Flying Yards Of Fabric On The Main Attraction

Reporting from Beyond Brevard AND Back

Long time resident and Merritt Island High School graduate Lauren Parker (and friend and customer of Mount This Fish Company) recently moved to the Florida Keys to be with her boyfriend, Digger Rodamer, the first mate on “Main Attraction,” a charter fishing boat in Key Colony Beach, Florida. This boat is normally fishing with clients but last week when the weather was snotty, but the bite was on fire, the crew ventured out with Lauren on board to find some spindlebeaks. The crew consisted of Captain Marty Lewis, Digger Rodamer, Tommy Torres, Captain Jimmy David (of the tournament winning boat L&H out of Miami), Samantha Rodamer and Lauren.

The day was more than epic with the crew releasing 61 sailfish! Lauren was happy to offer a synopsis of the excursion, explaining, “We started fishing off cudjoe and worked our way west, it started off really good but slowed down, we only had 8 fish at noon. Then we got going again a couple hours later and it just took off from there. By 4pm we had 43 and we didn’t stop until just before sunset when we had 61. it was a long wet day, waves braking over the transom, but it was an awesome day with great people and it’s definitely something I won’t forget!”

I asked Lauren why she moved to the keys. Many charter captains and local Canaveral fisherman my age have watched her grow up on the Canaveral docks. Her dad, Bill Parker, has lived in Brevard County since 1969 and has actively been involved with the FSFA fishing club for many years. Lauren replied, “What drew me to the Keys was my boyfriend. I met him when I was on vacation and I just kept coming back down, and when I was here, he would let me tag along with them on the Main Attraction for their charter. Eventually I moved down and got a job. I don’t get to go out with them as much now, but I’m glad I got to go that day!”

I’m glad you got to go too, Lauren. What an epic fabric flying day aboard the Main Attraction! I mean how many readers would actually think that a boat would even have 61 sailfish flags to fly?