Businessman Turned Fisherman Living in a Working Paradise

MIAMI _ Terry Claus switched from the mortgage business to the fishing business last May and never looked back.

These days, the 47-year-old captain and son/mate Trey, 18, ply the waters around South Florida and the Bahamas in their new 52-foot Viking sportfisher, catching everything from yellowtail snapper to yellowfin tuna.

“We fish hard,” Claus said. “We leave when it’s dark and come back when it’s dark.”

Claus’ boat Qualifier, docked behind his family’s Old Cutler Bay home, is an ode to his fishing successes and to his former life running Home Financing Center, which was launched by his late father in the 1980s. Qualifier won last winter’s coveted Capt. Bob Lewis Billfish Challenge with 14 sailfish releases, plus a host of smaller fishing tournaments. Now it’s open for charter.

“We’re targeting the upper end _ people who want to entertain clients and employees in something safe and very comfortable,” Claus said. “The niche we have is offering a five-star experience for people who want to fish competitively in tournaments or have a fun day with the family.”

Qualifier cruises at 30 knots in smooth comfort, sleeps six, and has two heads, a full galley, elevated bridge and tuna tower. Finding fish is no problem: The boat downloads satellite pictures from the University of Miami showing water temperature breaks and areas of strong current _ keys to locating pelagic gamefish such as sailfish, dolphin, wahoo and tuna.

A powerful radar unit detects flocks of birds miles away. Qualifier easily dodges storms using X-M Weather Works, which displays weather conditions in real time _ including lightning strikes. For the nonangler, there’s a full slate of television shows and movies on the satellite.

FIERCE COMPETITION

Claus, a dedicated saltwater fisherman since childhood, uses every tool at his disposal to catch fish _ especially in tournaments.

“Competition is so fierce you have to have everything lined up perfectly to win,” he said. “If you’re not organized, you’ll get blown right out of the water. We have learned how good you have to be to win. It’s not luck.”

On a recent two-day outing to Chub Cay in the Berry Islands of the Bahamas _ more than 120 miles east of Miami _ there was no tournament at stake. But Claus and his family _ sons Trey and Tyler, 13, and wife Janene _ were hoping to have some fun catching and releasing blue marlin, tuna, dolphin, or whatever.

Chub Cay is renowned for a rich fishing area known as the “pocket,” where the deep clear waters of the tongue of the ocean funnel into the shallows of the Great Bahama Bank. Under prevailing southeasterly winds, fish and bait are pushed into the pocket with nowhere else to go _ “like fishing in a pond for blue marlin,” Claus said.

But when Qualifier arrived in Chub in late July, the family found disappointing fishing conditions _ a full moon with slack current in daytime and westerly winds.

The Clauses made the best of it, catching a limit of flag yellowtail off Rum Cay using plenty of chum and small jigs with cut bait. They also boated two large mutton snappers while bottom-fishing 100 feet deep with braided line, eight-ounce sinkers and large fresh plugs of blue runner and ladyfish.

Despite the slow fishing, Claus said he has never considered turning in his deck shoes for wingtips.

Gesturing toward the Bahamas’ calm, azure waters, he said, “Look where we are _ in paradise!”

Then he pointed westward toward South Florida and its indoor workforce: “They’re back there _ all stressed out.”

About the only thing that stresses out the captain of the Qualifier is ensuring his guests catch fish.

Claus and Trey recently guided an angler off Miami who previously had chartered 13 boats in a vain attempt to catch his first sailfish.

Claus figured it would be a slam dunk, so he told the customer he wouldn’t need to leave the dock until 2 p.m.

“We sat out there for hours and finally caught one just before dark,” Claus said _ glad he was able to break the angler’s sailfish-less streak.

A LARGER SCALE

Claus began his fishing career shortly after relocating to Miami from Galveston, Texas, with his father, Terry, in 1975. He grew up fishing with and against schoolmates who now are successful charter boat operators _ captains Jimbo and Rick Thomas and Quinton Dieterle.

“We’d hold trout tournaments in Boston Whalers,” Claus said. “Now we’re still doing it, but on a larger scale.”

Throughout his college years at the University of Miami, Claus chartered his family’s 35-foot Bertram and worked as a captain on private sportfishing boats. After obtaining a degree in business administration, he worked alongside his father at Home Financing Center, and took over as president after his father died in 1998.

But Claus still found time to pursue his passion _ finally selling the company last spring to fish full time. His family supports _ even relishes _ his new career.

Said Claus: “I am blessed. My kids and I sit around tying up leaders. I was fortunate to have a family tradition of running the boat.”

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(c) 2007, The Miami Herald.

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Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

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PHOTO (from MCT Photo Service, 202-383-6099):

PARADISE

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