By NICO SCAVELLA

By RICARDO WELLS

Matthew Reid reeled in his catch grinning from ear-to-ear and, like any fisherman, knew luck was now on his side.

He had landed a jack, a little blue runner.

It weighed in at under a half pound. That was just enough.

“At least, we didn’t get skunked,” proclaimed the 8-and a half-year-old, mimicking his parents’ phrase that means whatever the expense of having a boat and the cost of fuel, the fish are not laughing at you -- you’ve got something to show for a day of being out there on the water, doing your best to get dinner from anywhere besides the store or ramp.

Matthew was one of some 25 kids and parents who took part in the 2nd annual Palm Cay Fun Fishing Day Sunday, September 21.

Like Matthew’s catch, the fish may not have set any world records, but the smiles and the seafood feast were huge enough to last a very long time.

“We think of it as the world’s smallest fishing tourney with the biggest prize – a day with the family topped by a seafood feast,” said Zack Bonczek, Palm Cay Sales & Marketing Director.

For Bonczek and the developers of the fast-growing oceanfront neighborhood, the tourney is part of an agenda of creating family-oriented activities and building a sense of community.

“With the 194-slip marina, swimming pools, tennis courts, 1,200 feet of beachfront and all the other amenities, we are attracting residential buyers who feel like they are living in a genuine, old-fashioned friendly community with the amenities of a resort right outside their door,” said Bonczek.

“And now that Billfish Grill has expanded its hours and is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the lifestyle is even more enticing.”

For young fisherkids like Mateo and Amadeo Cartwright, the tourney had little to do will building a community -- it was all about who had the prettiest, ugliest and biggest fish.

And in the end, it was a strawberry grouper that won prettiest and a little barracuda that took the top prize for ugly. It took three fisherkids to haul in the prize ugly catch – Kenny Fountain, Jr., and Matteo and Amadeo Cartwright.

Fully built out, Palm Cay will have about 350 residences, a mixture of single family, townhomes and condos.

Its nautical lifestyle and the 194-slip marina have won rave reviews and its success includes construction jobs for several contractors and sub-contractors as well as full-time jobs for the operations, sales, restaurant, marina club and maintenance. Plans call for completion by late 2017. The project is entirely self-funded.

Look ma, dinner for one—Matthew Reid, 8, holds his prized blue runner, possibly thinking a fish in the hand is better than two in the water. Young Matthew was among about 25 competitors of all ages who took part in Sunday’s Palm Cay 2nd Annual Family Fun Fishing Day vying for honours in biggest fish, prettiest fish and ugliest. The light-hearted tourney followed by a hefty fish and conch feast at Billfish Grill was all part of the marina and beach club development’s commitment to create a sense of community.

 

POLICE have identified the eight-year-old boy who died after an apparent electrocution on Friday afternoon as Kaden Brown, a resident of Coral Harbour. The Tribune reported yesterday that a family fun day at the pool of the Orange Hill Beach Inn on West Bay Street came to a tragic end when the boy was electrocuted and killed after he came into contact with an air conditioning unit...

POLICE have identified the eight-year-old boy who died after an apparent electrocution on Friday afternoon as Kaden Brown, a resident of Coral Harbour.

The Tribune reported yesterday that a family fun day at the pool of the Orange Hill Beach Inn on West Bay Street came to a tragic end when the boy was electrocuted and killed after he came into contact with an air conditioning unit...