Almost time for the 9th Annual Harwich Headhunt!! 
More info to come but pencil it in – 


July 14th, 2012 
 
We’ll also be coordinating this year with the Monomoy Shootout which is July 21st, so hopefully everyone can compete in both. The blowout date for the Headhunt is July 28th.  

Let’s do this.

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