Legendary Captain Lee Carver

#CaptainOfTheMonth

Legendary Captain Lee Carver

Fish of the Week Judge

For this special edition Captain of the Month, we bring you the Captain who inspired Ponce Fish Network, a man who has devoted himself to our continuation week after week. Captain Lee Carver, a legend in his own right, dominated the charter fishing industry here in Ponce Inlet for the last 50 years. While his days of sport & head-boat fishing are behind him, he continues to hold his ranking and is now our weekly judge of the best charter catches in the inlet. Ponce Fish Network was built to give Captain Lee's former vessel, the F.V. Super Critter, a social platform to build off of and grow from. In the wake of the business' closure, the Super Critter serves as our inspiration and devotion to the cause, and will always have a special place in our hearts.

Captain Lee Carver moved to the Daytona area when he was just 13 and was instantly fascinated by the area's fishing culture. He spent his teens learning the ins & outs of saltwater and surf fishing, winning his first tournament at 19. Sitting on his balcony overlooking the Halifax River he tells me the story and laughs, noting when he caught the winning triggerfish that day- he wasn't even sure what kind of fish it was. I laugh with him because if you know this legend, you definitely can understand how hard it is to wrap your head around the idea that once upon a time he didn't know. As we sit he continues, his next tournament win would be a couple of years later; a stud cobia, something I am all too familiar with from his Super Critter days.

By the early 1970s, Captain Lee was hooked, despite being the one who was usually doing the hooking- and his career path was set in stone. In 1973 he landed his first mating job aboard the Sarus, owned & Captained by Dick Shine, which got his foot in the door while he learned more. His next and last mating job would be aboard the Virginia M, owned by Greg LaCour, which he would spend the next several years on. By 1978, his then roommate and friend Captain Dick Harper (F.V. Snow White II), would convince him to get his Captain's license, marking the start of a truly unforgettable career. Captain Lee received his license in 1978 and two months after was offered the helm of the Snow White III, owned by Al Kline. While he remembers Captain Paul Nelson Sr. keeping watch over him later on, he chuckles as he tells me one of his first trips he went it entirely alone. That feat may seem doable nowadays, but the equipment differences between now and the late 1970s are something worth noting. I remind him he is a natural, which should be an easy fact for him to acknowledge, but he does not. While I know that the man I am interviewing is a legend, it is very clear he is humble when it comes to admitting that.

Captain Lee Carver ran the Snow White III for seven years, before taking a job with Buddy LaCour running his 40-foot Viking. While he was a mesmerizing headboat Captain and bottom fisherman, his true passion had always been sport fishing, and his favorite will always be sailfishing. He ran the Viking for 3 years when a tournament opportunity would come up that would create the connections that would determine the rest of his career. Captain Lee adjusts himself in his chair as he starts to tell me the story, not just any story either, but THE story of THE fish. Every Captain has a story about their personal best fish, but this one hits differently for me. The thing about Captaincy is, how many fish a Captain catches in their respective career, there are usually too many great catches and too many memorable feats. The ultimate feat is the one that tops it all; the one that stuns the Captain that's seen it all. That's what dreams are truly made of.

Captain Lee talks about the lawyer from Deland he took out for a tournament, a trip in which he would meet his future boss and friend Charlie Schammel, and a catch that would forever be solidified in the history books. The tournament was the 16th Annual Invitational Bluewater Tournament hosted by the Northeast Florida Marlin Association in Camachee Island, and Captain Lee would put Charlie on a record-breaking marlin that would drop jaws back at the weigh-in. The blue marlin put up quite the fight, taking half of the 80lb line during the 45-minute fight, and took the 5 person crew almost an hour to get through the tuna door because of its girth. Reading the articles I have my confirmation of Lee's humbleness, as it quotes him directly, 'I'm never comfortable until a tournament is over," he said. "Our catch looks good, but other boats could come up with points in different categories. We've got to go back out tomorrow and Friday and keep trying." (Gary Smits, Sportswriter) He never quits. The blue marlin caught that day on the Critter Gitter weighed a whopping 608 lbs, a tournament record at the time. While they didn't win the tournament, being out-pointed by 2 blue marlin releases, they were certainly the talk of the tournament & newspapers far and wide.

Captain Lee has had lots of other tournament wins over the years; including 2 Striker wins, the Stuart Light Tackle tournament, and the NSB Angler with none other than Captain Tim Garrett (F.V. Waterproof Charters Fishing ) & Captain Joe Lyall (F.V. Blackhawk), as well as all the wins previously mentioned. He finally settled back into head-boat life again with Charlie Schammel, owner of the Critter Fleet, after a couple of years of running boats in New Jersey & North Carolina. Captain Lee would be the last Captain the Super Critter had at the helm, his final leg running from 1998 to 2021. Over those last twenty years though, he earned his rightful place at the top and will forever be known by customers for a deck covered in fresh fish, and by our Captains for his trademark 'Too Easy' over the VHF.

The adage rings true here; 'home is where your heart is' and you can still find Captain Lee on the water daily. These days he helms Ponce Inlet Watersports Eco & River fishing tours, a well-deserved break after spending most of his life out on the open seas. You can still hear him daily over the VHF offshore though, his verbiage seeps through every mate and Captain who has worked with him or been inspired by him through the years. The greatest lesson he ever taught will forever be if you are doing what you love... it's all 'too easy'.

History of Ponce Fish Network

For this month's special edition, we will bring you behind the scenes of how Ponce Fish Network came to be and the inspiration behind it all.

Part One

The fall of 2019 hit differently, a feeling that I'm sure remains the same regardless of who you ask. My fiancée Jeremy had just been promoted to First Mate aboard the F.V. Super Critter (Critter Fleet), a dream job landed just before the living nightmare began. Just as the work to get ready for busy season was beginning in 2020.. the world was shutting down for the pandemic, putting a full stop to our everyday lives and plans.

During the shutdown we talked a lot about the state of things in the fishing industry; the unnecessary over-regulation of well-stocked fish, outdated advertising models, and the true health of the local fishery… which it seemed the higher-ups had no clue about. A lot of these talks had a fierce undertone of anger and frustration but were mixed with visible apathy. Those who spoke felt no one was listening.. maintaining all the while they felt their hands would remain tied no matter their efforts going forward.

When the shutdown finally ended, I looked for ways to help the struggling business my fiancée had grown up in awe of. The Critter Fleet and its vessels had been around since the 1950s, an area staple and piece of local history that once consisted of a fleet of vessels but by 2020 had dwindled down to just one. Over that first year, I did a lot of research into the industry, the boats & Captains that surrounded us, all while paying careful attention to the management surrounding it all. My first step onto the path that led us to where we are today was the rebirth of some of the Critter's social media accounts. Historically some accounts had been run by its first mate, changing hands every time a new first mate had come on board.

I ran the Critter's Instagram (@critterfleetfishing , photos are still up for those looking) for the last couple of years she ran. Through this, I realized how little of a platform she had to exist on and share her stories. That first year was a struggle; I was met with constant denial by people who had no real understanding or care of what they were doing wrong. I watched as pop-up charter businesses with limited experience had open reign on these advertising platforms, while the household names that created the industry here were shunned, and denied their well-earned right to exist. To say that my frustration motivated me would be denying a personal truth, I have and always will be the kind of person who fights for what's right in a sea of wrong.

It wasn't long after I started trying to help out that talks of closing the business had started, much to our dismay. The tides of the industry had drastically changed during the pandemic- the business temporarily boomed as people had more time & money due to shutdowns, and Florida had become a safe haven from states with harsher restrictions. Seemingly overnight, being a charter Captain became a career choice for many, just as the industry was slowly starting to get back to its pre-pandemic normal. The open talks of selling stopped, and for a brief moment in time, I thought we were in the clear.

In May of 2021 after months of discussion with the best Captain & mates in the inlet, I created Ponce Fish Network with one true but unobtainable goal. At the time if you had asked me, I would have told you I built the network for the Critter Fleet, her Captain, and its crew. I wanted to give them the platform they needed to grow in the social age where management was left in the hands of whoever had the most followers or approved the posting. Nowadays, having lived through the Critter Fleet's last year in business in silence knowing its fate was already sealed, I would say Ponce Fish Network was created so that its closure wasn't in vain. We may have lost one of the best headboats to ever fish these waters, but its legacy will continue to live on as it is the inspiration that has created all that you see here today.

The network has changed management-wise a lot since its early days, but the goal remains the same. We will always stand behind the idea of giving Charter Captains the platform they deserve. Here you will find the longest-running and most well-respected Captains in the industry continuing what they do best, filling the box with fish and ensuring you get exactly what you came for; a memory to go home with that will last a lifetime. While we are a paid digital newspaper with advertising catering to fishing charters and fishing-based businesses, we put all of the funds raised right back into advertising our charters and network so that the future local charter industry has the resources it needs to thrive in the coming years. We thank every one of our loyal supporters and businesses for their continued support while we expand in the years to come.

Meet the Sea Spirit's New Owners!

#BoatOfTheMonth

Sea Spirit Fishing

Captain Nic Stephens

(386) 763-4388

The year is 2004 and 22-year-old Nic Stephens makes his way aboard the Sea Spirit for his first day as its third mate. At the time there are five other head boats operating the waters in Ponce Inlet; a number that would continue to dwindle as time goes by. His morning is spent cutting bait and readying the vessel while assisting then Captains Leebo Lingo, Bryan Pinkley & Mark Leppla in any way he can, all while carefully taking note of every step of their morning rituals. The F.V. he has landed this entry-level position on is a special one; it serves as one of the original pillars of Ponce Inlet's fishing charter community. At this moment he doesn't know it, but he has firmly placed his foot on the ladder he will spend the next two decades climbing, and his choice of vessels is perfectly on point for the future. Spending his first couple of years mastering deck work before learning the ins & outs of the wheelhouse, he obtained his captain's license in 2010 and took over the helm after Captain Lingo's retirement in 2017. Maintaining the devotion to both the vessel and its place in its community, Captain Nic Stephens and his wife Haley are thrilled to announce that they've officially purchased the Sea Spirit, intending to continue this historically family-based local tradition into the next generation.

In 1948, Valda & B.G. Timmons opened Timmons Fish Camp in Ponce Park, continuing Valda's family boating business. At the same time, legendary boat builder Bob Sherbert was returning from serving in World War II, settling back into his work at Daytona Marina & Boat Works. [Originally building submarine chasers, Mr. Sherbert is renowned for his custom-built wood yachts. The Timmons' son, Frank Timmons would purchase the Marianne in the 1960s, pioneering the charter boat industry we see now in Ponce Inlet.] As demand for both F.V.s and fishing trips continued to increase, both Frank Timmons and Bob Sherbert were quickly expanding their businesses to keep up. Bob Sherbert would launch his own boat-building business, Open Seas Marine at Sea Love Marina in the 1970s. Shortly thereafter, his long time friend Captain Frank Timmons purchased two of his builds, the Marianne II and the Sea Love. The Sea Love would later be renamed the Sea Spirit, and she would continue to remain a staple in the party boat industry here for the next 50 years.

The Sea Spirit, a 65' cold molded double planked mahogany hull, offers its community & their visitors a modern-day hands-on adventure that celebrates our rich fishing culture. For years Captain Nic has held his predecessors with the utmost regard, and being able to keep this working piece of Florida's fishing history right here where it truly belongs is more than just a dream come true. It seems fitting that the last remaining head boat in Ponce Inlet would end up being one of its first, a legacy that continues to weather the storms in search of clear skies. The tides of the fishing industry have drastically changed over the course of Captain Nic's twenty-year career; as overregulation, outdated models and ideals, and improperly placed oversight both dampen and quell the vast majority of US fisheries. Landmark and current Supreme Court cases, such as Loper Bright Enterprises Inc. v. Raimondo & Relentless Inc. v. Department of Commerce, aim to dismantle the no longer useful 'Chevron Deference' which has allowed federal agencies to write regulations without judicial process or involvement since 1984. The vast majority of the regulations that currently inhibit and wreak havoc on our fishery were enacted after the implementation of this very precedent, by officials who were simply hired rather than being dutifully elected.

Captain Nic reflects back to 2004, to a conversation with Captain Chris Gercken (FV Grouper Therapy), in which the fellow surfers discussed the best career options for a devoted surfer. Crediting Captain Chris with making the lightbulb go off in his head, Captain Nic quotes him as if he was told the secret yesterday; "Whenever the waves are big, I have the day off!". Captain Nic is not just an accomplished fisherman; he's also a barrel-riding, bluegrass-playing, true friend, father, and husband. He has built his outstanding reputation over the past two decades based on honesty, integrity, and dedication. After fully committing to the career and taking over the helm in 2017, the natural progression of owning the vessel was all that was left to accomplish. He has been patient in his approach to ownership, his faith never wavering that the opportunity would come when the time was right. Now that the time is right, his next focus is improving the already successful business with exciting and innovative ideas that will continue to involve the local community and all of its visitors.

Call it fate, Captain Nic and Haley first met aboard the Sea Spirit back in June of 2011. Invited by then 2nd mate and friend Bradley, Haley hopped on for a full day of fishing that she'll surely never forget. While Haley's 20 lb gag grouper (pictured below) may have been the jackpot winner that day, she insists she caught something far more important and that catch was certainly 'love at first bite'. Already having his 100-ton license at the time it would only be one year before Captain Nic ran his very first solo trip, the first of countless trips that Haley would personally be at the dock to see off. When they met Haley was already an accomplished professional surfer, holding many titles, and continues to surf every chance she gets. She is also a philanthropist and President of the Mayday Memorial Surf Classic, which she founded in the wake of her mother's untimely death due to heart disease. Her devotion to the community is visible in all that she does, and she is looking forward to incorporating these ideals going forward.

Having both been raised on the water, Captain Nic and Haley harbor a deep respect for Mother Nature and all that she commands, and they are excited for the opportunity to be able to teach their sons (Mason 5, Miles 1) all of the lessons they have learned over the years. They invite you to join them this year to celebrate the next chapter of local fishing history, right at the very dock it all began at so long ago.

Trips aboard the Sea Spirit include: 5 HR Half Day Offshore Trips, 9 HR Full Day Offshore Trips, and the rare but highly sought after 12 HR Offshore Trip they offer exclusively to avid followers following their FB page.