THE SALT WATER SPORTSMAN NATIONAL SEMINAR SERIES: 40 YEARS OF FISHING EDUCATION EXCELLENCE
Founded to provide comprehensive, elite-level instruction by the leading names in saltwater fishing, the National Seminar Series' first stop drew over 800 anglers to Orlando, Florida's Tupperware Convention Center on January 16, 1988. The following Saturday, more than 1,100 anglers attended the Fort Lauderdale seminar. From there, the tour moved on to Houston, Texas; College Park, Maryland; Long Island, New York; Cherry Hill, New Jersey; and Boston, Massachusetts. Established by Mark Sosin and George Poveromo, the tour was well on its way to becoming the nation's longest-running and most successful educational seminar on recreational marine fishing tactics. An eighth stop was added in 1989. More than 140,000 anglers have attended the National Seminar Series during its four-decade run.
An Idea Was Born
The Seminar Series idea was conceived after an embarrassing experience endured by Sosin and Poveromo at a mid-1980s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Boat Show Management convinced Salt Water Sportsman magazine to sponsor their fishing clinics, and the publication sent Sosin and Poveromo to headline. The duo soon realized that boat show attendees weren't in a sit-down, educational frame of mind; only a handful of people sat in the bleachers, staying barely long enough to down a hot dog and cold beer before moving on. After serious brainstorming to avoid doing boat show fishing clinics, and primarily to guard their reputations and that of the magazine, Sosin and Poveromo pitched the stand-alone, touring Seminar Series concept to Salt Water Sportsman's Rip Cunningham and Spider Andresen. The rest is history!
Mark Sosin retired from the National Seminar Series after 10 years, with George Poveromo taking full control. For over three decades, the Seminar Series traveled to eight coastal cities annually and packed auditoriums. The full-day Saturday seminars featured faculty teams composed of nationally recognized saltwater fishing authorities, alongside top regional fishing captains and guides. Topics covered inshore, nearshore, and offshore tactics-all saltwater-focused and with regional slants. Regional teams covered the how-to's and where-to's of catching fish within their local waters, while national headliners focused on broader topics. These included tracking migrating fish, reading weather patterns, trolling strategies, understanding tides and moon phases, monitoring water temperatures, and applying Solunar periods to predict prime game fish feeding cycles.
Transition to Television (2021-Present)
Entering its 35th year in 2021, the platform underwent a major structural evolution due to COVID-19. It expanded from a purely live auditorium tour into a 13-episode televised series. Filmed at the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), the show was broadcast nationally on networks like the World Fishing Network and Outdoor America. The big surprise was the strong ratings it generated, drawing over one million viewers. With solid ratings and COVID-19 still lurking, the Seminar Series continued its television format in 2022 and 2023. The Series returned to the road in 2024 and 2025, but sponsor pressures steered it back to television for 2026 due to those impressive ratings.
Modern Era (2027)
To celebrate its 40th consecutive year, the Seminar Series is taking on a hybrid media format. It will continue as a television event, but with the addition of three in-person stops. The 2027 Seminar Series will visit Atlantic City, New Jersey (January 16); Islamorada, Florida Keys (January 30); and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (February 20).
Seminar Series Legacy
Throughout its history, and under George Poveromo's leadership, the National Seminar Series has become the pinnacle for recreational marine fishing education. Over those 40 years, some of the sport's biggest names shared its stage. These icons included Mark Sosin, Lefty Kreh, Rip Cunningham, Spider Andresen, Barry Gibson, Tom Richardson, Al Ristori, Gary Caputi, Nick Honechefsky, Harry Vernon III, Dave Workman, Jr., Jot Owens, Jimmy Price, Richard Stanczyk, Mark Schmidt, Mike Goodwine, Dr. Ken Neill III, Dr. Mitchell Roffer, Dr. Ray Waldner, 'Crazy' Alberto Knie, Rick Mola, Eric Burnley, Bob McNally, Dave Wicker, Bouncer Smith, Mike Frenette, and numerous others.
Poveromo credits several key factors for making the Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series the premier, can't-miss fishing event for 40 years: the elite talent level of the faculty; the team-teaching concept (where a minimum of four faculty members take the stage to cover a topic); the extensive supporting visuals; the fast-moving pace; the quality and quantity of door prizes; the Star brite boat care products and bucket each attendee receives; and the After-Seminar Parties at local Bass Pro Shops.
That's what we call a job well done!
