“We went from hoping to knowing.”
Six years of Schoolie, a winter of planning, and a championship decided by three-quarters of an inch. Mac tells the story of winning with his dad.
When you think back to your Schoolie victory, what scene comes to mind first?
Mac: "The scene that comes to mind first is those opening two hours. Going into tournament day, we knew the early tide gave us our best window to find big fish, and we were able to capitalize, filling our entire four-fish card before ~7:30-8:00 in the morning. From there, it was a long day knowing we'd put together a strong score but having no idea if it would hold up. It ultimately came down to less than an inch."
Tell us about the fish from that weekend you still think about most.
Mac: “The fish that changed everything actually came two days before the tournament, during a Thursday scouting trip. It was a personal-best fish at the time, but more importantly, it confirmed that we were keyed in on the right location and tide. After that fish, we went from hoping to have a good tournament to knowing we had a legitimate chance to compete for first if we could execute.”
What went wrong—or nearly went wrong—before things came together?
Mac: “We initially filled our four-fish card with three big fish and one schoolie in the low-20-inch range that was barely tournament eligible. We knew the first three were the kind of fish that could win the tournament, but we also knew we had to replace that fourth fish, and our best two-hour tide window was quickly disappearing.
The mental grind of having a potentially winning card with one glaring weak spot was probably the toughest part of the day. Just before that window closed, we stuck a much better fish and knocked the schoolie off the card—a fish that ultimately made the difference between winning and finishing off the podium.”
What did your partner bring to the win that they'd never brag about themselves?
Mac: “My dad [Greg] was the steady hand throughout the weekend. He kept me calm, made good decisions, and did a lot of the planning that put us in position to win.
Winning it with him was especially meaningful because he put a fishing rod in my hand as a kid and fostered my love for the sport. Fly fishing is something we’ve learned together over the past nine years, so getting to win the Schoolie together was pretty special.”
What fly or pattern do you remember most from that weekend?
Mac: “A pink streamer I picked up from a fly tier at the Edison, NJ Fly Fishing Show. I’m pretty sure it was actually a freshwater pattern meant for musky or pike, but the stripers didn’t seem to mind.
Unfortunately, I don’t remember the gentleman’s name—but I’ll be going back next year to find him, thank him, and ask if he can tie up 50 more!!”
What did winning Schoolie mean to you in the moment—and what does it mean to you now?
Mac: “In the moment, winning felt like validation. We’d fished the Schoolie for six years, spent the winter gameplanning, and put in three hard days of scouting that week, so hearing second place announced and realizing we’d won by three-quarters of an inch was an incredible feeling. I’d be lying if I said setting the tournament records for both total score and biggest fish didn’t mean a lot to me, too.
I spend the rest of the year fishing mostly alone or with my dad, without much interest in sharing catches or proving anything to anyone. The Schoolie gives me one day a year to get the competitive juices flowing, test myself against a field of great anglers, and see if I’m as fishy as I think I am.
“And at the end of it all, getting to win it with my dad is what makes it something I’ll always remember.”
What would you tell someone fishing their first Schoolie that has nothing to do with catching the biggest fish?
Mac: “Enjoy the entire weekend and don’t get too consumed by the leaderboard. Scout hard, have a plan, and take the competition seriously, but remember that you’re spending a weekend on Cape Cod fly fishing with a bunch of people who love the same thing you do.
Winning was incredible, but some of my favorite memories came from the days leading up to the tournament and just getting to share the whole experience with my dad.”