Photo courtesy Jenni Guerry Photography
With a fleet of 71 teams competing for $1.63 million in prize money, Pearl claimed top honors at the Blue Marlin Grand Championship with a 642-pound blue marlin. In addition to winnings of $441,150, owner Andy Yarborough, Capt. Bo Keough, anglers Edgar McKee and Aaron Prosser, and mates Hunter Green and Kolby Thorton, also finished first in the 2020 Gulf Coast Triple Crown Championship series. In a dramatic finish, this is the first time the Triple Crown title has been determined by a win at the Blue Marlin Grand Championship.
“It was a very special moment for Pearl to win the Blue Marlin Grand Championship and the Triple Crown,” Yarborough said afterwards. “Just like all the great teams that grind and compete week after week all season long, it’s been a dream of ours to hoist these two trophies.
Successful marlin fishing is such a team effort, and it’s the camaraderie, fellowship, sportsmanship and pride you take in watching your friends and fellow competitors experience high moments that make it all so fulfilling.”
Tightening the race for the 2020 InTheBite Captain of the Year Cup, Capt. Keough tallied 750 points and currently sits in third place within the hotly contested Furuno Gulf Coast Division. The 120-inch long fish that clinched the victory was caught on a live bonito near Chevron’s Blind Faith platform in the central Gulf of Mexico after a three-hour battle.
Photo courtesy Jenni Guerry Photography
With eight qualifying events remaining in the Gulf of Mexico, Capt. Jeff Shoults at the helm of Mollie currently sits atop the leaderboard with 1,600 points through a strong showing at the MBGFC Memorial Day Tournament and Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic. Capt. Myles Colley of Born 2 Run is in second place with 1,000 points.
Capt. Bo Keough
Captain of the Year
The InTheBite Captain of the Year Cup consists of five divisions—Florida, Gulf Coast, East Coast, Hawaii and International. It is the world’s only quantifiable metric for comparing the tournament success of captains in the sportfishing industry. Scoring is administered through a series of 90-sanctioned tournaments. The Captain of the Year Cup awards 500 points for first place, 300 for second and 100 for third place in the release divisions of sanctioned tournaments.
For kill tournaments that recognize the largest fish, 500 points will be awarded to the winner. Captains that win series championships are awarded an additional 250-points. The race is an annual competition, running from January 1- December 31 each year.
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