At the bow of his boat, Dennis Lugg’s volulnteer work for the Port Aransas Boatmen, Inc. earned him the honor of Boatman of the Year. He shares the honor with Larry Johnson, and both will be honored at the Deep Sea Roundup July 7-10. STAFF PHOTO BY DAN PARKER Question: What do fishing and police work have in common?

Answer: The waiting, the watching and more, according to Dennis Lugg, a retired Texas Department of Public Safety trooper who has been named Port Aransas Boatman of the Year, along with Larry Johnson of Port Aransas.

“In both cases, you’re trying to figure out: OK, what’s going on, and why, and what you’re going to do about it,” said Lugg, an Aransas Pass resident.

Lugg became a member of the Port Aransas Boatmen in 1999. Friend and Boatmen member Jack Nichols encouraged him to join. Lugg is a board member now.

Among other things, Lugg has done free work to fix up boats donated to the Boatmen, which the organization in turn has sold at its Bargain Hunters fundraiser events. He also has committed his share of labor to make the annual Deep Sea Roundup fishing tournament a success.

“I will tell you, Dennis is one of the hardest workers we’ve had at the Roundup,” Nichols said. “He bellies up to the bar, and he does whatever it takes. He spends a lot of time helping the cooking team. All you’ve got to do is say, ‘Dennis!’ and he’s there.”

Lugg grew up in the Rio Grande Valley and spent 29 years working for the DPS out of San Antonio.

He’s been visiting Port Aransas on fishing trips since the early 1970s.

After retiring, Lugg and his wife, Linda Kay Lugg, moved to Aransas Pass in 2001. Since then, he has skippered a few different private charter boats.

“I thought I was retired, but darn if my buddies didn’t put me back to work,” the 63-year-old Lugg said with a laugh.

He has served as captain of the Muy Caliente, the Ambush and the Bounty Hunter, all of Port Aransas.

“I enjoy watching people catch fish about as much as I like reeling them in myself,” Lugg said.

One of the biggest events of his fishing career came during the Port Aransas Deep Sea Roundup in 2009, when two anglers took honors while fishing aboard his personal boat, a 25-foot Bertram called the Sea Star, while he was at he helm.

Those anglers were Terry Beck, a Castroville resident who took second place in the wahoo division; and Justin Robbins, a San Antonian who nabbed first place in the red snapper category.

Lugg said it was an easy decision to apply for membership with the Boatmen.

“ When Jack ( Nichols) started telling me about the civic projects and scholarships they provide, that interested me,” Lugg said. “As a trooper, I always wanted to help people. I’m a people person.”

Doing people- oriented work for the Boatmen has been a pleasure.

“I think it’s a great organization – definitely geared for the kids,” Lugg said. “And there’s such a great camaraderie among the members. Even though the Roundup is a lot of work, we have a good time putting it on.”

Questions? Comments? Contact Dan Parker at (361) 749- 5131 or dan@portasouthjetty.com.