Home Team Eric "Oz" Ozolins

Eric "Oz" Ozolins

Hometown: Corpus Christi, Texas

Current Vessel: NYATI

Accomplishments: Various Texas Saltwater Tournament wins for Kayaking, Offshore, and Surf Fishing; Current Texas State and I.G.F.A All-Tackle World Record Holder; Helped Pioneer Big-Game Kayak Fishing in early 2000s.

Website: oceanepics.com

About Eric

Bio

For over fifteen years, Eric 'Oz' Ozolins has remained Padre Island's prodigal son in the aquatic world. A lifelong fascination with sharks and shark fishing has led to his renowned exposure for encounters with the ocean's beastly species. Oz is a federally sanctioned guide for sharks and big-game off the sands of the Padre Island National Seashore. Here, he provides shark fishing charters which practice tagging and releasing in association with various federal and educational institutes.

In addition to Ocean Epics - Oz's successful shark fishing charters , another passion is kayak fishing. He has been in the public eye for over a decade and helped pioneer the sport of big-game kayak fishing, initially targeting Sharks, Cobia, and King Mackerel. In 2013 and 2014 he was the back-to-back Bluewater Kayak Classic World Champion. Oz was also the original founder of the Kayak Wars World Fishing Tournament that reigned popular for many years. Today, Oz still takes to the kayak in pursuit of myth and monsters in his own 'Old Man and the Sea' adventures.

Whether being in the public eye for various media including Television, Magazine, and Online exposure, Oz's impact on the sport through conservation has helped fuel the interest for the next generation of youthful sport fishing anglers. For almost 20 years, Oz has been tagging and releasing sharks in the name of science and has promoted conservation for a species that was shown no mercy until recently. Today, Eric Ozolins continues his partnership and conservative message with PELAGIC while being a proud member of the Pelagic Pro Team.