After obtaining his doctorate in Pharmacy, Derrick bought his first Hobie kayak and within 6 months mothershipped to catch Amberjack from his plastic vessel. He was hooked. Shortly thereafter, he entered the Extreme Kayak Fishing tournament series and put his years of fishing experience to the test in a new environment and has never looked back. He has a pronounced proficiency catching a wide range of species including Tarpon, Sailfish, Mahi Mahi, Amberjack, Groupers, Snappers, Cobia, King Mackeral, Tuna, and more. He also landed the IGFA All Tackle world record for a 50” Cubera snapper while vacationing in Los Buzos, Panama. Currently, Derrick resides in Navarre Florida, arguably one of the most productive fisheries in the State.

In 2019, Santa Rosa County leveraged their share of the BP Deep Horizon settlement to construct a $1.7 million reef project consisting of 510 unique structures. Given his relationships volunteering with the local Chamber of Commerce, their vision for Navarre, and his experience in the kayak fishing tournament arena, the stage was set to create a world class tournament at home. With his “go big or go home” attitude, Derrick chose a name of aspiration and set a bar of excellence far from the reach of would-be competitors.

GOAT is a for-profit enterprise intent on creating an annual signature event for the community of Navarre. Centrally located in the Southeast United States, it affords pragmatic travel, reasonably priced accommodations, seasonably predictable weather, and plentiful catching opportunities. If GOAT were a recipe, the last line would read, “Just add anglers”.