Kingfish Connection: Who are the different members of team Native? How did team Native originally get together? How did you all first meet?
There are five members of team Native. Robert “Cawley” Snibbe is the captain. The crew consists of Jerry Solovskoy, Kevin Farner, Doug Henriott, and Evan Kerstein.
Team Native is the formation of several different teams throughout the years. Many of us have known each other for a while and about 3 years ago we finally got our “stuff” together and formed the present team. We feel that we have found a great team and we want to stick to it! As many kingfish anglers know, finding the right crew can be tough.
Why did you decide to fish the SKA Professional trail this season? How is it different from divisional competition?
We decided to fish the professional tour this year mainly because last year we did some traveling and really enjoyed seeing and fishing new areas and fisheries. Also, the entire professional tour is an incredible experience. Everything comes together nicely and they are such well run events. There is also a unique camaraderie that you don’t get when fishing the divisional events. Don’t get me wrong, we love fishing the divisional tournaments, but these are a pleasant change.
One other thing that I enjoy is that they are spaced out to give the teams some breaks, which isn’t the case when fishing divisions.
Does everyone on team Native have a specific role on the boat?
While it does overlap sometimes, everyone usually has a specific role on our team. This is especially the case prior to leaving the dock, where each of us has come to be in charge of certain thing that we will need throughout the day.
For example, Jerry is our chum master and is always in charge of making, packaging and deploying our chum. He is also in charge of our travel arrangements and lodging reservations.
Evan and Doug are in charge of making sure we have plenty of rigs for a variety of baits and situations that we may encounter out on the water.
Kevin likes to make sure our tackle is up to par and ready for the upcoming tournaments.
And I make sure that the boat, trailer, and its systems are in good working. Once we are on the boat, I always drive and the rest of the team share the angling responsibility, gaffing, and pit duties. With a 5 man crew, we would like to think that we are a well oiled machine.
What is your favorite fishery to fish? Why?
I think our favorite fishery is either Key West or the Northern Gulf rigs. Key West was very good to us this year, when we won the first event of the season. But the Northern Gulf has the most amazing fishery we have ever seen, so it’s a toss up I guess. I do have to give honorable mention to the West Coast of Florida, which is our home division.
How did you get involved with your new sponsor, Chili’s?
We got involved with Chili’s, our sponsor, through a mutual friend who works with their marketing team. We put a proposal together, had a few meetings about what each of us was looking to accomplish with the sponsorship, and put it together. They were very easy to work with and we were excited to be able to represent them out on the water and on the highway!
You’ve have had an incredible season, winning two of the biggest events on the SKA schedule. Should teams with this level of success be the only ones looking for sponsors?
Yes we have had a great season. We are so thankful and happy that everything came together for us this season. Last year we traveled a bunch, fished over 20 tournaments, and didn't have a single win, so it was awesome to start the year in Key West with our biggest win ever. We do not necessarily think it is this level of success that you have to be at to look for a sponsor. Each sponsor is normally looking for the same thing , winning, but that is not always what it is all about. Publicity is a huge factor.
Besides your incredible angling accomplishments, what has helped your team stand out in the eyes of sponsors?
As far as Chili's goes, yes they like to see us on the podium but they also know that there are a lot of excellent fishermen out there and they don’t expect us to win them all. They really like the exposure the boat gives them both in the tournaments and also when we are just out on the water enjoying the weekend. There are always people waving and asking for chips and salsa. So I really think it is working! That being said, it’s important to be in the winner’s circle.
When fishing Division 6 events, what does your typical spread look like?
Our typical spread in the Tampa area is pretty standard. Depending on the conditions and where we are fishing we will fish either 4 or 5 lines. We will have two baits on the downriggers and three more baits on the surface. We typically prefer to use blue runners, cigar minnows, maybe a ladyfish, ribbonfish, or bar jack mixed in every now and then. We do, however, feel it is incredibly important to keep the baits fresh, so we check on them frequently. Some people may say that we have a bait obsession. We typically catch bait up to 4 days prior to the tournament, depending on the upcoming conditions.
For teams that are just starting to network with other crews, what type of information should networking boats expect to share? What makes a good relationship last between boats?
Typically we share both fish and bait locations with teams we work with. We all know that tournament baits are hard to come by and networking is the key! You can’t catch a fish unless you have the bait, or we have not had that happen yet! A good relationship between networking teams starts and ends with respect. Respect is key to a good relationship.
What do you think has led to your incredible season thus far? What do you need to do to make sure it continues?
Teamwork has been our biggest hit this year. Without teamwork we couldn’t have had the success we accomplished this season. We would like to also thank all the incredible information other teams have passed along to us. This is another reason for fishing the professional tour. Every team is very helpful in every event!
What is your goal for the remainder of the season?
Our main goal for the remainder of this season is to keep the ball rolling in the right direction and try to remain in the winners circle! Once again we would like to thank everyone in the SKA for being so helpful and supportive.
