The question was asked, “Who is the best captain in the world, raise your hand?”
TGIF Captain’s Cup Update
Welcome to this edition of the TGIF Newsletter, recapping the action through the third week of August in the race for the InTheBite Captain of the Year Cup in each of the five worldwide divisions.
East Coast Division
The 23rd Annual Mid-Atlantic wraps up today (Aug 22) and Krazy Salts leads with an 81-pound white marlin. Captain John Duffie on the Billfisher weighed two whites, both 80 pounds, to hold second and third places and the Why Not team scaled an 847-pound blue marlin to not only lead that category but also setting a new tournament record along the way. The 127-boat fleet is out to grab a share of the $2.4 million dollar purse and a few hours from now we will know who will also take home the East Coast Division Cup points for that tournament.
Last week’s Pirates Cove Billfish Tournament concluded with the Uno Mas taking the prestigious first place trophy. Uno Mas owner Brooks Smith was forced to take the helm while his captain, Tommy Lynskey, recovered from a medical procedure. Congratulations to Brooks—this is the first time we’ve awarded Captain of the Year Cup points to a boat owner for driving their own vessel to victory. In other division news, the sold out 11th Annual Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament is underway and plenty of top East Coast teams are entered in the event. The Evelyn Kennedy leads after Day One with 11 white marlin releases but several others are well within striking distance. Be sure to check out all the action on our website at www.inthebite.com with easy access and quick licks to all the action under our “Tournament Results” section.
Capt. Rob Stalcup on the Trick ‘Em is still hanging on to his East Coast Division lead for the fourth consecutive week. We’ve got a feeling big changes will be taking place though so be sure to check back early next week for the updates.
Gulf Coast Division
Over in the Gulf of Mexico it’s been one of the most hotly contested tournament seasons in recent memory, with several boats battling back and forth in the standings. Captain Devon Potts on the Sea Mixer just barely knocked off Capt. Jason Buck and the Done Deal team from the division’s top spot with a win in the White Marlin Shootout last weekend. This brings the Sea Mixer’s point total to 1,850, just 50 points more than Done Deal’s 1,800 points. The upcoming Labor Day tournament will resemble a shootout at the OK Corral if both of these teams are fishing the tournament. It’s coming down to the wire in the Gulf!
Hawaii Division
Once again the Hawaii Division is knotted up with seven different captains winning first place points in the sanctioned events. The final event, the September Challenge, will take place September 18-20 and the question remains open until then if we will have an eighth First Place Captain or will one of the other seven winners make it to the podium for a nail-biting finish in Hawaii. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
International Division
The International Division is idle this week so Capt. Rob Moore’s lead is safe for now. The Fa-La-Me skipper is the division’s frontrunner with 1,650 points while Capt. Chris Zielinkski, Weez In The Keys, is in second with 1,300 points. The San Juan International will be held the first week of September over in Puerto Rico though so look for that one to heat up next month.
Florida Division
The action in the Florida Division has been quiet—next up is the New Smyrna Billfish Invitational, scheduled for Sept. 25-28, 2014.
For a complete list of the current standings, click here. Also, feel free to contact us for any inquiries on points, names, or sanctioned event updates.
Until next week, soak your baits,
Capt. Dale E Wills
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