2000 � American Sportfishing Association Lifetime Achievement Award
2001 � IGFA Conservation Award
2001 � Miami Beach Rod & Reel Club Al Plueger, Sr. Conservation Award
2004 � 69th MET Tournament Herman Lucerne Conservation Award
2006 � IGFA Conservation Award (presented at the Rolex in Cabo)
2007 � Field & Stream Magazine Hero of Conservation Finalist
12
Lady Action
One of the leaders of the "Circle Hook Revolution" to promote and
encourage the use of circle hooks in billfishing, 1998/99.
"Joan Vernon"
J
oan Vernon was born in
Mesa, Arizona and now
resides in Key Biscayne,
Florida. A widow, she has
1 daughter, 1 son and 3
grandchildren.
This remarkable lady has
achieved much more than
most of her peers, and her
conservation efforts and angling
achievements have placed her
in very high regard.
Joan: "I started saltwater fishing
when I was 9 years old in Fort
Myers Beach, Florida, fishing for
trout, redfish and snook. I spent
a lot of time in Marathon, Florida,
during my teenage years. I was
brought up on the water and
have run boats as long as I can
remember. When I moved to
Key Biscayne in 1970 I bought
a 22' boat and started fishing
offshore Miami with light tackle.
I then graduated to a 25 footer
and lighter tackle. I began kite
fishing for sailfish in 1978 using 6
lb. Line. In 1987 I got my USCG
license and did some charter
fishing out of Miami.
In 1979, 1980 and 1982, I was
Women's Master Angler in the
Metropolitan South Florida
Fishing Tournament (called
the MET for short). This is a 5
month tournament-the largest
of its kind in the world. I had
to fish with light line as well as
spin, plug and fly tackle. In 1981
I won the Fly Championship in
the MET, the only woman to date
to win this honor.
I started serious fly fishing in the
early 80's and am a past winner
oftheWomen'sWorldInvitational
FlyTarponChampionship. Ihave
also placed in this tournament
many times.
My first love is light tackle
fishing...no matter what type of
rod or reel. It is not the weight
of the fish but the challenge
of catching it on light line and
artificial lures that is my interest.
I always travel with my flyrod
and have caught numerous
pacific sailfish on fly (before it
was fashionable, I might add!)."
� PHOTO RIGHT � ?
1982 - Joined the Board of
Directors of PRO FISH. This
organization was formed to
lobby for the protection of
snook and redfish in South
Florida waters. The first
woman to be named to such
a board.
1981 � Joined the Board
of Directors of The Atlantic
Game Fish Foundation. This
organization was an offshoot
of PRO FISH. We continued
working for protection of
snook and redfish. In addition,
we were responsible for the
private sector fund raising
effort to build the University
of Miami Experimental
Fish Hatchery. My duties
included the organization and
production of all fund raising
activities.
1982 � Became a founding
member of The Greater Miami
Billfish Tournament. This
event was the main fund
raising project for the Atlantic
Game Fish Foundation. I
was responsible for the
operations and organization
of the tournament. Under my
leadership we became the first
major tournament of this type
in South Florida to become an
all-release event. I remain in
this capacity today.
Mid-`80's � Joined the Dade
County Board of Directors
for the Florida Conservation
Association.
1990 � Became the
Conservation Chairman of
The Greater Miami Billfish
Tournament. It was my job
to obtain grant requests
for financial aid from the
tournament.
1995 - Became a member of
the Dade County Sea Grant
Advisory Board.
1998/99 � One of the
leaders of the "Circle Hook
Revolution" to promote and
encourage the use of circle
hooks in billfishing.
1999 � Invited to be a guest
speaker at the Catch and
Release Symposium, Virginia
Beach, VA to promote circle
hooks.
2000 � present: Coordinate
the Adopt-A-Billfish Satellite
Tagging Program in Central
America and Mexico.
Continue to educate people in
the above areas in the proper
use of circle hooks.
2002 � Joined the Board
of Directors of The Billfish
Foundation.
2008- Current chairman of
THE BILLFISH FOUNDATION
(Just became immediate `Past
Chairman'...now Chairman
of Programs Committee
for Scientific Research &
Conservation.
CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES
In 1996 I founded Sporting Traditions. Events organized
and produced by this company benefit various charitable
organizations that support and enhance the marine
environment in Mexico, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Panama,
El Salvador and Guatemala. The Presidential Challenge
of Central America (PCCA) is a series of tournaments
benefiting conservation and promoting tourism in Central
America and the Caribbean. The primary goal of The
PCCA is to promote the sport fishing industry in these
regions by working with the governments of the involved
countries to promote game fish conservation. I am now
immediate past Chairman of THE BILLFISH FOUNDATION
and together we are working to convince the members of
government that they must sustain healthy billfish stocks
in order to support the sport fishing industry. In 1999
the Presidential Challenge Series became the first fishing
tournaments in the world to require the use of circle hooks
in competition. It was a true `Challenge' as anglers are
reluctant to change their techniques and styles. In order
to accomplish this transition research was needed as to the
success this type of hook had in the safe catch and release
of billfish. I was able to raise the funds needed to do a
comparison study of the conventional `J' hooks and the
circle hook. The results presented an eye opener to the
anglers but more importantly to the fishery managers. The
Billfish Foundation once again threw their support into the
circle hook battle and funded thousands of circle hooks
that were distributed around the world.
By 2002 I had convinced the prestigious Yamaha Contender
Miami Billfish Tournament to convert to circle hooks. They
became the first tournament in the USA to make this
move and created quite a furor in the East Coast Fishing
Community. The battle for circle hooks was now full blown
around the world. By the
mid 2000's the country
of Costa Rica made
circle hooks mandatory
when fishing for billfish
in coastal waters. By this
time more research was
needed so I once again joined with The Billfish Foundation
in getting funding to do further studies. The government
of the United States stepped up to the plate and in 2008
required the use of circle hooks when fishing for billfish in
the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico waters. Today I continue
to be called upon by members of the angling community,
hook manufacturers and tournament directors around the
world to offer advice, techniques and critiques regarding
circle hooks.
PERSONAL CONSERVATION AWARDS

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