Michigan Boys Return to Flamingo
By Ralph Nicholson, thebeachtimes.com

About 150 Michigan sports fishermen return to Playa Flamingo next week, a year after their annual and private fishing tournament became national and international headlines.

The 150 men, all part of the 20-year-old tradition that is the Michigan Boys Fishing Tournament, will charter a plane to Guanacaste, divide into 30 teams, and spend alternate days on 15 sports fishing boats going after marlin and sail fish.

Last year, some fast and furious fishing on the final day of the week-long tournament netted a 13.5-foot marlin (4.15-meters), weighing more than 800 lbs (360 kilos), and saved an otherwise lackluster tournament.

However, it was the stories of hard drinking, partying and prostitution, which brought both national and international news teams to Flamingo, including the country’s leading daily newspaper and a television news crew from the ABC Detroit affiliate, WXYZ.

In a page one-headline, spilling to a two-page article the national daily La Nación, whose reporter worked with ABC Detroit, wrote about 100 prostitutes had been driven into Flamingo, especially for the event.

That caused consternation for local business leaders, the tourism industry, the central government, and the fishermen back home.

“These people were crucified,” says Sonny Kocsis, who has been organizing the competition for the past 11 years. “They came down here, spent a lot of money and got nothing but bad publicity. It caused a lot of people a lot of problems.”

Mr Kocsis said the tournament was good for everyone in the community, the boats, their captains, the mates, the hotels and local restaurants. By some accounts, 100 extra people get jobs, temporarily at least, to take account of the influx of fishermen.
“All the bad publicity of last year has not turned them away,” Mr Kocsis said.

Unlike last year, when Flamingo still had an operating marina, this year the fishermen will be ferried to their boats each morning on a series of pangas. With winds down and Potrero Bay calm, that is unlikely to be a problem.

The Asociación de Marineros de Servicios Turísticos del Pacifico, has welcomed the return of the Michigan Boys.

“This is a very good thing for the community,” said Junior Bustos Abarca, President of the Mariners’ Association, which represents some 76 members from Quepos to Playas del Coco.

“They are excellent clients and we have never had any problems. They leave a lot of money behind in the area,” he said.
Mr Bustos said after three or four days of a lot of wind, cold and dirty water, he expected fishing to pick up.

It promises to be a good couple of weeks for local sports fishermen. As the Michigan Boys Tournament finishes, a handful of Flamingo and Playas del Coco boats will make their way down to the waters off Playa Carrillo, south of Sámara for the annual Presidential Challenge of Latin America, part of the World Billfishing Series. That will be held May 2,3 and 4.