ESPN Freshwater

ISLAMORADA, Fla. — Fresh from a team win in the IGFA Offshore World Championship in Mexico, Robert Collins won the IGFA Inshore World Championship while defending his Grand Champion title, accumulating the most points for five targeted species.

It was his third championship title in the eight years of the inshore tournament.

"Two world championships within two months, I'm speechless," smiled Collins. "Today was a real nail biter right up to the end, just like in Cabo San Lucas."

The International Game Fish Association's celebrated catch-and-release tournament is dubbed the "super bowl of inshore fishing," as 32 anglers from around the world stalked the Florida Bay waters for bonefish, tarpon, permit, snook and redfish.

Collins who has homes in Islamorada and Naples, was chasing Day Two leader Joe "Pepe" Lopez of Coral Gables, Fla., in the final round hoping to catch two bonefish, a snook and a permit to complete two slams of fish to go with earlier catches of nine fish.

Lopez, who won the title in 2006, had completed one slam on Tuesday and needed just two fish — a snook and a permit — to collect his second slam in the three-day event. He fell short by catching only a snook early, but like all the anglers, suffered with overcast skies searching for the permit.

"I was hoping to get the remaining species we need to pull together two slams," said Collins, who was guided by Capt. Mark Gilman from Islamorada, Fla. Collins, who also won the tournament in 2005, caught a snook early and then two bonefish and a redfish but was also a permit shy of his second slam. He scored 1250 points on his 13 fish, using both bait and artificial along with circle hooks for added points.

Lopez won both runner-up grand champion and the bait division title with his slam and four fish for 950 total points.

In the fly division, Mark Cooper from Aurora, Colo., won on releases of a redfish, a tarpon and three snook. The former NFL lineman for the Denver Broncos and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers totaled 775 points.

First day leader John Timura of Islamorada, Fla., bounced back in the final round to win the artificial division on catches of redfish, snook and permit over the three days. In May Collins and Timura were members of a five-man team winning the IGFA Offshore World Championship in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, out fishing 63 teams from 27 countries.

Capt. Mike Hutchinson of Miami Springs, Fla., was named the top captain by scoring the most points in guiding Timura, Rich Gorden from Brooksville, Fla., and Johann Pettersson of Ornskoldsvik, Sweden in their rounds over the three days.

Fishing and daily scorekeeping took place from the World Wide Sportsman marina.

The 32 anglers gained entry by winning one of over 55 fly and light-tackle IGFA tournaments in 2007 held in eight countries around the world and representing nearly 3,000 anglers on four continents vying to be in the "tournament of champions." Of the champions, 15 were first time invitees, including anglers from Sweden, Uganda, Africa and Darwin, Australia.

The anglers fished with a different guide each of the three days based on a drawing.

The top anglers received timepieces in the prestige tournament. The four major award categories included Grand Champion and first places in the fly, artificial lure and bait casting divisions. Trophies and merchandise went to the second and third place divisional winners as well as to the top three guides. The point value of the fish was determined by species and angler's fishing preference.

The daily results of the IGFA IWC along with photos of the previous day's round is being posted each morning on the IGFA's home page at www.igfa.org.

Sponsors this year include Mercury Outboards, Bacardi, Costa Del Mar, G. Loomis, Hook and Tackle, Islamorada Fish Co., Islander Resort, King Sailfish Mounts, Rapala, Shimano, Stiffy Push Poles, 3M Scientific Anglers, Reel Life Art by Pasta, World Wide Sportsman, Zane Grey Lounge, KD & G Sea Life Masterpieces, Redbone Gallery, Image Graphics 2000, Momoi, Diamond Illusion and Daiichi.

Next year Sandy Moret of Florida Keys Outfitters located in Islamorada will form a partnership with the IGFA to take over the management of the celebrated tournament to begin its ninth year.

The International Game Fish Association is a not-for-profit organization committed to the conservation of game fish and the promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule making and record keeping. It was founded in 1939 and has members in over 125 countries. The association welcomes visitors to their 60,000 square foot IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum in Dania Beach, Florida. The IGFA web site is www.igfa.org.