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Meet Our Experts Who Made it All Possible

The GyroPros is a handpicked group of top-tier fishermen and captains that make their living on the water. Each has fished the world over and possesses multiple tournaments wins in all big game fishing locales. They are truly first class and highly respected among their peers. When you buy binoculars from GyroPros, you have total access to the gentlemen below, making your purchase a wise investment and adding significant value to your fish-finding efforts.

Jim Kingsmill

Jim Kingsmill

Owner/Captain
San Clemente, California

Jim grew up fishing with his Father Bill Kingsmill on many of Bill’s different boats, from Skipjacks, Pacificas, Posts, Californians, a Pursuit, and a 40’ Black watch, all that went by the name “Wild Bill.” Jim is the pioneer of gyro-stabilized binoculars for tournament sport fishing.

Jim is 46 years old and lives in San Clemente, California. He grew up fishing with his Father Bill Kingsmill on many of Bill’s different boats, from Skipjack’s, Pacifica’s, Post’s, Californian’s, a Pursuit, and a 40’ Black watch, all that went by the name “Wild Bill.” From 1987 to 2007, the family belonged to the Dana Angling Club, where they fished numerous inner club tournaments that followed IGFA rules. Releasing marlin on light tackle was the main objective. During those 20 years, Jim and his dad caught 296 striped marlins and 4 Pacific swordfish, which are huge numbers for an owner-operator in the California fishery.

In the early 90s, Jim began fishing the money tournaments with some of the high line captains like Mike “The Beak” Hurt on the Wait n’ Sea and Richard Hoffman on Captain Hook. In 1993, Jim was introduced to Gyro-Stabilized Binoculars while fishing with the Beak and then swept the tournament while using them.

In 1998, Jim met Anthony Hsieh, the owner of the Bad Company boats, where Jim began competing in the Bisbee and Los Cabos Tournaments in Cabo San Lucas. Jim introduced Anthony to the gyros, and during Anthony’s first tournament using the gyros, he found a skipjack school off in the distance with the gyros and then went to it. They baited the school and came tight with a doubleheader on blue marlin. They won the first annual Los Cabos Billfish Tournament.

In 2002, Jim began fishing tournaments with legendary captain Steve Lassley, who was phenomenal at using and finding fish with standard 7 x 50 binoculars. Steve swore he would never convert to gyros, at least unit I introduced him to the Fraser-Optics Mariner. Steve’s best friend, Capt. Pete Groesbeck was also part of the team, and the 3 of us worked together to form what some call “Marlin Mafia,” where we dominated the Pacific’s marlin circuit for the next 8 years. The team regularly won marlin tournaments in southern California and Cabo San Lucas. The combination of Steve at the wheel, Jim in the gyros, and Pete on the rod was a deadly combination. The pinnacle of the team’s career came in 2006 when they won the Zane Grey, scored a daily in the Catalina Classic, and then proceeded to win $3.9 million by sweeping the Bisbee and winning well over $4 million for the season.

In 2010, the Marlin Mafia was broken up because of the poor economy and poor fishing, which caused a low tournament turnout, so Jim teamed up with GyroPros Captain Barry Brightenburg. Jim was to début as captain in the money tournaments for the first time running the 54’ Bertram “Shannon Rose.” With Jim behind the wheel and with Barry behind the rod, they caught the only two marlins and swept their first tournament as a team!

In 2011, Jim and Barry moved over to the 54’ Viking “Chaser.” Where they placed second in their first tournament, the “Church Mouse Invitational,” but did not score after that as there was only one marlin caught in the next 2 tournaments. Fishing was very poor, to say the least.

In 2012, Jim was back on the Chaser, where the team released 3 qualifying marlin and won the Zane Grey Invitational.

Steve Lassley

Steve Lassley

Captain / Pro Staff
Temecula, CA

Steve is the highest tournament-winning captain ever, capturing $6,930,000 in prize money, $3.9 million of which came during the 2006 Bisbee’s Black and Blue. He has logged more than 7,000 days and fished commercially for Swordfish for 19 years which was almost exclusively sight-based.

Over the past 30 years, Captain Steve Lassley has led and innovated fishing in the Eastern Pacific. Steve is an expert at all aspects of the fishing game, including finding fish, boat handling, and tackle selection and rigging. In addition to these talents, Steve is outstanding at leading tournament teams, which requires excellent communication skills, boat management, budgeting savvy, and all the other aspects that go into operating a program such as Team Bad Company. Steve has elevated to the top of this game, and many believe that we are witnessing a legend at work.

25 years of tournament fishing has yielded Steve the all-time record of over $6 million dollars in prize money. His winning record is unprecedented and includes multiple wins at every major West Coast tournament, including two championships of the world’s richest event, the Bisbee’s Black and Blue.

Steve’s wizardry in boating electronics has been a major factor in his success. His comprehension of these systems has helped Furuno create innovative designs and improvements with their sonar and depth sounder products. Steve has also been instrumental in the popularity of gyroscopic binocular usage and the adaptation of these products to fishing applications.

Captain Steve Lassley is a rare gem in today’s big game fishing world. He is a complete professional who possesses the work ethic, integrity, and leadership that constitute a true champion. He is indeed a legend that we are all privileged to have the opportunity to benefit from.

– $6,930,000 in total winnings. Most in all, sport fishing history.
– Largest single payout in tournament history, $3,900,000
– Commercial fished Swordfish for 19 years which was almost exclusively sight fishing based. It was one of the top boats on this coast every year. Past President of the “California Association of Harpoon Swordfishermans”
– Currently the Billfish Editor of “Pacific Coast Sport fishing” magazine
– Columnist for BD OUTDOORS.com, the largest fishing-based internet website. Monthly column, “As I See It”.
– Member of National Marine Fisheries Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel. An elected position. (past)
– IGFA Board Member electing Fisherman into the IGFA Hall of Fame. Current.
– More than 7,000 days of documented sea service.

Tony Carrizosa

Tony Carrizosa

Captain / Pro Staff
Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Tony is the top captain in the South Pacific. He has traveled extensively from the NE USA to the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, South America, Central America, Caribbean and Pacific, and Eastern Pacific Ocean from Panama to California. He is the captain of a 2012 Viking 55 “Rebel.”

Capt. Tony Carrizosa is the top captain in the south Pacific. His extensive travels have taken him from the Northeast USA to the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, South America, Central America, the Caribbean and Pacific, and the Eastern Pacific Ocean from Panama to California. No other captain has recorded more wins in the highly competitive Los Sueños Tournament series.

He resides in Costa Rica’s Central Pacific coast in Playa Herradura. He is currently the tournament Captain on the Viking/Galati Demo 66 “Team Galati.” He is also a salesman for Galati Yachts, representing Central America.

*1998-2005 crew aboard Cat’s Meow, 43 Merritt, for Giant Bluefin migration in Bimini, the Bahamas during the months of May-June.
*Dec 1999-July 2000 crew aboard “Sharkey’s Revenge.” Fished Venezuela, Mexico, and St Thomas.
*August 2000-April 2008 crew aboard “Stephanie Lee” 63 American Custom Yacht. Captain of the vessel from July 2001- April 2008.
*August 2008-March 2012 captain aboard ��Game On” 2009 50 Viking in Costa Rica.

Notable accomplishments:

  1. First place Leg 1 2007 Los Sueños Signature Series, Costa Rica billfish tournament.
  2. Overall winner 2007 Los Suenos Signature Series, Costa Rica billfish tournament.
  3. First place 2007 Mazatlan El Cid billfish tournament.
  4. Third Place 2009 Leg 2 Los Sueños Signature series Billfish tournament Costa Rica.
  5. First place Leg 2 2011 Los Sueños Signature Series, Costa Rica billfish tournament.
  6. First place 2011 Emerald Coast Billfish tournament Destin Fl.
  7. First place 2012 Quepos Billfish Tournament, Quepos Costa Rica.
  8. Captained Saundra McMurray to women’s 6# Striped Marlin IGFA world record in Feb 2002 in Costa Rica 226.5#. Remains the existing world record.
  9. Second place 2013 Leg 1 Los Suenos Signature series Billfish tournament Costa Rica.
  10. First place Leg 2 2014 Los Sueños Triple Crown Series Costa Rica.
  11. First Place Leg 2 2015 Los Sueños Triple Crown Series Costa Rica.
Randy Parker

Randy Parker

Captain / Pro Staff
Kona, Hawaii

Randy started fishing Kona as a boy with his father, IGFA Hall of Famer Capt. George Parker. Randy received his captain’s License in 1979. He has two 1000 Blue Marlin in Kona, numerous world record catches, and millions of dollars in tournament earnings around the world.

A second-generation charter boat captain, Randy Parker has literally been raised on sport fishing boats in Kona, Hawaii. His IGFA Hall of Fame recipient father, Captain George Parker, caught the first IGFA documented Pacific Blue Marlin “Grander” in the Hawaiian waters in November of 1954.
Randy followed in his father's footsteps and has become one of Kona’s most notable Captains. Randy’s tournament wins are enviable, placing them in the top positions in many Billfish tournaments in Hawaii and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, during his career. He has landed two fish over 1000 pounds (Granders), a 1174.5 Pacific Blue Marlin caught on April 8, 2002, and a 1045 lb Pacific Blue Marlin on July 12, 2001.

Randy’s attention to detail shows on board the Wild Hooker, where every aspect of the boat and tackle is in pristine condition and in perfect operating order.

Capt Randy has also fished many great fishing “Hot Spots,” including the Great Barrier Reef, Madeira, Ghana, and Mexico, to name a few.

Pete Groesbeck

Pete Groesbeck

Captain / Pro Staff
San Diego, California

Born and raised in San Diego, Captain Peter Groesbeck discovered his craving for anything “ocean” at age 12 while working on local sports boats and at the San Diego Marlin Club. Afterward, there was no turning back. As a licensed captain for the past 30 years, “Pete” has built a distinguished resume in the West Coast sport fishing industry.

Barry Brightenburg

Barry Brightenburg

Captain / Pro Staff
San Diego, California

With approximately 40 years of experience in the fishing and boating industry, Barry Brightenburg is widely recognized for his wealth of knowledge of inshore and offshore fishing from the Channel Islands to the Baja Peninsula. He was voted one of the “Top 10 West Coast Saltwater Anglers” By Western Outdoor Magazine.