Before the Strike

Predestined for a life on the water when his parents moved from Massachusetts to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, when he was 4 years old, professional photographer Scott Kerrigan grew up living on boats and fishing around the numerous docks, canals, beaches, and piers that surrounded his floating home in South Florida.

- Sam White

Players: SCOTT KERRIGAN

An early love for the sport led to jobs in local tackle shops and charter boats, but the glistening allure of fishing internationally was impossible to ignore. He took his first traveling job as a 19-year-old mate in 1982, embarking on an illustrious career that's still going strong more than four decades later.

You fished the Cat Cay Tuna Tournament in 1982what was that experience like?

That was my first travel job, fishing with Capt. Joe Kononchik on a 53 Hatteras called White Elephant. We were the only production boat in a fleet of all these beautiful customs-Merritts, Ryboviches, Whiticars. It was an amazing experience to sit in the tower with Joe and see those swimming Volkswagens as they crossed the white-sand bank. We used a single swimming mullet on 30 feet of piano wire, so when we were in position, I'd scamper down and get the bait in the right spot as we passed in front of the school. More than half of the time, a barracuda would nip off the tail just as we got into position. I'm probably fortunate we didn't hook one with my limited experience as a green Bahia Mar charter mate, I probably would have killed myself. But it definitely opened my eyes, and I wanted to see more of the world.

What came next? 

Cozumel, the Cayman Islands, Isla Mujeres and Key West became my circuit for several years. Around that time, I bought a simple film camera, just to be able to bring home some photos to show my parents. In 1987, I had a chance to go to St. Thomas for the summer blue marlin season. It wasn't anything serious. The islands got hammered by Hurricane Hugo in 1989 but were back up and running when I returned for the season in 1990. After that, I went back every summer for 20 years in a row, either as a mate or a photographer.

What was it like back then?