Neighbors: Kara Weisman

It’s often said that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, but in Sarasota angler Kara Weisman’s case, you might say the lure doesn’t fall far from the rod. She began fishing with her father, Kirk Weisman, at age 3, and the two have taken annual fishing trips as a father-daughter tradition.

“Fishing is kind of a safe haven for me,” Weisman said. “I love the tranquility of it all, and I always look forward to getting away and having fun with my dad.”

As far as teachers go, Weisman is in good hands with her father. Kirk Weisman is an experienced fisherman who also began fishing with his father when he was young, and he holds a world record for the most sailfish caught in one day (24).

“I’ve learned a lot from him,” Weisman said. “He has a lot more experience than I do, so it’s nice to be able to look up to him and want the same for myself.”

In February, on their most recent trip to their favorite fishing destination, the Casa Vieja Lodge in Guatemala, Kara Weisman set a world record of her own.

“My dad was down there for a few days before me, and the fishing was terrible,” Weisman said. “But the first day I was out there, it was absolutely nonstop madness.”

The fish just kept biting, and by the end of the day, Weisman had released 18 sailfish on the fly, setting a world record for the most sailfish released in one day by a female angler on the fly, in accordance with the International Game Fish Association rules.

Weisman opted for the more challenging method of fly-fishing as opposed to conventional fishing. The process is more labor-intensive, but for Weisman, the challenge and strategy make it that much more rewarding.

“Two mates on the boat tease the fish all the way up to the boat, and then you throw the fly and hook them,” she said. “The whole process is completely exhausting, and your adrenaline is the only thing keeping you going. After 18, I don’t know how I wasn’t in tears.”

Weisman said many factors contributed to her success that day. The weather and wind conditions were just right, and she’s always grateful to her father and Capt. Mike Sheeder, with whom the pair has been fishing since 2006.

“We’ve built great relationships with all the staff at Casa Vieja,” Weisman said. “It’s our favorite place; we go back every year.”

Weisman currently volunteers at the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. She will head off to law school next month, so it will be more difficult to fit fishing into her schedule, but she’ll have this experience to look back on until her next trip.

“This taught me that I can do anything I set my mind to,” Weisman said. “I can always look back on this to remind me how hard work can pay off.”