Article overview: Discover the story behind Miss Magnolia, a Viking build that represents more than just a boat. From first blue marlin moments to family traditions, this is where passion for spo...
For Tram and Bobbi Colket, Miss Magnolia has never been just one boat.
The name has followed their family for more than two decades—from a 35-foot Cabo to a 2009 Viking 50 Convertible, a 2015 Viking 62 Convertible, and today, a 2023 Viking 72 Convertible. Along the way, the boats have changed and their family has grown, but Miss Magnolia has remained a constant: a place for family, fishing and friendships built on the water.
Their story began after Tram and Bobbi moved south from Maine with their three children and attended their first boat show in Miami. There, they met HMY Yacht Sales Specialist Tim Gredick and purchased their first boat with Tim, a 35-foot Cabo.
It did not take long for fishing to consume Tram’s attention. Bobbi jokes that after they bought the boat, she hardly had a husband anymore because he was always fishing. Eventually, she decided she wanted to see what all the fun was about and brought the kids along.
“We had no idea what we were doing. I started fishing because I did not want to be left behind. He was having so much fun, I wanted to see what it was all about.”
Soon, they were spending summers in the Bahamas, where Bobbi was at the helm when Tram caught their first blue marlin. Their children became part of the program, friends joined the trips, and fishing became something the entire family shared.
“You meet so many people, and it feels like a brotherhood,” she says.
Relationships That Outlast the Transaction
The Colkets’ relationship with HMY and Viking grew alongside their time on the water.
What began with the purchase of that first sportfish became a more than 20-year friendship with Gredick, spanning fishing trips and tournaments from Panama and Venezuela to Bermuda, the Bahamas, the White Marlin Open and the South Carolina Governor’s Cup.
“Tram was new to the area, and I went fishing with him to show him the ropes and a bit of Charleston’s offshore fishery. Then I began fishing in tournaments with him, and it bloomed from there. I have watched their kids grow from little to now getting married and having kids of their own; I watched them grow up. It really is an incredible thing to see. One thing about the Colkets is they are fun, and they are good company to be around.”
Ryan Higgins, General Manager of Valhalla Yacht Sales South, also became part of that circle. Higgins spent 18 years as a demo captain for Viking and ran Hull #1 of the Viking 50 Convertible while Tram and Bobbi owned Hull #2. What began with Tram wanting to learn more about operating his Viking grew into years of fishing together.
In 2010, Tram, Ryan and Tim won first place in the dolphin category at the HMY-Viking Megadock tournament in Charleston. On another trip aboard the Viking demo in Venezuela, Tram hooked and released a blue marlin before announcing, “This angling stuff isn’t as fun as driving.” He spent the rest of the day at the helm while Ryan took over on the rod—a fitting story for an owner-operator who has always loved running the boat as much as fishing from it.
But the relationships continued long after the tournaments and fishing trips ended. Their families grew up together, they supported one another through important moments in life, and even when the Colkets stepped away from fishing for a period, the friendships remained.
“Even if we sold the boat tomorrow, they would still be in our lives. I do not doubt that,” says Bobbi.
Gredick agrees.
“We became friends because of the boats and our connection to Viking, and it went from there. You know them better than people you see for dinner because you spend quality time with them for days at a time traveling and fishing on the back of the boat for hours at a time,” says Gredick.
That same sense of loyalty and shared experience extends to the crew behind the program, especially Captain Brad Liston, who has been a constant. As Tram and Bobbi put it, “We couldn’t do it without Captain Brad Liston. He has been such a vital part of our program and, more importantly, an incredible friend. His loyalty, patience, and unwavering support have meant more than words can say and have played a huge role in fueling my passion for the sport. We truly owe so much of our success to him.”
It is a reflection of what Miss Magnolia is all about, not just the boat or the results, but the people who make it all possible.
Finding Her Place in the Sport
While Tram found his place at the helm, Bobbi’s involvement evolved over time.
Bermuda has become one of the Colkets’ favorite destinations, and Bobbi recently earned Top Lady Angler in the Bermuda Triple Crown. The recognition was meaningful because she had worked her way from being along for the ride to becoming an active member of the fishing team.
“It takes time to get the guys to listen; you fake it until you make it, and work your way up. That progression makes you feel invested in it and like it is yours too.”
Today, she angles, rigs baits, drops dredges and is passionate about encouraging other women to become involved in the sport.
“You can be 25 years old or 70 years old on a team, and everyone is doing the same thing,” says Bobbi. “Start by rigging baits and work your way up from there. That is what I did. I felt like it was my way of contributing something.”
Now, she is passing that experience to the next generation. Bobbi has begun teaching her daughter-in-law to rig baits and drop dredges, while her granddaughter is already showing an interest of her own.
“My 6-year-old granddaughter is a natural and loves to fish. Now I have a legacy that I can coach into it.”
That generational connection is part of what has made fishing so meaningful to the Colkets. Even after stepping away from the sport for a few years, they returned to find the same community waiting for them.
“Even if you step away for a while, you can come back into it and still be welcomed the same.”
Why Viking
With three children, four grandchildren and a full fishing crew, the Colkets need a boat capable of serving very different roles.
“A Viking is a boat that can fish hard and still comfortably hold everyone. It is beautiful, fast, handles tough seas, and does everything we need it to,” says Bobbi.
That versatility has kept the family returning to Viking as Miss Magnolia has grown with them, from the 50 Convertible to the 62 and now the 72.
Looking ahead, Tram and Bobbi are focused less on numbers and more on the experiences still ahead. Africa is on the list, along with the pursuit of a grander blue marlin.
But after more than two decades, four boats and countless miles on the water, the reason they continue doing it is remarkably simple.
Fishing brought the Colkets together as a family. It introduced them to lifelong friends. And Miss Magnolia became the place where much of that life happened.
