latest  since we need to get the printing going and the screens finalized.  

We are holding off Karen at ESP tees once again way too long and the HeadHUNT is early this year so we need to send things off for print by last week.  

In response to my brothers’ last post, Team Jackal will be just fine or at least better than most of the others in the fleet. We may have never won our own tournament
which does drive us nuts but we have been right there at the top in the mix every year.

As Ryan already posted, the top three fish last year were all in the 29 pound range which is sweet which makes us think and people sometimes ask about issues with possible cheating.  I/we can honestly say that we are very confident that our tourney is based too much on
camaraderie and true competition due to its simple format and small entry fee. On the other hand, I want to make it clear that if there is any chance that anyone may be suspect of tampering with our tournament  they will be solely responsible for the end of this tournament because I know once I have people challenging the legitimacy of our winners I am done.  

I do not want to leave this blog on that last note.  I just sometimes want to simply be a participant in my/our own event.  I seriously like that our tournament is only $100 per boat with a simple format with some serious
competition and camaraderie being the sole focus.

I just like that people who are involved in the HeadHUNT feel like a team.

 It is go time again folks so help us bring this thing
together!!!!!


Sean