ITB Staff
This may be either the most fun or the most grueling time of the year. Now is a time when endurance, planning and execution align. It’s also a time when you just cannot think of any more creative hashtags to explain your fishing. It’s tournament season.
Bluewater Movements, July 20, 2021—Bluewater Movements, a sports marketing and event company out of Pompano Beach, Florida is proud to introduce a new fishing tournament that will cover the entire state of Florida. The window of competition for the Florida Sailfish cup begins on November 1st, 2021 and continues through May 31st, 2022. Eligible species for the Sailfish Cup are, Sailfish, Blue Marlin, and White Marlin.
Photo courtesy Michelle Gaylord/Out Your Front Door/Bermuda Triple Crown Billfish Championship
Hamilton Bermuda, Wednesday, July 14, 2021—Team Krazy Salt’s, an 80’ Viking based out of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida led by owner David Anderson Jr. with Captain Keith Greenberg and mates Mike Mahon, John Cashman and Jeff Thiel held off a charging field to win the 2021 Bermuda Big Game Classic. Krazy Salt’s began the tournament with three blue marlin releases on day one to lead the tournament. They added another blue release on day two bringing their total points to 2,000. Krazy Salt’s did not score on the final day but their 2,000–points were enough to hold off a charging field to take the win earning $109,050. Krazy Salt’s is holding the third place position in the Bermuda Triple Crown Billfish Championship heading into the final leg.
By Nichole Osinski
“I’ve always wanted to be in the Big Rock,” Pelagic Hunter II Captain John Cruise III says thinking back on the many years he’s attended the tournament.
And in 2020, Cruise took his first step toward that goal by signing up for the Lady Angler Tournament. His wife would be competing, but fate, and foul weather, had other plans and it looked as if the Pelagic Hunter II wouldn’t be sharing the seas with other boats during those two days.
With the storms following the tournaments north, the East Coast teams geared up for the 2021 Cape Fear Blue Marlin Tournament. A total of 26 boats headed offshore on June 2 in search of whiteys, blues and dolphin. Due to foul weather preventing fishing on the second day, the teams were out in full force on the third and final day.
Team J&B, a 55′ Wanchese out of Oriental, North Carolina captained by Alan Murray, won first place with a nice doubleheader followed by Horse with captain and owner Les Edwards. 18 Reeler won first place with their dolphin and Jimmy Vass won the Eddy Haneman Sportsmanship Award. A job well done to all the teams.
Despite Covid canceling the event last year, the 53rd Annual Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament was a go for 2021. Sitting around 70 boats, the tournament saw the 69′ Spencer Inappropriate, captained by Andy Crews, taking first. And despite stormy weather signaling a no-go for boats on the final day of fishing, the tournament was a welcome return in South Carolina.
Also, a big thanks to Capt. Jon Meade and the crew on the 62′ Spencer Showtime! for hosting InTheBite during the first day of the tournament. The team had a nice white marlin release early on in the day and exemplified what it means to have a love for sportfishing. Of course we were impressed by some of the guys’ dunkaroos skills as well.
The 20th anniversary of the Custom Shootout held May 12-15 at the Abaco Beach Resort and Boat Harbour assembled an exclusive fleet of 51 custom sportfish yachts – the finest found anywhere in the world. Competing teams represented 17 builders in an all-release format awarding 600 points for blue marlin, 150 points for white marlin, 100 points for sailfish, and 300 points for a single-day grand slam.
Photos by Steve Dougherty
Congratulations to the Priceless team for winning the Final Sail and Captain Nick Carullo and the Showtime team for winning the 2021 Quest for the Crest Series.
By Dale Wills
The 2021 Los Sueños Tournament Series has come and gone and I’d like to share a few more images from the series before they are tucked away on our server until who knows when. Congratulations to all the winners and a big thank you to the Jaruco operation for hosting me during the series. Needless to say, the boat is amazing and the entire program is like no other. Captain Jimmy definitely put us In The Bite. Congratulations to Team Galati on an unprecedented sweep during Leg 3. I’d like to also congratulate a few of our Champion’s Cup teams including Fish Tank, Uno Mas and Eight Eight’s who each found a spot on the leaderboard throughout the series. Till next time, safe travels and tight lines.
1998 – Instigator (861 lb)
If you’re looking for world-class blue marlin fishing along the East Coast, you need to be in Hatteras, North Carolina May 11 – 15, 2021 for the Hatteras Village Offshore, an InTheBite Captain of the Year sanctioned event. Hatteras Village offers a laidback atmosphere for the opening tournament in the NC Billfish Series, where year after year quality blue marlin are brought to the dock. In addition to the great fishing, we have amazing food lined up for you three out of the five nights, leaving you a couple of free evenings to enjoy all that Hatteras has to offer.
