| The Boat | At The Helm | In The Cockpit | The Boat... July 23, 2005 Grand Slam "Sushi" is a custom 1987 Ricky Scarborough Sportfisherman that was originally built for Mr. Ted Wills and operated as the "Pipe Dream". Mr. Wills and Capt. Johnny McCormack cared for and fished her until building themselves a new boat and passing the reigns off to me and Tom Zapf. I first saw her at the 2001 Ocean City White Marlin Open when Johnny backed her into the slip next to the 48 Ocean I was running at the time...it was love at first sight. The courtship took almost 2 years and the new and bigger Sushi made her debut in June of 2003. Sushi Sportfishing Sushi is equipped with twin 735hp diesel engines, generator, 820 gallons of fuel, classic teak salon with DVD home theater system, full kitchen with frig and microwave, 3 staterooms,2 heads, and 4 air conditioners. On the business end she has a teak cockpit floor with uniquely functional bait prep station and tackle drawers, teak cover boards with Pompanette rod holders, huge in-deck fish box, bait freezer, and Scopinich teak fighting chair with rocket launcher. Up top she has a classic single lever center console bridge station, full tuna tower with cockpit and bow spreader lights, and triple spreader outriggers. On the electronics side, Sushi is equipped with Northstar and Furuno GPS plotters, Furuno radar & fishfinder, and VHF and SSB radios. All these features make her a great traveling charter boat, comfortably fishing both day and overnight trips. Back to Top At The Helm... Capt. Charley Pereira Capt. Charley Pereira - I grew up fishing in Coconut Grove, Florida, with occasional weekend and summer fishing trips in the Keys and Bahamas. My first trips from about age 4 involved cane poles from docks and sea walls with my brother Will. The water was very clear with not much pollution back then and we were stoked to catch beautiful reef fish via sight casting. Seeing the fish react to our presence and that of our line, tackle, and bait, and then seeing what happened when we tried to set the hook, taught us the basic instincts and techniques required to sucessfully catch fish. By age 7, we expanded our experiences to anchoring, drifting, trolling, chumming, and spearfishing with friends, neighbors, and commercial fishermen who had boats. When not boat fishing, my brother and I would ride our bikes to a sea wall, canal, or lagoon and improve our skills, often bringing a mangrove snapper dinner home for Mom or to sell to the local fish markets to buy more bait and tackle. By age 13, I was hooked on offshore fishing for bigger saltwater fish and Will got hooked on fly fishing for trout in the Rocky Mountains. After getting my Aeronautical Engineering degree in 1989, I took a job in DC investigating airplane accidents for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The work was good but the city life wasn't for me so on weekends I went to Hatteras, NC and Ocean City, MD, where I saw my first yellowfin and bluefin tuna hit the docks...I convinced some friends to book Hatteras charters with me and thus began the adult phase of my offshore addiction. I met Tom Zapf and Ken Antkowiak in 1993 and together we fished hundreds of days offshore on the various boats we each bought. We trolled, chunked, and live baited day and night. As we grew to know local Captains they began asking us to mate on their charter boats. Ken and I eventually got our Captain's Licenses and started runnning our own charters. In 2005 I finally left the NTSB and moved to the Outer Banks full time. “9-year old Michelle learns to fish...” I enjoy charter clients of all types - experienced or beginner. Whether your goal is to crush a limit of yellowfin and get back to the dock early, win a big-money marlin or tuna tournament, or stay out all day learning how to rig for and catch a variety of fish, I'll do my best to put you on the fish and help you have a good time on the water. I especially enjoy teaching youngsters how to fish and teaching all ages about the physics of fishing, which become increasingly important as fish size and strength increases. A 500 lb bluefin tuna or blue marlin is a lot easier to catch if you understand the physics involved in the tackle, angling technique, and boat maneuvering. Back to Top In The Cockpit... Our freelancing professional mates will do a great job for you in the cockpit and are there to make sure you enjoy your day on the water. Be sure to tip them at the end of your trip as you would with any tip-dependent profession. 15 to 20 percent tip is customary, depending on performance. Back to Top Sushi Sportfishing Inc. Tuna • Marlin • Sailfish • Wahoo • Dolphin • Shark • Grouper • Snapper Sushi Sportfishing • 252-216-OBX1 (6291) Pirate's Cove, North Carolina www.SushiSF.com © 2013