Little gal, big fish
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/outdoors/20050312-9999-...
Ianna Gilbert, 11, is being honored as top 'smallfry' angler in the world
By Ed Zieralski
March 12, 2005
Tony Gilbert had the name picked out and already was dreaming about fishing with his soon-to-be born son.
Gilbert's new fishing buddy's name would be Ian Anthony Gilbert.
But then an incredible thing happened. Despite four sonograms indicating his wife was having a boy, Gilbert looked down and beheld a little girl in
his arms on Nov. 22, 1993. Sonograms are right about 95 percent of the time. This was a case for the 5 percent.
Gilbert added a few letters to feminize the name he'd picked, and that's how Ianna (pronounced E-anna) Monica Gilbert was named.
Tony Gilbert didn't get a son for a fishing partner, but these days he has a wonderful daughter in Ianna who has proven to be a world-class angler.
And she's only 11.
"I hear guys brag about their sons and how great a fishermen they are," Gilbert said. "Well I don't need sons to go fishing. I have a very talented
daughter, and she often outfishes me, the boys and other grown men on the boats. I'm telling you, she's something to watch. Sometimes I sit there
watching her fight a fish, see others watching her . . . my eyes well up. She's a joy."
Gilbert has reason to brag. On April 9 at the International Game Fish Association's second annual World Record Achievement Awards Dinner, Ianna will
be honored as the top Smallfry angler in the world at the IGFA's headquarters in Dania Beach, Fla.
Ianna Gilbert finished tied with two other girls in the Top Female Smallfry category for girls 10 and under by making two world-record catches last
year. Of the world's six top smallfry anglers and juniors listed for winning their categories, Ianna is the only West Coast youngster to do it.
"It's quite an achievement, but most of all, it's been done by quite a young girl," said Jack Innis, local representative for the IGFA.
In just six years of fishing, Ianna Gilbert has set seven world Smallfry records (three pending).
This is a youngster whose fishing scrapbook shows a young girl growing up on local sport boats. There's a shot of her holding the bill of a striped
marlin her father caught off Cabo San Lucas. There are pictures from her first trip ever, a wide-open bite on sculpin that won her young heart. Those
are followed by shots of her with albacore, yellowtail, bluefin tuna, yellowfin, dorado, white seabass, sculpin, lingcod, rockfish and calico bass.
One of her favorite stories details the time she pinned a Gummy Worm to a hook, casted it and caught a yellowtail.
Not all the stories are good, though. Before one particular trip, Tony Gilbert remembers hearing some derogatory remarks from men who were concerned
that such a young girl was going overnight on a sport boat.
"They changed their tune after they saw her fish," Tony said. "I've had them ask to have their pictures taken with her so they can show their wives
that it's safe to bring their teenage boys out."
In a very healthy way, it's not all about fishing for Ianna, not all about catching world records. She's a cheerleader and a soccer player at Castle
Park Elementary, and there's one picture on her living room wall showing her looking very much like a young girl and wearing a long white dress right
out of "Little House on the Prairie." She does well in school and some day she'd like to go to college to be a marine biologist.
Of all her fishing records, the 36.3-pound yellowtail she caught on Dec. 7, 2002 aboard the Pacific Voyager off Salsipuedes near Ensenada is the one
that was the toughest.
"I fought it for 45 minutes and it took me all the way around the boat a couple of times and wouldn't come up," Ianna said.
Ianna uses Seeker rods, custom-wrapped by Mark Cox of Cox Bait and Tackle in Imperial Beach and Bob Gott, the Rod Doctor in Point Loma. They're
wrapped in her favorite colors, pink and purple.
When she was catching world records last year, her father promised he'd take her to Florida for the awards dinner. But that was before Tony Gilbert
began having major complications from a broken ankle. A heavy equipment operator for Hazard Construction, Gilbert broke his left ankle 18 months ago.
Three surgeries later, he's still trying to heal. He needs a wheelchair or a Run-A-Bout to get around. Doctors don't expect him to be able to try and
walk until June.
Gilbert, who now cares for Ianna and her sister as a single dad following his divorce, has been living off workman's compensation benefits.
He has gone through more than $20,000 in savings trying to maintain a normal life that includes taking his daughter fishing as much as financially
possible. In all they took about 60 trips last year ranging from half-day to three-day trips. Ianna's favorite boats are the Fisherman III, the
Malihini and the Producer out of H&M Landing and the Pacific Voyager out of Seaforth Sportfishing.
"We were fortunate because I've been fishing sport boats here for over 20 years and I've known a lot of the captains on the boats since they were
pinheads," Gilbert said. "They all love Ianna and have let her ride free. They've even carried me up on my wheelchair."
Gilbert is trying his best to get his daughter to Florida next month for the awards dinner. His story made it to local IGFA representative Jack Innis,
who has established a fund to help Ianna and her father make the trip.
Innis plans to have the father-daughter team at the IGFA's booth at next week's Fred Hall Fishing Tackle and Boat Show. Innis hopes to raise enough
money to send them.
"Anyone who meets this girl sees what a special person she is," Innis said. "She asked that any money left over in the fund go to Make-A-Wish to allow
some youngster to take his or her trip of a lifetime."
Tony hopes he has a lot more years fishing with Ianna, but he knows it all could end in a few years.
"I know one day the boy thing will come along, and I'll hate it, but it's part of her growing up," Tony said. "In the meantime I'll try and get her to
places now so she has a chance to catch big fish and enjoy every day I get to fish with my daughter."
Anyone wishing to donate to the fund may send a check to: San Diego Sportfishing Council, 2171 India St., Suite E, San Diego, CA 92101. Mark the
envelope and check memorandum line: Ianna Gilbert.
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