Jim Roberson
Moved to Northwest Florida in 1988 after retiring from the Oilfield where he specialized in underwater structural repairs to Offshore Oil Platforms, Pipelines and Saturation Diving.
In 1995 while fishing his boat "The Long Run" in its first offshore tournament won the Destin/ Ft Walton Beach Sportfish Tournament with a 550# Blue Marlin with Glen Hines as the angler with his first blue. To this day it is the last billfish he has killed. He has worked to encourage tag and release fishing ever since. Has tagged and released numerous billfish out of Destin Florida. His seven year old son Jacob in 1999 was able to tag and release a Blue marlin, Sailfish and capture a 50# yellow fin tuna while fishing with his dad. In 1997 received a Citizens Award for exceptional service from the Minerals Management Service for assisting in observational environmental research in the Gulf of Mexico. He was the Tournament Director for the 1998 and 1999 Destin/Ft. Walton Beach Sportfish Tournament. The Tournament helped raise money for local charities and the IGFA World Fishing Center. He has also served as President of the Ft. Walton Beach Sailfish Club in 1999 where he was awarded a Lifetime membership to The Billfish Foundation for his efforts in Billfish Conservation. More recently was just awarded the "Conservation Captain of the Year"(2000) by The Billfish Foundation for his work to preserve the resource for the next generation. In 2001 he severed as the President of the Emerald Coast Chapter of the CCA continuing his efforts conservation.
He also has served on the Board of Directors of Coastal Prop Technology of Ft. Walton Beach and the Ft. Walton Beach Sailfish Club in the past.