The 12th Annual IGFA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is being held at the IGFA Hall of Fame & Museum in Dania Beach, Florida on Tuesday, October 26, 2010. This year’s event will honor these legends of recreational angling, and members of the international fishing community: Yoshiro Hattori, Capt. Steve Huff, George G. Matthews, John Wilson, and Forrest Wood.
This year’s inductees bring an array of talents and contributions to the angling community.
Yoshiro Hattori has been an Honorary Member of the Japan Game Fishing Association since its inception. A natural communicator, he is widely known for his TV show “Fishing in Japan” and “11PM” where he introduced various fishing reports in Japan and overseas.
Captain Steve Huff, whose innovations include shallow-water boat building and light-tackle and fly-rod fish fighting techniques, has guided his clients to some of the most coveted inshore world records since 1968. Huff revolutionized flats fishing in saltwater and his innovations are recognized by anglers everywhere.
George G. Matthews is a big-game fisherman who participated in many of the Bahamas tournaments during the 1960s-1970s. A member of the IGFA Board of Trustees since 1972, Matthews has served as Board Chairman and is a former member of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission.
John Wilson is a British angler and has been a TV personality for 20 years. His programs cover big game and deep sea fishing. Voted “The Greatest Angler of All Time” in a 2004 poll by readers of Angling Times, Wilson has published over 20 fishing books and wrote a fishing column for the newspaper Sunday Express until 2009.
Forrest Wood began as a fishing guide on the fabled Arkansas White River. Wood started a small boat repair business on the side and developed his business into what became Ranger Boats. Wood and his family went on to set the modern standard for bass boats, including the first built-in livewell system. Wood validated his early “built by fishermen for fishermen” ad slogan by fishing the B.A.S.S. tour for nearly two decades.
The prestigious Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony draws a variety of personalities from the angling community, near and far. The event will begin at 6 pm with a silent auction and cocktail party and will then move into the beautiful Greats Hall for the ceremony and dinner at 7:30 pm. You won’t want to miss this fantastic opportunity to meet this year’s inductees, along with many old friends and fishing legends during this special event. Tickets are $200 and include the cocktail reception, dinner and ceremony. Sponsorship opportunities and table purchases are available. To make your reservations for the Induction Ceremony, please contact Lesley Arico at
954-924-4222 or email:
larico@igfa.org.