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 billfish tournaments, sportsmanship, marine conservation and competition in our world-renowned offshore fishery.
Wild Hooker, 2,150 points
Lazy Marlin Hunt 2nd Place – 300 pts.
Firecracker Open 1st Place – 500 pts.
Kona Throw Down 1st Place – 500 pts.
Skins Marlin Derby 3rd Place – 100 pts.
Big Island Marlin Tournament 1st Place Release – 500 pts.
Hawaiian Marlin Tournament Series Overall Champions – 250 pts.
With 33 sails and three marlin equaling a total of 4800 points, team Uno Mas was the winner of Leg 2 of the 2021 Signature Triple Crown. For the Champion’s Cup, that gives them 500 points for first place within the International Division.
First Place: Uno Mas
Second Place: Smooth Move
Third Place: Max Bet
Photo courtesy Vela Boatworks
Some things in life are just meant to be. For Tommy Jones and Blake Kingsbury it was boat building. The two had attended middle school together and were friends all the way through high school but ended up losing touch when they went to college. It was only after running into each other at a wedding about two years earlier that they reconnected. Blake mentioned he was starting a boat building company and asked Tommy—who’s been in the marine industry for years, from being in the coast guard to working as a marine surveyor—if he would be interested in coming on to help build hull #1.
Photo courtesy Elliott Stark
By ITB Staff
The time was, perhaps not too long ago, that tournament time meant rounding up a few friends, grabbing a half-dozen cases of beer, a handful of plugs and taking a boat ride. During some tournaments, the most important thing to remember was that there needed to be at least one person sober enough to gaff the fish. There are some places in the world where camaraderie and alcohol intake still count for something, but on the whole, the modern fishing tournament scene is marked by extremes.
Photo courtesy Michelle Gaylord/Out Your Front Door
Auspicious // 1,350 points
Bermuda Billfish Blast 2nd Place – 300 pts.
Bermuda Big Game Classic 1st Place – 500 pts.
Sea Horse Anglers Club 2nd Place – 300 pts.
Bermuda Triple Crown Overall Champions – 250 pts.
Photo courtesy Endless Imagery
First Place: Native Son, Capt. Art Sapp
Second Place: Weez in the Keyz, Capt. Chris Zielinski
Third Place: The Edge,
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.
Presently, proof of vaccination is not a recognized exemption to the Hawaii travel quarantine. The state continues to evaluate the latest science and will inform travelers of any new exemptions as those decisions are made. Please see the Hawaii Travel Restrictions page for more information.
A potential Spring/Summer 2021 timeline has been proposed for Hawaii vaccination “passport” travel to begin. There is also a March-April timeline for Inter-Island Travel, potentially early May for trans-Pacific travel.
In mid-December 2020, word was received that Lieutenant Governor Josh Green, who is both a physician and is in charge of Hawaii’s Safe Travels program, had said that he would ask the governor to approve travel both trans-Pacific and interisland for anyone who has had a COVID vaccination without further requirements starting in early 2021. For travelers who choose not to get vaccinated, we believe the current restrictions, testing requirements, and quarantine policy are likely to remain in effect for most, if not all, of 2021 and potentially beyond.
Initially, it was proposed to start at the beginning of February 2021, but this has since been postponed until sometime in the Spring of 2021. After approaching the Governor about the update, the Lt. Governor has now indicated that Governor Ige is more inclined to make this change sometime in the Spring or early Summer, not in February as originally proposed. The latest news suggests, as of mid-February 2021, that vaccine/health passport travel will begin in three phases; which is outlined below.
Typically, the professional life of a captain or mate involves travel, lots and lots of travel. The trips can be short, long, frequent, weekly, daily, hourly, international, statewide, spontaneous or planned. No matter how they stack up, there are many trips. A person choosing a career in the sportfishing industry normally understands this well in advance of their date of hire and is excited for the opportunity. Nearly universally, captains and mates enjoy their time working on the water in their natural habitat.
Photo courtesy Caterpillar Marine
Caterpillar Marine, Houston, Texas—Following the successful launch of the C32B 2025 MHP engine, Caterpillar Marine has announced the release of the new Cat® C32B Triple Turbo 2433 MHP (2400BHP) high-performance marine engine, with a rated engine speed of 2300 rpm. With an incredible 20% increase in power output, the C32B Triple Turbo engine leverages the same core engine upgrades as the C32B 2025 MHP rating while offering additional features and benefits. The C32B 3-Turbo is ideal for yachting, sportfishing, and governmental applications.
