Welcome, Anglers and Spectators!

Mother Nature can be brutal sometimes - and she took no exception last May when the Striker had to be cancelled due to high winds and waves! We will always err on the side of caution and safety but it does sting after so much work goes into the production of the tournaments. If you ask me, I think the Striker deserves a little reprieve with the weather this year, and with Mercury taking entitlement hopefully that will bring some good Karma. Speaking of which Hell's Bay Boatwork's holding tank will return again which added a new conservation dimension to the Redfish Trout Challenge by enabling redfish and trout to be properly resuscitated and returned to their native grounds in the Mosquito Lagoon. We also have some new things going on in the Village that I think everyone will be excited about!

2010 marks the inaugural year for the FishStock 5K and family fun run which will be run on Saturday morning at 8 am. You can go online now for more details and register the whole family at www.fishstock5k.com The addition of this new element for FishStock will ultimately bring many runners and their families to New Smyrna Beach over Memorial Day weekend, as well as Riverside Park early Saturday, and throughout the weekend.

FishStock, along with the inshore and offshore seminars, boat and tackle exhibits, youth clinics, music, food and now the 5K, will help create the perfect seaside destination during Memorial Day weekend. The industry's
top manufacturers, along with local participating dealers, are invited to gather
on-site for the weekend to sell their wares. Riverside Park in downtown New
Smyrna Beach will host FishStock in a relaxed, open-air, festival atmosphere,
presenting the latest products and further educating boating and fishing enthusiasts in the sport they love. We hope you will take notice of local community involvement. The local community, not just our national sponsors, will help expand FishStock, as we annually give back to the community in a variety of ways, especially with KidStock where we give away 500 Zebco rod and reels to kids from 6-16 who register. Look for an incredible array of food and beverage offerings as well as great Blues music this year!

We would like to thank all of our sponsors for helping us expand FishStock over the years, it is meant to be fun, so come on out and stay awhile. View the sponsors' exhibits; compete in these family-friendly tournaments, the FishStock 5K and KidStock; and most of all, participate in this country's favorite pastime — fishing!

See you Memorial Day weekend (May 27-30, 2010) it promises to be filled with competition, education and fun. We invite you to join us and enjoy the beautiful resources Florida and especially New Smyrna Beach has to offer!

All the best,

Andrew W. Townes III
FishStock Sales and Marketing Director