Fisher Named Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen's Association Captain of the Year

     Annapolis, Md. -- The Maryland Saltwater Sporfishermen's Association has announced that the 2011 MSSA Captain of the Year, sponsored by Judge Yachts, is Sam Fisher Jr. of Heathsville, Virginia. Fisher is a long-standing member of the Dorchester County Chapter of the MSSA.

     Fisher and his crew, team "Righ Hook," competed in every tournament the MSSA hosted this year which helped propel him to victory with 1,393.15 points. This year the MSSA Tournament Series consisted of two of the largest striped bass tournaments in the country, the MSSA spring tournament –Championship on the Chesapeake and the fall tournament – Chesapeake Bay Fall Classic. The third tournament was the 22nd Tuna-ment, MSSA’s only offshore tournament.

     Points are given to captains for participating in each tournament as well as their catch. Fisher had an impressive year averaging 30 pounds caught in the spring tournament, won the Tuna-ment with a 111.4 pound blue fin tuna and an impressive 15 pound dolphin, and a 28 pound fish in the fall to secure the Captain of the Year.

     Fisher will be receiving $1,000 in cash and free “All-In” entries in to every tournament within the 2012 MSSA Tournament Series, a value of $4,500.

     “I am happy for Sam and his crew. They are hard working anglers that enjoy competition and represent recreational anglers very well, we are happy to call them members and very excited to call him the MSSA 2011 Captain of the Year,” Dave Smith Executive Director of the MSSA.

     Second place went to Robert Moreland of Edgewater, Maryland. Moreland is a member of the DC Metro chapter of the MSSA and has been a tournament angler for many years now.

     Moreland finished just behind Fisher with 1,341.5 points, a mere 51.65 point difference. Moreland also had an impressive run as he averaged 25 pound fish in the spring tournament, a 49.5 pound blue fin and 13 pound dolphin in the Tuna-ment, and finished in the fall tournament averaging 27 pounds per fish. 

     For his efforts and commitment to the MSSA and its tournaments Moreland will receive “All-In” entries for two tournaments within the MSSA Tournament Series.

     Third place goes to Tom Musser of Boyds, Maryland. Musser is a veteran member of the MSSA and represents the Frederick Chapter of the MSSA in this contest.

     Musser competed in all of the tournaments as well and finished with 1,319.15 points. Musser averaged 17 pounds per fish in the spring, 46.5 pound blue fin tuna and 17 pound dolphin in the Tuna-ment, and two 26 pound stripers in the fall tournament.

     Musser will receive an “All-In” entry to one of the 2012 MSSA Tournament Series events.

     “This is year was the closest I have seen this contest in while,” Smith said.

     MSSA will be adding a flounder tournament to the series in 2012 allowing for more participants and increasing the stakes. The MSSA Captain of the Year contest has become as fiercely competitive as each of the individual MSSA tournaments. Captains’ look forward to the year-long competition and enjoy participating in all of our tournaments for their shot at the top of our MSSA captains.

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