Meet The Crew: New York Granders Angling Club

With the official launch of the 14 new professional angling clubs competing in SFCs new format, get to know the names, logos and faces behind the new era of competitive offshore fishing. Introducing the New York Granders Angling Club

Behind the Granders name
Home to the largest metropolitan area in the U.S. at just under 20 million people, it was only fitting that the Granders name would represent New York. Referring to a large blue marlin weighing in at more than 1,000 pounds, a grander is the sport fisherman’s bucket list fish. The largest grander ever caught off the East Coast of the continental US was caught in New York by 19-year-old angler Bill Sweedler Jr. in 1986. That nearly 40-year old record marlin weighed in at 1,174.5 pounds. 

Behind The Angling Club Logo & Colors
The Granders iconography is a circle hook with an extended barb to make a “G,” while the black, white and light electric blue colors have multiple meanings: Bright to signify the lights of New York, “the city that never sleeps,” the color is also similar to the verdigris, or oxidized copper exterior of the Statue of Liberty that has stood as a bastion of freedom in New York Harbor since 1886. The shape of the badge takes after the shape of the shield in the New York State flag. 

The Squad
Formerly known as the Marlin Lady Anglers, this team has sent shockwaves through the competitive sport fishing world since first coming on the scene four years ago. Led by GM Dusty Adinolfe, the Granders will be competing on her two Viking sportfish boats, the 80’ “Surf Bum” and 74’ “Lady Surf Bum.” If placing in major billfish tournaments and earning top female angler honors were their only accolades, the Granders would already be a formidable club. The problem for their competition is, this squad excels in more than just fishing. In Adinolfe’s quest to field an all-female angling team, she ended up assembling The Avengers of the marine industry.

“Our goal and our purpose when we started competing together was to bring awareness to the women in the industry and the young anglers, said Dusty Adinolfe, GM of the New York Granders. “Having an all-women’s team in what is essentially thought to be an all-man’s world is great for us.”

Dusty Adinolfe, GM and Angler
An entrepreneur and philanthropist, Adinolfe is late to the competitive sport fishing game, but dove in head first after her first experience with the squad. 

“I have a team of girls that are young and have such a future in this industry; I’m proud to be behind them,” Adinolfe said. “I feel like the mom watching her girls grow into doing what they’re really good at.” 

Shelby Callison, Angler
From Georgia, Shelby Callison moved to South Florida after college to pursue her career in the marine industry. When she’s not taking home top female angler honors in billfish tournaments, she works at a boat dealership. Her connection to customers and knowledge of multiple manufacturers in the center console and sportfish categories make her a reliable angler in the cockpit and a helpful crew member to troubleshoot any issues that arise offshore. She has journaled about every fish she has ever caught. 

Maddy Hazlett Rivers, Angler
Maddy and the Granders put the fishing world on notice in 2023 when she earned top female angler honors at the Grand Caribe Deep Sea Classic in Belize. Running tournaments as a director since she was 15 years old, she also runs her own all-female tournament in Palm Beach called “Sailfish Sweethearts,” that benefits the Breast Cancer Research Fund. 

Kelly Young, Angler
She can track and hunt anything with a pulse as an accomplished angler, freediver, spearfisher and game hunter. She has more than half a million subscribers on YouTube where she thrills, entertains and educates viewers with her catch, clean, cook and adventure videos. 

“Last week I watched her catch a python with her hands which I think is absolutely freaking nuts,” Adinolfe said.

Amber Marchant, Angler
Born in the Conch Republic of Key West, Marchant grew up in the Florida Keys and is a longtime Pelagic Pro Team member. Marchant has years of experience in inshore and offshore fishing along with scuba and freediving. 

In a historic new era of sport fishing, the Granders are looking to make history as both the first all-female team and club from the Atlantic Division to take home the Zane Grey Championship Trophy.