10th Annual IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

The 10th Annual IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held at the International Fishing Hall of Fame in Dania Beach, Florida on Saturday, October 25, 2008.  The 2008 honorees are being recognized for their significant contributions to recreational angling.  This year’s Hall of Fame Inductees are Henry Chee, Dr. Roy Dean, Jimmy Houston, Kay Rybovich and Karl Wickstrom.

Henry Chee was one of the original two charter skippers in Kona, Hawaii.  In the 1940s he was responsible for the advent of trolling lures, making his first "tube" lure out of fiberglass resin, using a drinking glass as a mold, and went on to perfect the use of brass for leader tubes and strips of pearl shell for inserts.

Dr. Roy Dean dedicated his life to light-tackle fishing.  Recognized for his extensive exploration of the coastlines of Mexico and Costa Rica, research on billfish migration, and promotion of catch-and-release, he is best known as the founder of the International Light Tackle Tournament Association (ILTTA) more than 60 years ago.

Jimmy Houston won his first professional bass tournament in 1966, his first B.A.S.S. "Angler of the Year" title in 1976, and has produced and hosted the popular TV show Jimmy Houston Outdoors for more than 30 years.  He was inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame in 2002.

One of three founders of the International Women's Fishing Association (IWFA) in 1955, Kay Rybovich remains one of the grand ladies of sport fishing.  An early proponent of catch-and-release fishing, she is a long-time supporter of fisheries research programs and numerous conservation organizations.

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Florida Sportsman magazine, Karl Wickstrom initiated and chaired the Save Our Sealife constitutional amendment campaign that banned gill nets in 1994 and revitalized Florida's inshore waters.  He was also instrumental in the founding of the state's Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) chapter more than 20 years ago.

Each year the Induction Ceremony draws many well-known personalities from the angling community, including past Hall of Famers.  Please mark your calendars and make plans to join friends and fishing legends on October 25th as we honor this year's inductees. 

Tickets are $200 and include the cocktail reception, silent auction, dinner and ceremony.  Cocktails begin at 6 pm and the dinner and ceremony being at 7:30 pm.  Sponsorship opportunities are available.  For more information about the 2008 IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, or if you would like to make an auction donation, please contact Lesley Arico at 954-924-4222 or email: larico@igfa.org.