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Mill House Podcast

Episode 89: Capt. Albert Ponzoa - Under the Radar

Mill House Podcast

Mill House

Wilderness, Sports, Leisure, Education, Hobbies

5973 Ratings

🗓️ 19 June 2023

⏱️ 58 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In 1959 when Castro was on the eve of taking over Batista and the future of Cuba was unknown, Florida’s fishing intelligence would soon hit pay dirt. Over the next six decades many of our premier guides, anglers and commercial fishermen were descendants of the mass exodus from that small Island only ninety miles from Key West, including our guest today, Albert Ponzoa. Albert was born later in Miami in 1962. He was the only male in the family, but as he says his two sisters have his fishing DNA. His 95 year young dad, Lucas, used to motor his panga right down the Marathon flats and drop anchor where ever he wished. We knew who he was and where he came from. We loved it! His son, Lucas Jr. has followed Albert’s love into the blue water of the gulf stream as an offshore guide, commercial lobster diver and supplies the locals charter boats with pilchards. Fishing and love of the ocean makes this family whole…. I’ve known Albert for many years, but more so of his reputation as a stellar, fishing wizard. When his peers spoke about him it was always with great admiration and respect. He was always pushing and running his skiff further than others with profound success. He never pursued the tournament strife, but if he would’ve, the names on the bling would be different today. He has been a successful commercial fisherman as well as a traditional guide, making his fishing dexterity most interesting. Albert played an important role in how we tarpon fish today through the precise techniques used with worm flies. His concerns for conservation and what he’s seen and knows has to be heard. On today's podcast we cover a fishing spectrum very few in the lower Keys have ever seen!

Transcript

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0:00.0

Albert Panzoa is the son of Cuban parents that defected their home country as Castro was overthrowing the government in 1959.

0:14.0

Similar to other friends of ours that have the same story,

0:17.0

Albert quickly became one of the most respected and successful guides in the Florida Keys.

0:22.0

He's always been guarded with his

0:24.3

knowledge and he never pursued having his name engraved on the big tournament

0:28.0

trophies. His fishing knowledge is profound and has been greatly expanded because of his commercial fishing prowess.

0:35.0

Albert's story is a compelling one and we hope you enjoy it.

0:40.0

We broke everything, we broke

0:45.0

everything, we broke lines, we broke hooks, we broke rods, we broke our minds,

0:51.0

we broke marriages, we broke the whole thing.

0:55.0

We came up with the idea of going out that night and chasing girls and

1:00.0

whoever had the biggest pair of pain he's, when the pot.

1:02.0

I knocked another arrow and he turned around the whoever had the biggest pair of pain he won the pot.

1:03.2

I knocked another arrow and he turned around the other way and I shot him going through the

1:06.7

other way.

1:07.7

I doubled them both ways.

1:10.0

But it was nothing for us to paddle an air mattress out into government cut.

1:14.0

I got him out.

1:16.0

All right now, we're going to teach him a lot so.

1:19.0

I'm just an old guy that likes to fish.

1:21.0

I'm not quitting yet.

1:23.0

And he said, well, who the hell do you think you are, Sue App?

...

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