ESPN Saltwater

DUCK KEY, Fla. — Tough luck at competitive bass fishing prompted Scott Meyer to fish harder for different fish.

This weekend Meyer was the local guide who helped Miami Dolphins quarterback John Beck earn a second consecutive Celebrity Grand Champion award at the Redbone Sunrise/Sunset Tarpon Tourney at Hawk's Cay. Beck landed two tarpon on Day One of the tournament to defend his title. Baseball Hall of Famer Wade Boggs caught one tarpon on Day Two, finishing second among the celebrity/athletes who competed in the charity event.

The Redbone charity event eventually will be televised as part of the ESPN Outdoors Saltwater Series presented by TakeMeFishing.org on ESPN2. Proceeds from the Redbone Series benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

From 1997 to 2000 Meyer competed in BASS Invitationals, with a best finish of 57th at the Virginia Invitational in 1997 at Buggs Island Reservoir. He never finished in the money, and he knew after three years of trying that it was time for a change.

He calls Lindale, Texas, home, but he is a charter boat captain in the Florida Keys for a sizeable chunk of the year.

From left: Capt. Scott Meyer guided Justin Varner and Miami Dolphins quarterback John Beck during the Redbone Sunrise/Sunset Tarpon Tourney. Meyer put Beck on two sizeable tarpon, good enough to defend Beck's title as Celebrity Grand Champion.

"I guide here for sharks, bonefish, permit, tarpon, redfish, snook, grouper, snapper," Meyer said. "Pretty much everything. I like the competition — just like today in this tarpon tournament. I don't like to be beat, so it makes me want to try even more, especially when these are guys who are colleagues of mine. I always want to be better."

For three months in late fall every year, Meyer returns home to run a bass fishing and duck hunting charter business on and around Texas' Lake Fork. He also runs a saltwater charter out of Sabine Pass in Port Arthur, Texas.

When he's in the Keys, he relies on other guides to operate the Texas businesses. So far, so good. His service runs charters on established BASS favorites in the Lone Star State, such as Lake Amistad, Sam Rayburn Reservoir and Toledo Bend Reservoir, as well as countless other fisheries.

Meyer explained the inevitably huge difference between saltwater and freshwater competition.

"The freshwater aspect is one species of fish," he said. "This tournament, we had one species as well, but in two weeks I'm fishing in a tournament that is bonefish, tarpon, permit, redfish, snook and shark, as well as offshore. Of course, we'll focus on the back-country stuff."

Meyer said in his experience the BASS circuit was decidedly unique, with a very tight-knit group of people competing as individuals.

"With saltwater, I'm hired as a captain and I've got somebody else I'm trying to get on the fish against other anglers," he said.

Having competed on bass fishing circuits also has afforded Meyer some special weapons in saltwater tackle — bass fishing gear is regularly used for redfish and several other species.

"Two totally unique sports, but there's a lot of crossover," Meyer said. "In Texas especially, I've thrown spinnerbaits, crankbaits and topwaters to redfish. That was unique to take what I learned bass fishing and apply it here."

Meyer said in the past he would come off a BASS tournament and take the exact same bait-casting rods to fish saltwater. He has used Strike King nickel spinnerbait he'd use on the BASS circuit and come to the Keys and catch redfish on it. He also used lot of freshwater jigs for speckled trout and flounder.

He added that he takes extra care when he does that, as freshwater equipment clearly isn't made for saltwater use.

"With bass fishing you're keying on one specific fish — here somebody hires me, and they may want to fish for bonefish or tarpon, but in the very next cast we can catch a snapper, we can catch a permit," he said. "And in the majority of my trips I fish within 3 miles of Duck Key, and we can catch every one of those species.

"I can always catch something."