Photo courtesy Michelle Gaylord/Out Your Front Door/Bermuda Triple Crown Billfish Championship
HAMILTON, Bermuda, July 23, 2020 —The weather in Bermuda remained outstanding for the first day of fishing in the Big Game Classic, the centerpiece of the Triple Crown. Uno Mas got the day started with a white release. Several teams followed with blue marlin releases with Auspicious being first. This timing was key to them taking the first daily release jackpot. Other teams releasing blues included Tenacious, Just A Dog, Overproof, Legacy and Reel Addiction.
The story of the day came from the Bermuda based team on Boy Blue, with Captain Eugene Barnes calling in the hook up for angler Edward Barnes at 3:19. As the lines out call came at 4:30 Boy Blue continued to do battle. At 6:46 Boy Blue boated fish but was experiencing one engine overheating and steering problems. Thanks to the great sportsmanship and tow from Captain Sloan Wakefield on Tenacious the Boy Blue team was able to make it to the scales before the midnight deadline. At 11:00 pm the fish weight was officially called at 516-pounds provoking a roar from the spectators giving Boy Blue the first day marlin jackpot and the lead in the tournament.
The bite picked up on the second day of fishing with thirteen blues and one white marlin released by the field. Auspicious continued its winning ways by converting a double header of blues before noon to win the daily release jackpot and move into first place. Other teams scoring two blue marlin releases were Legacy and Bree. The additional points moved Legacy into second place position. Team Boy Blue scored with a blue release keeping them in the team standings sitting in third going into the third day of fishing.
The final day of fishing was all about karma and making memories for Bermuda Captain Sloan Wakefield and the McGee family from Texas. Twenty-year-old Cameron McGee was back in the chair with the crew successfully releasing her second blue of the tournament earning her Top Lady Angler honors. Sister Margot McGee had also released her first blue in the tournament on the second day of fishing giving team Tenacious third place team and third place overall release jackpot winnings.
Both Cameron and Margot got the traditional blue marlin baptism during the awards presentation at Barr’s Bay Park. Adam and Brian Hines Bermuda team Legacy with the help of Peter Lewis put angler Jeremy Gibson on three blue marlin releases earned Legacy second place team and second place overall release jackpot with Gibson winning Top Angler honors.
The Bermuda team on Boy Blue with Captain Eugene Barnes and angler Edward Barnes sweated out the whole day wondering if anyone would be able to beat their 516 blue marlin. At lines out they knew it would hold sweeping all Daily Marlin Jackpots and the Overall Largest Marlin Jackpot.
The American team Auspicious with Captain Edward Murray, mate Carl Copeland and owner Joe Rahman continued to be consistent releasing a blue on the final day to win the 2020 Bermuda Big Game Classic. This team has become one of the top operations in the world and is the one to beat in this year’s Triple Crown heading into the final leg.
Final Standings:
Auspicious – First Place Team 2000-points
Legacy – Second Place Team 1500-points
Tenacious – Third Place Team 1500-points
Boy Blue – Largest Marlin 516-pounds
Dan Jacobs, Tournament Director
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