The 33-foot Reel Conch has been more than a weekend home to sixth-generation Conch Randy Sterling Sr., a pitcher for the New York Mets from 1969-1975, his son, Randy Jr., and childhood friend Shane Curry.

“Any day on the water is a good day,” Randy Sr said over breakfast at Harpoon Harry’s.

“We love the competition, but win or even come in last, we always enjoy our time on the water,” Randy Jr said.

“We are out on the water at least one weekend day, all year long,” Randy Sr said.

During the crew’s seven-years of participating in tournament competition, they have come in first in the Dolphin Derby, 2nd in the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce Tournament and 3rd in the Conch Republic Seafood Tournament. The Reel Conch crew also won the Key West Gator Club Dolphin Derby in 2005.

“The great thing with our team is Shane and I have fished together all our lives and we think alike,” Randy Jr said. “When the fish hit, we respond knowing what each one of us has to do.”

And, to be politically correct in today’s sports world, the crew of the Reel Conch has corralled Erica Hughes Sterling so they can participate in the Conch Republic Ladies Dolphin Tournament, where, in 2004, Erica garnered first place for the largest dolphin and in 2005, she placed second in the tournament. The Reel Conch crew will enter the July 4th tournament this year, too.

“Once Erica hooks the dolphin, she’s on her own,” Randy Jr said. “No men allowed at that point.”

“I’ve fished most of my life and I’ve always been competitive,” Randy Sr. said. “My six years on the Mets were the most competitive. Each year professional sports become more competitive, but the past seven years being on a team with my son, Shane and Erica, in fishing tournaments, competition has taken on a whole new meaning.”

“This year, as a team, we are going to participate in six dolphin tournaments,” Randy Jr said.

While they have won a few tournaments and finished in the money positions in others, the current economic crisis is threatening many of the competitive teams, they said. They will not compete in a Key Largo tournament this year, focusing, instead, on six Lower Keys events.

When the Reel Conch goes out for a tournament or just for a day of fishing, they follow a proven routine. “We look for the fish, before we drop lines,” Randy Sr said. “We don’t want to depend on only luck.”

“We’ve gone more than two-hours on the water before finding dolphin,” Randy Jr said. “One time we were about 25-miles off the Cuban coast before we started fishing.”

The crew looks for birds and debris in the water, areas where fish like to hide.

“It’s not unusual for us to cover 200-miles of ocean, looking for fish,” Randy Jr said.

“We also like to use live bait,” Randy Sr said. “We use the frozen bait too, but our success seems to run better with the live bait.”

When dolphin season and the tournaments are over, the Reel Conch will go in search of grouper, tuna, and snapper, for a day on the water.

Randy Sr has been popular in Key West since his high school baseball days; that and his fishing abilities have helped the Reel Conch receive sponsorship from the, Fury Water Adventures and the DoubleTree Grand Key Resort.

“Randy, as recreation facility manager for the city, has been a sports icon, a role model, and youth-sports advocate in Key West for as long as I can remember,” said Charlie Bauer, general manager of Fury Water Adventures and youth sports supporter. “Anytime we needed help getting fields for any team no matter what sport, he was there for us. It's also easy to support his fishing team because he is a hell of a fisherman!”

Owner of the Fury Water Adventures, and a Conch himself, Scott Saunders’ memories of Randy Sterling go back to when Scott played baseball for Clayton Sterling, Randy’s dad.

“Playing for him you either played to your best ability or you sat on the bench,” Saunders recalled when asked why his business was a sponsor of the Reel Conch.

Saunders said that what it takes to sponsors the Reel Conch is little compared to the memories Randy Sr. has given him as a kid.

“And I agree with Charlie, all four of the team are champion anglers,” Saunders said.

“How important is the sponsorship to us?” Randy Sr. said, as breakfast arrived. “Well, we’d probably have to drop out of some tournaments, if we didn’t have the sponsorships.”

The Fury Water Adventures, and DoubleTree Grand Key Resort have their logos on the team’s shirts and the crew hopes before the tournament year ends, the Reel Conch will also be displaying their business logos.