Uploaded October 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Nick Smith
With a storied career marked by tournament victories, accolades, and remarkable angling accomplishments, Nick Smith has unquestionably set the standard for billfishing excellence. Born in Plymouth, Michigan, on January 13, 1941, Nick would spend his early years there and fondly remembers trout fishing with his mom and dad. Moving to Florida when Nick was ten, the family settled in West Palm Beach where Nick’s father, Bev, bought the local Ford dealership. And though busy with his new business, his dad still found time to fish with his son. Meanwhile, Nick’s mother, Marie had developed a successful kids fishing program called “Kruise Kids” which introduced over a thousand children to deep sea fishing. When not in school, Nick assisted his mother on those trips, working as first mate.
Nick’s curiosity about fishing made him an avid student of the sport from a young age. He would actively read fishing reports, monitoring the success of the local West Palm Beach charter boat fleet. At age thirteen, Nick caught his first sailfish aboard one of those boats, the “Adventuress” with Capt. Bob Haines. This sparked a passion for billfishing that led Nick’s father to purchase a 20-foot Trojan Seabreeze which the family named “Tranquil”. During this time, Nick’s dad formed a relationship with IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame Inductee, John Rybovich, a pioneer in building custom sport fishing boats. Rybovich outfitted the boat for the Smiths, then the family hired Bob Haines’ brother, Dickie Haines, to run it. John Rybovich became a mentor as Nick spent his free time around the boat yard soaking up knowledge. The family eventually upgraded to a 28-foot Rybovich and, ultimately, a new 37-footer. By then, Nick had expanded his horizons, taking trips to the Bahamas where in 1958 he landed his first big blue marlin, a 503-pound fish caught off Bimini.
Nick attended business school at Washington and Lee University in Virginia before returning to West Palm to work in the family business. During that time, he bought his first boat, a 22-foot Aquasport, and continued fishing with his father, recalling a memorable day when they caught 22 sailfish off Fort Pierce. Parallel to his love for fishing, Nick developed a passion for boatbuilding, designing and building the first modern walkaround express boat in 1983. That ground breaking 30-footer became the first “Old Reliable.”
Invited to fish billfish tournaments at age 17 by Rybovich, Nick’s competitive nature fueled his fishing career. He went on to win the West Palm Beach Fishing Club’s Silver Sailfish Derby six times. After winning many other sailfish tournaments running his own boat, Nick partnered with IGFA Tommy Gifford Award honoree, Captain Ray Rosher, and kept on winning South Florida tournaments. Smith’s fishing adventures also took him to renowned destinations like the Great Barrier Reef, Venezuela, Saint Thomas, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, and Mexico’s Mag Bay.
In November 1999, Nick was sailfishing in Guatemala when Captain Bud Gramer suggested he try using a fly rod. Initially hesitant due to his lack of fly fishing experience, Nick took the opportunity and landed his first sailfish on fly. He often refers to that sailfish as “the world’s most expensive billfish” because it sparked an obsession that led to him becoming one of billfishing’s most accomplished fly anglers. Since then, Nick has released over 6,000 billfish and has achieved the incredible milestone of 500 blue marlin releases, all in accordance with IGFA Fly Fishing Rules. With these skills being showcased alongside his commitment to conservation, Nick earned the IGFA Bob Herder Light Tackle Award in 2023.
Among Nick’s most memorable fishing days was in the Summer of 2013. He and IGFA Tommy Gifford Award Honoree, Captain Chip Shafer, heard rumors about an exciting new blue marlin fishery on the distant offshore Costa Rican seamounts. Both were skeptical, but Nick sent Chip to bring their 64-foot Bayliss down from Guatemala to explore it firsthand. In June, on their first trip, they caught ten blue marlin on fly over three days, a remarkable feat at the time.
On July 5, the second day after returning to the seamounts, the boat raised 41 marlin, landing 10. Thrilled with that record day and thinking little more could be accomplished, Nick suggested heading home. Upon Chip’s urging, they stayed for a third day. That decision led to what Nick describes as “possibly the greatest blue marlin day ever,” with the boat raising 103 blues and catching 18 on fly. Chip and Nick said words were inadequate, but described that unbelievable day as “surreal” and “the Twilight Zone.”
For his incredible accomplishments in billfishing, his numerous tournament victories and accolades, and his significant impact on the boat building industry, the IGFA is proud to induct Nick Smith into the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame.
Nick Smith
With a storied career marked by tournament victories, accolades, and remarkable angling accomplishments, Nick Smith has unquestionably set the standard for billfishing excellence. Born in Plymouth, Michigan, on January 13, 1941, Nick would spend his early years there and fondly remembers trout fishing with his mom and dad. Moving to Florida when Nick was ten, the family settled in West Palm Beach where Nick’s father, Bev, bought the local Ford dealership. And though busy with his new business, his dad still found time to fish with his son. Meanwhile, Nick’s mother, Marie had developed a successful kids fishing program called “Kruise Kids” which introduced over a thousand children to deep sea fishing. When not in school, Nick assisted his mother on those trips, working as first mate.
Nick’s curiosity about fishing made him an avid student of the sport from a young age. He would actively read fishing reports, monitoring the success of the local West Palm Beach charter boat fleet. At age thirteen, Nick caught his first sailfish aboard one of those boats, the “Adventuress” with Capt. Bob Haines. This sparked a passion for billfishing that led Nick’s father to purchase a 20-foot Trojan Seabreeze which the family named “Tranquil”. During this time, Nick’s dad formed a relationship with IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame Inductee, John Rybovich, a pioneer in building custom sport fishing boats. Rybovich outfitted the boat for the Smiths, then the family hired Bob Haines’ brother, Dickie Haines, to run it. John Rybovich became a mentor as Nick spent his free time around the boat yard soaking up knowledge. The family eventually upgraded to a 28-foot Rybovich and, ultimately, a new 37-footer. By then, Nick had expanded his horizons, taking trips to the Bahamas where in 1958 he landed his first big blue marlin, a 503-pound fish caught off Bimini.
Nick attended business school at Washington and Lee University in Virginia before returning to West Palm to work in the family business. During that time, he bought his first boat, a 22-foot Aquasport, and continued fishing with his father, recalling a memorable day when they caught 22 sailfish off Fort Pierce. Parallel to his love for fishing, Nick developed a passion for boatbuilding, designing and building the first modern walkaround express boat in 1983. That ground breaking 30-footer became the first “Old Reliable.”
Invited to fish billfish tournaments at age 17 by Rybovich, Nick’s competitive nature fueled his fishing career. He went on to win the West Palm Beach Fishing Club’s Silver Sailfish Derby six times. After winning many other sailfish tournaments running his own boat, Nick partnered with IGFA Tommy Gifford Award honoree, Captain Ray Rosher, and kept on winning South Florida tournaments. Smith’s fishing adventures also took him to renowned destinations like the Great Barrier Reef, Venezuela, Saint Thomas, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, and Mexico’s Mag Bay.
In November 1999, Nick was sailfishing in Guatemala when Captain Bud Gramer suggested he try using a fly rod. Initially hesitant due to his lack of fly fishing experience, Nick took the opportunity and landed his first sailfish on fly. He often refers to that sailfish as “the world’s most expensive billfish” because it sparked an obsession that led to him becoming one of billfishing’s most accomplished fly anglers. Since then, Nick has released over 6,000 billfish and has achieved the incredible milestone of 500 blue marlin releases, all in accordance with IGFA Fly Fishing Rules. With these skills being showcased alongside his commitment to conservation, Nick earned the IGFA Bob Herder Light Tackle Award in 2023.
Among Nick’s most memorable fishing days was in the Summer of 2013. He and IGFA Tommy Gifford Award Honoree, Captain Chip Shafer, heard rumors about an exciting new blue marlin fishery on the distant offshore Costa Rican seamounts. Both were skeptical, but Nick sent Chip to bring their 64-foot Bayliss down from Guatemala to explore it firsthand. In June, on their first trip, they caught ten blue marlin on fly over three days, a remarkable feat at the time.
On July 5, the second day after returning to the seamounts, the boat raised 41 marlin, landing 10. Thrilled with that record day and thinking little more could be accomplished, Nick suggested heading home. Upon Chip’s urging, they stayed for a third day. That decision led to what Nick describes as “possibly the greatest blue marlin day ever,” with the boat raising 103 blues and catching 18 on fly. Chip and Nick said words were inadequate, but described that unbelievable day as “surreal” and “the Twilight Zone.”
For his incredible accomplishments in billfishing, his numerous tournament victories and accolades, and his significant impact on the boat building industry, the IGFA is proud to induct Nick Smith into the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame.
