InTheBite

  • Home
  • News
    • All News
    • Featured Stories
    • General News
    • Captain of the Year
    • Tournament Results
    • First Builds
    • Splash Reports
    • Old Salts Rule
    • Tackle Tips
    • Dock Talk
    • Crew Records
    • Conservation
  • Tournaments
    • Calendar
    • Captain of the Year
    • Champion’s Cup
  • Shop
    • All Products
    • Subscriptions
    • Back Issues
    • Shirts
    • Hats & Visors
    • Miscellaneous
    • Release Rulers
  • Classifieds
  • Job Board
  • Contact
    • Contact InTheBite
    • InTheBite Media Kit
  • Log in

Furuno Gulf Division

  • Chasin-Tail
    Chasin Tail with the largest single Gulf pay day in 2017
  • scroll
  • Reel-Addiction-with-Big-Blue-Award
  • Capt. Devin Potts, Gulf COTY 2016. Sea Mixer
  • Aries
    Team Aries cashes in at the MGCBC in 2017
  • Capt. Robbie Dogget, Gulf COTY 2015. Relentless Pursuit.
  • Capt. Jason Buck, Gulf COTY 2014. Done Deal.
  • Ron Woodruff
    Capt. Ronnie Woodruff. COTY 2006. A Work of Art.
  • lonestar
  • Iona-Louise
    Iona Louise Wins big in Pensacola
  • Fleur de Lis
  • Lone Star – Done Deal

Captain of the Year Home

Sanctioned Tournaments Begin May 2021

2020 Furuno Gulf Coast Division Captain of the Year

Mollie team

Photo courtesy Brian Leiser

CAPT. JEFF SHOULTS, Mollie, 2,100 points

MBGFC Memorial Day Tournament, 1st Place – 500 pts.
MBGFC Memorial Day Tournament, Heaviest Marlin – 613.8 lbs. – 500 pts.
Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic, Heaviest Marlin – 660.4 lbs. – 500 pts.
Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic, 3rd Place – 100 pts.
MBGFC Invitational Labor Day Tournament, 1st Place – 500 pts.

Despite the coronavirus cloud, what a year it was for the Gulf. Our Gulf Coast Division kicked off with the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic, where more than 90 blue marlin were released. For Destin’s Capt. Jeff Shoults and his crew aboard the 66-foot G&S Mollie, it was business as usual, though this program is significantly different than many others competing in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Most of what we do is bottom fishing for grouper, snapper and amberjacks. Then I get to fish the six or seven tournaments a year. And really, that’s the only time we get to billfish. It’s just different for us, I’m doing it with people that have never even seen a blue marlin before. Jason Buck and I have had this conversation a lot of times. Ninety-five percent of what he does is ride around with his sonar catching blue marlin. Ninety-five percent of what I do is entertain corporate clients by taking them bottom fishing,” Shoults says.

We all know the importance of having a competent crew, but this is particularly important for Shoults considering the experience of his tournament anglers. “I have my main deckhand Chance Young and we typically have a second mate, this year it was Sawyer Henderson. In a tournament, I’ll take another deckhand, Josh Goodson. We fished six tournaments this summer, caught 20 blue marlin and nine of them were the first blue marlin the anglers had ever caught. Our success is a testament to my crew,” he added.

Shoults has been with the Mollie program for 30 years, which is on its third G&S. His even-keeled nature and eye for detail have resulted in sustained tournament success for many years. As is the case with many fisheries, the tactics and techniques employed in the Gulf have seen dramatic changes over the years. “I’ve watched the Gulf go from trolling bonito strips, ballyhoo and mullet, to live baiting and sonar, so I’m learning to adapt and change with everything that’s going on.

We had a great season, but for about the last five years we’ve done exceptionally well. This year just made it that much better getting to weigh two 600-pound fish. Memorial Day not only did we have the big fish, but we also had the tag and release as well. How many times do you enter a tournament and win both divisions? Then in the Sandestin we had the big fish and third place tag and release—and we pulled off a blue and a white, so we almost won tag and release again,” Shoults says.

Many of the Gulf tournaments are set up so boats can leave at noon. “We are running to the oil rigs and from Destin the closest one we’re going to fish is about 120 miles. In the Sandestin we pull up to our first rig, throw baits in the water and release a fish right off the bat, which was just incredible. And then we ran on down to the next rig and sure enough, we pull up and there was absolutely nobody there. When you have 80 boats in a tournament you figure you’re going to be fishing with somebody. We got lucky enough there was no one there and we caught a fish right away. Caught another one thirty minutes later, then we hooked the big fish. We had it in the boat by 10:00 that morning. Everything worked. It was just our turn.”

The beauty is always the journey and this one couldn’t have been scripted any better.

Past Winners:

  • 2020 Capt. Jeff Shoults // Mollie // 2100 Points
  • 2019 Capt. Jason Buck //Done Deal // 2100 Points
  • 2018 Capt. Jason Buck // Done Deal // 2150 Points
  • 2017 Capt. Jason Buck //Done Deal // 1400 Points
  • 2016 Capt. Devin Potts // Sea Mixer // 1100 Points
  • 2015 Capt. Robbie Doggett // Relentless Pursuit // 1750 Points
  • 2014 Capt. Jason Buck // Done Deal // 1950 Points

coty-sanctioned-logo

Sanctioned Events:

  • Orange Beach Billfish Classic
  • MBGFC Memorial Day Tournament
  • Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic
  • Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic
  • Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic
  • Pensacola International Billfish Tournament
  • Blue Marlin Grand Championship of the Gulf
  • Gulf Coast Triple Crown Championship
  • Houston Big Game Fishing Club’s Lonestar Shootout
  • Texas International Fishing Tournament
  • Texas Legends Billfish Tournament
  • Texas Triple Crown Billfish Series
  • New Orleans Invitational Billfish Tournament
  • Texas Billfish Classic
  • The White Marlin Shootout
  • MBGFC Ladies Tournament
  • Texas Women Anglers Tournament
  • MBGFC Invitational Labor Day Tournament

Bronze Sponsors:


  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Connect With InTheBite

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Sign Up for the InTheBite Newsletter


Be the first to hear about the latest Sportfishing News, Products, and Services!

Subscribe to InTheBite Magazine Today!

InTheBite Magazine Current Cover

Our latest issue is hitting the docks now! Be sure to subscribe to the hottest bluewater mag on the market. Purchase or Subscribe »

Upcoming Tournaments

Fri 05

Jimmy Johnson’s Quest for the Ring

March 2 - March 6
Fri 12

Quepos Billfish Cup

March 12 - March 13
Fri 12

Pelagic Shamrock Shootout

March 12 - March 13
Wed 17

Los Suenos Signature Billfish Series, Leg 3

March 17 - March 20
Thu 18

Conch House Wahoo Challenge

March 18 - March 20

View More…

InTheBite Champion’s Cup

InTheBite Champions Cup Logo

New for 2021, the Champion’s Cup is an optional paid entry with a winner-takes-all prize format for teams who want to up the stakes in each division utilizing our longstanding tournament scoring formula.

Captain of the Year Cup Standings

Captain of the Year Cup Standings Logo

View the current standings for InTheBite's Captain of the Year Cup... Leaderboard »

News

  • DIY Line Spooling Bucket

    DIY Line Spooling Bucket

    Skill Level - 2 star Genius Level- 4.5 out of 5 star The crew on the 90’ Jarrett Bay Jaruco utilize a Yeti bucket and a simple hose adapter to create a one-of-a-kind, single-person line spooling aid. Supplies Needed: Drill Dowel Rod Plastic hose adapter Drill holes on both sides of the bucket for a dowel rod to pass through.... [Read More...]

  • Tipping: The Dockmaster's Viewpoint

    Tipping: The Dockmaster's Viewpoint

    By Jan Fogt A while back we ran a story on “Tipping While Traveling” and interviewed four well-traveled captains to provide their insight on tipping. In response to the article, we had several dock attendants and dockmasters comment on the subject and think it's fitting to follow up with some of their responses on the subject. Barbara Roderick, American Yacht... [Read More...]

  • NC Billfish Series Dates

    NC Billfish Series Dates

    Tuesday, March 2, 2021—The largest billfish tournaments in North Carolina are proud to present the NC Billfish Series. The eight NC Billfish Series tournaments have teamed up with weigh masters Randy Gregory and George Lott to recognize and award the best tournament boats and anglers in North Carolina. The mission of the NC Billfish Series is to promote North Carolina’s... [Read More...]

  • Native Son Takes First in Leg 2 of the "Quest for the Crest" Sailfish Challenge

    Native Son Takes First in Leg 2 of the "Quest for the Crest" Sailfish Challenge

    First Place: Native Son, Capt. Art Sapp Second Place: Weez in the Keyz, Capt. Chris Zielinski Third Place: The Edge, BAR South in Top Spot for Most Sail Releases for the Florida Division Congratulations to BAR South and their six sail releases during Leg 2 of the "Quest for the Crest" Sailfish Challenge. This puts them at the top for... [Read More...]

  • New Updates on COVID Vaccine Requirements in Hawaii

    New Updates on COVID Vaccine Requirements in Hawaii

    Hawaii-Guide.com recently provided a new update to requirements and changes in regards to Hawaii travel and the COVID vaccine parameters. Read the excerpt below or click here for the full article. The Vaccine in Relation to Hawaii Travel Presently, proof of vaccination is not a recognized exemption to the Hawaii travel quarantine. The state continues to evaluate the latest science and... [Read More...]

Search InTheBite

Copyright © 2021 InTheBite, LLC · All Rights Reserved.

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.