Shimano will be honored with the International Game Fish Association's Lifetime Achievement Award at the IGFA's Fourth Annual World Record Achievement Awards celebration, April 28th.
Other tackle, lure and line manufacturers will also be honored based on the number of computer printouts of anglers using their products in setting the new records in 2006. The event also recognizes the 2006 records by men, women, juniors, and professional captains for the most world records recently published in the IGFA's 2007 World Record Game Fishes book. The ceremony will be held at the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum in Dania Beach, Florida.
"Shimano is receiving a lifetime achievement award as the only rod and reel manufacturer ever to have achieved the incredible feat of 3,000 IGFA world records," said IGFA Conservation Director Jason Schratwieser.
Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Shimano led among the manufacturers of rods and reels receiving firsts in three categories including saltwater reels used in world records (153) and reels used in freshwater records (88). They also took top honors for their rods with saltwater (23) world records and tied for second for (12) records using freshwater rods.
Top Anglers
Also highlighting this year's ceremony will be Dr. Martin Arostegui, Coral Gables, Fla., USA, for his astonishing world records who for the third year in a row, scored a grand slam as the top male angler for the most world records in freshwater (24), fly (24) and tied for first for saltwater records (11) caught in 2006. In 2005 Arostegui was presented the IGFA Lifetime Achievement Award for over 100 world records. The retired physician is now quickly closing in on 200 world records.
Ms. Jodie L. Johnson, Waltham, Mass., USA will be the top female angler with 27 new records in saltwater and 26 in fly. Among junior anglers Heather Harkavy, Coral Springs, Fla., USA, in the smallfry division led all juniors by capturing 10 records.
In 2006 a total of 925 applications were received and reviewed by the IGFA world records department. Of those, 670 were approved for the year.
At the awards celebration, cocktails begin at 6:00 pm with dinner and awards program at 7:30 pm. Tickets for WRAA are $50.00 and include a barbecue dinner. Weekend seminars are free and open to the public. For more information or to reserve a ticket, contact Jessica Arb at 954-924-4340 or jarb@igfa.org.
