StandOff Studios launches a reality fishing show on Outdoor Channel

StandOff Studios, a Lincolntonbased production company, has a new fishing reality show, which premiered recently on The Outdoor Channel.

"The Catch: Costa Rica," which airs on Fridays at 10 p.m., features 12 amateur fishermen — six men and six women — who travel to Costa Rica and compete for a $50,000 prize and the title of "Ultimate Fisherman."

The Ultimate Fisherman is scheduled to be crowned on Friday, September 26.

Florida native Aurelia Riley, who guided the contestants on their journey to three distinct locations across the country, serves as the host of the show.

For the contestants, the challenge was not only catching the most fish but also maintaining strong enough relationships with the other contestants to keep them from being voted off of the show. There is a ceremony at the end of each round, with the bottom four contestants in jeopardy of elimination.

"The set-up for the show presented some real-life drama that you just don't get from traditional fishing shows," according to Dalton Harpe, series producer for "The Catch" and a native of Dublin, Georgia.

To earn the title of the Ultimate Fisherman, contestants were required to catch a wide range of sport fish. Marlin, sailfish, tuna, dorado, and tarpon are just a few of the fish that sport fishing enthusiasts can expect to see on the show.

One aspect of sport fishing that was especially important to the show's producers was being environmentally conscious and respecting the delicate ecosystem in the waters of Costa Rica.

"Unless we were going to eat the fish (tuna and dorado), we maintained a strict catch and release policy," said Harpe. "We also used circle hooks and lures designed to keep the fish alive after release to ensure that the waters remained well stocked."

To continue the fight for environmental preservation, Greg Ruddell, Sr., president of StandOff Studios, created "The Catch Conservation Fund," a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to improving the natural surroundings on land and at sea. The organization's first item of business was to invest in PRETOMA, a Costa Rican-based group dedicated to helping the eggs of Green and Leatherback Sea Turtles to hatch.

To learn what The Catch Conservation Fund is doing to help the environment, visit the following website: www.thecatchconservationfund.com.

In addition, to find out more about "The Catch: Costa Rica," visit www.thecatchseries.com.