The University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame & Museum returned to Islamorada June 19-21 for a fan fest and celebrity fishing tournament. Team Reel Deal came away the winner with junior angler Marina Daniel of Key Largo leading the way.
Daniel weighed the biggest mahi at 21.1 pounds. Reel Deal Capt. Luis Jimenez led anglers Patrick DelVecchio of Key Largo, Yovany Alcala and James Daniel of Miami and Richard Williams of Plantation to victory with two more fish weighing in at 12.5 and 4.6 pounds for a total of 38.2 pounds. They came away with trophies and prize winnings totaling $11,591.
Nuff Said, with Capt. Cecil Everett at the helm, weighed in the second and third largest fish of the tournament. Angler Travis Phelps of Citrus Springs weighed a 16.3-pounder to win the Top Male Angler award. His teammates Brandon Kaskie and James Moore of Inverness and Bobby Everett of Key Largo weighed two more fish, 15.2- and 6.4-pound mahi, for a total of 37.9 pounds. The team took home the Bean Automotive Group second-place trophy and a check for $5,620.
Team Three Little Birds won the Marine Max sponsored third-place trophy with fish weighing a total of 23.7 pounds. Anglers Paul Abiri, Noah Gaudet, Gabriel Rammos, Sam Netkin, Drew Gaudet and Dylan Wheel of Miami weighed in three fish at 13.2, 5.5 and 5 pounds, taking home a check for $1,969
Angler Justin Matson won the King of Fish award sponsored by M Gaylord Trust with a 24.2-pound blackfin tuna. He was fishing with local Capt. Brian Cone aboard his charter boat Contagious.
Contagious also won the Masters of the Ocean, a special award for the combined weight of three of each of the following species – dolphin, blackfin tuna, kingfish and/or wahoo. Matson and his friends Don DeLeon of Miami and Tavernier residents Travis Bennett and Andy Cone received winnings totaling $6,450.
Before the fishing began, UM Hall of Famer Gary Dunn kicked off the festivities on June 19 with a party at his establishment, the Ocean View Inn and Sports Pub. The party included Hall of Famers, celebrity athletes, Sebastian the UM mascot — who was recently inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame — and former University of Miami football coach and Islamorada’s Jimmy Johnson. The event sponsored by Spencer “CaneDoc” Kellogg provided a unique meet-and-greet opportunity for fans and anglers alike.
The festivities continued June 20 as more than 350 fans and anglers enjoyed food, drinks and raffles alongside UM Hall of Famers at Islamorada Resort Collection’s Three Waters Resort and Marina. Gifts were tossed into the crowd by Canes’ mascot Sebastian, marking the official start of the fishing tournament. The UM Sports Hall of Fame & Museum will return to Islamorada June 25-27, 2026 for the fan fest and fishing tournament. More information is at canesfish.com.
