InTheBite

Goin’ In Deep Wins Big In MA500

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Team Goin’ In Deep with the winning combo of a 680 lbs. blue marlin and a 184 lbs. tuna.

August 28, 2017 It was a week that not only saw a total eclipse of the sun but also saw a total cash purse eclipse the previous MidAtlantic tournament record payout! It was also the first time in the tournament’s 26-year history where a participant won two of the event’s major categories. The 2017 MidAtlantic tournament ended on Friday night with awards presentations at both Canyon Club Resort Marina in Cape May and Sunset Marina in Ocean City with a tournament record $3.24 million awarded to all the lucky winners including well over $1 million alone to one lucky crew! Larry Hesse of Fort Lauderdale, Florida and his crew of the Brielle, New Jersey-based Goin’ In Deep including Captain Walter Harmstead and Hesse’s son Larry Jr. were the big winners at this year’s event as they doubled up and nabbed the Blue Marlin and Tuna categories top prizes thanks to the 680-pound blue marlin and 184-pound tuna weighed on Day Four of the tournament and walked away with $1,110,634!

It was a picture-perfect morning as 145 boats headed offshore on the final day of the 2017 MidAtlantic tournament. A light breeze made for calm seas and as is usually the case, Day Five would prove to be Moving Day once again at the tournament with fortunes made for some and dashed for others as several significant changes to the leaderboard occurred. Though the billfish bite was somewhat slow by MidAtlantic tournament standards several large white marlin were reported boated during the day. It was shortly after the evening’s weigh-in session got underway at 5 p.m. when Scott Poole’s Waste Knot from Morehead, North Carolina with Captain Patrick Kannan at the wheel pulled to the scale in Ocean City and weighed a white marlin of 75 pounds for angler Kyle Mayer which hurdled the others to the top of the leaderboard in the category. Poole and his crew of the Waste Knot were among those eyeing the scale as minutes later Captain JJ Logan wheeled Rich Van Camps Reel Rodeo from Fort Lauderdale, Florida into the marina with an upright white marlin flag flying indicating they had a boated billfish aboard. Moments later angler Andrew Kennedy’s billfish would weigh 71 pounds and Reel Rodeo would finish with the third heaviest white marlin for the tournament and won $73,602. Poole and his crew aboard the Waste Knot let out a sigh of relief as their heaviest white marlin gave the crew $796,509! Ken Hager’s Taylor Jean from Tinton Falls, New Jersey held on to take home the second heaviest white marlin prize and a check for $217,665 for his 72-pound billfish. In other news in the white marlin category on Day Five Captain Pete Ryan wheeled Rich Ryon’s Anthracite to the scale in Cape May and weighed a 70-pounder for angler Drew Parker to get on the board while Andy Schlotter’s My Time from Hilltown, Pennsylvania weighed a 68-pounder for angler Tom Schlotter to join the crowd on the leaderboard.

In other news on Day Five, Cody Steen’s Book Ends from Fort Lauderdale, Florida weighed a 53-pound wahoo in

Cape May to finish with the second heaviest in the category and won $53,744 while Olney, Maryland’s Todd

Dickerson aboard his Top Dog weighed a 33-pound ‘hoo in Ocean City which was good enough for third heaviest in the category and received $17,766. The dolphin category saw Secaucus, New Jersey’s Michael Verzaleno weigh a 17-pounder in Ocean City from his Reel Steel to make the leaderboard. Denny Howell of Malvern, Pennsylvania also weighed a 17-pounder from his Big Dog in Cape May and Chad Jackson of Estero, Florida weighed a 16-pounder from his Toddy Times 3 in Ocean City to join the fray.

No qualifying blue marlin were weighed on Day Five which left Art Kontos’ Let It Ride from Vero Beach, Florida with the second heaviest billfish in the category at 677 pounds and won him $142,929. It should be noted since no third place blue marlin was caught, that prize money was divided between Goin’ In Deep and Let It Ride.

Though several tuna were weighed on Day Five, none were able to make the leaderboard much less top Goin’ In Deep’s 184 pounder. Denny Howell’s Big Dog hung on to take the second heaviest in the category and won $80,088 while Pat Healy’s New Gretna, New Jersey-based Viking 62 and Brick, New Jersey’s Mike Murray aboard his The Caitlin finished in a tie for third heaviest tuna at 72 pounds and won $164,837 and $116,929 respectively. It should be noted that prize winnings awarded are based on the various levels of calcuttas each participant enters and is reflected in their winnings.

Boats with significant billfish releases on Day Five include John Conrad’s Grets 3 Js with seven white marlin released while Pat Healy’s Viking 72 released six white marlin. James Romero’s Absolute Pleasure and Martin Truex’s Clamaholic each released five white marlin while Peter Cherasia’s Shark Byte, Art Kontos’ Let It Ride and Adam Youschak’s Reelin’ Feelin’ each released four white marlin. William Roohan’s Team Player released three white marlin while Jon Duffie’s Billfisher released three white marlin and a blue marlin. Ed Russo’s Big Deal and Tom Kilareski’s Intuition each released a blue marlin and a white marlin.

Cash Prize Winners

* Please note well over 60 individual cash awards are possible due to the wide variety of calcuttas. See below the payout for the species indicated and please note payouts vary by the number of calcuttas each participant enters. It should be noted that no less than seven winners received a payout of more than six figures and an additional 10 winners received payouts of $25,000 or more!

Heaviest White Marlin – 75 lbs. – Waste Knot – Scott Poole – Morehead, NC – $796,509

2nd Heaviest White Marlin – 72 lbs. – Taylor Jean – Ken Hager – Tinton Falls, NJ – $217,665

3rd Heaviest White Marlin – 71 lbs. – Reel Rodeo – Rich Van Camp – Fort Lauderdale, FL – $73,602

Heaviest Blue Marlin – 680 lbs. – Goin’ In Deep – Larry Hesse – Fort Lauderdale, FL – $580,762

2nd Heaviest Blue Marlin – 677 lbs. – Let It Ride – Art Kontos – Vero Beach, FL – $142,929

3rd Heaviest Blue Marlin – No qualifying third place blue marlin was caught. Prize money divided between Heaviest and 2nd Heaviest winners.

Heaviest Tuna – 184 lbs. – Goin’ In Deep – Larry Hesse – Fort Lauderdale, Florida – $529,871

2nd Heaviest Tuna – 126 lbs. – Big Dog – Denny Howell – Malvern, PA – $80,088

3rd Heaviest Tuna – Tie – 72 lbs. – Viking 62 – Pat Healy – New Gretna, NJ – $164,837

The Caitlin – Mike Murray – Brick, NJ – $116,929

Twisted Bills Wins Annual Loop Florida West Coast Bluewater Series

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Aug 24, 2017 This year’s Loop, as with those of the past, challenged the brawn and endurance of the competing teams with 3 non-stop days of fishing… no port calls, no cheeseburgers in paradise. The Ironman of Billfishing, the Loop, was also the final leg & capstone for the Florida West Coast Bluewater Series. This year we added points for successful tag and releases.  We are proud to report 98% were tagged and look forward to working with the Billfish Foundation with research data from the middle Gulf of Mexico.

With 9 teams competing, Team Twisted Bills – Captain Daniel Munyan and crew – eclipsed last year’s winners, Team On Course and, roared to the win with Two Blue Marlin with tags and 1 White Marlin with tag.

BILLFISH DIVISION

1st Place     Team Twisted Bills – 1282 pts
Daniel Munyan and crew
Two Blue Marlin with tags and 1 White Marlin with tag
2nd Place    Team On Course – 761 pts
Bill Currie and crew
One Blue Marlin and One White Marlin with tag
3rd Place    Team For Now – 220 pts
Dan Snyder and crew
Two Sailfish with tags (Caught both on 8/17)
4th Place    Team Seahawk – 220pt
Pat Young and crew
Two Sailfish with tags (double hook up) caught both 8/18
FUNFISH DIVISION

TUNA

1st Place          Team For Now           20.82lbs
2nd Place         Team For Now           18.34lbs
3rd Place         On Course                  17.05 lbs
4th Place         Jumbo Shrimp           16.42lbs
5th Place         Team Hooker             15.91lbs
6th Place         Seahawk                     13.24lbs

 

DOLPHIN

1st Place          Jumbo Shrimp           18.60lbs
2nd Place         Haulin Grass              14.78lbs
3rd Place         For Now                      13.19lbs
4th Place         Twisted Bills              8.57lbs

 

WAHOO
1st Place          For Now                      36.24lbs

 

SWORDFISH

1st Place          Twisted Bills              167.56lbs
2nd Place         For Now                      64.64lbs

Twisted Bills team.

 

Point Runner Releases 20 Whites For Pirates Cove Win

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Pirate’s Cove Marina, Manteo, North Carolina: Point Runner was on point all week long. The 60-foot Guthrie charter boat based at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center led the 2017 Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament from start to finish with 20 white marlin releases and the top tuna prize. Captain and owner Chris Kubik, Capt. Lucas Jolly, mate Scotty Simpson and the experienced team of anglers earned a payout of $231,193 for multiple awards. Point Runner was the top boat of the week, first place overall, first place tuna (69.8 pounds), first place in the Day One daily and jackpot and second place in the Day Two daily.

“I’m just overwhelmed,” Kubik explained after Friday’s awards presentation. “This means everything to me as a new boat owner and the newest captain in the fleet. I never thought I would get here this fast. And I couldn’t be prouder of my team.”

Fellow charter skipper Arch Bracher and his crew aboard Pelican, a 56 Paul Mann also based at Oregon Inlet, took home a consolation prized of $151,036. The team won second place boat and overall points, plus first place in the Day Two daily and jackpot for 17 white marlin releases.

Fin Planner, a 58 Buddy Harris run by Capt. Chris Gornell (with mate Danny Prettyman) came in third place with 15 billfish releases. The team earned $55,048 for its efforts. Chasin’ Tail, a 68 Bayliss with Capt. Butch Davis at the helm and Hovie Aiken in the cockpit, won trophies for fourth place honors (14 releases). Rigged Up was fifth overall with 13 billfish released. Capt. Charles Haywood and mates Graham Alexander and Garrett Holden crew the 54 Omie Tillet.

A total of 555 billfish were released by the 79 boats participating in the this year’s event. The catch included 429 white marlin, 46 blue marlin, 78 sailfish and two spearfish. No blue marlin were weighed, but releases with photo verification earned an extra 50 points. Boats earned prize money for the top releases per day and daily jackpots. The first billfish caught each day was worth $5,000.

Sandra D, a 58 Hudson with Capt. Mike Merritt at the helm, won $87,472 for first place in blue marlin release division with three fish. Derek Anderson is the Sandra D mate. Capt. Will Ross, mates Mike Fulgam and Joel Groetsch and the team aboard Full Choke, a 38 Jarrett Bay, took second place in the blue marlin release points and the first fish of Day 4, good for a $42,488 payout. Sea I Sea, a 72 Viking run by Capt. Rob Mahoney, and Sea Hag, a 61 Blackwell with Capt. Dave Ed Graham, both won $68,464 for daily payouts (seven and six fish, respectively). Other boats claiming prize money for daily catches include Ann Warrrick, Builder’s Choice and Wave Paver. Traveller, Plane Simple and Sea Toy joined Full Choke as the $5,000 first fish daily winners.

In the individual angler categories, Ryan Dayton was named the top angler for six billfish (650 points). Dayton was fishing aboard Martha D, a Viking 52 run by Capt. Scott Fawcett, with mates Matt Copolletta and Kyle Francis. Stacey Allen earned top lady angler honors for nine billfish released (900 points). She was fishing on Wall Hanger, a 59 Paul Spencer with Capt. Gray Blount on the bridge and Jason George, John Muter and Jonathon Oglesby manning the cockpit. E.J. Nettles represented the future of the sport by snagging five billfish and the top junior angler title. Nettles was competing aboard Short People, a 48 Ocean run by Capt. Jeff Hagan.

Ross Darling wound in the top dolphin of the week, a bull that tipped the scales at 50.7 pounds. Darling and his team won $10,853 on Desperado (VA) with Capt. Bryan Peele on the throttles. Gary Ingram won the same amount of money for his 54.3-pound wahoo, caught on Trophy Box, a 57 Island Boatworks with Capt. Ronnie Fields. Micheal Lamb was on the rod for Point Runner’s winning yellowfin. Game fish totals for the week included 12 dolphin, 14 yellowfin tuna, plus three blackfin tuna and wahoo each.

Major sponsors of the 2017 PCBT were the Pirate’s Cove Marina, Pirate’s Cove Realty, Golfito Marina Village, Simrad and Release Marine. Goslings Rum, Jefferson’s Bourbon and Tito’s Vodka were the week’s bar sponsors.

“What a great week with the Oregon Inlet charter fleet setting the pace,” Tournament Director Heather Maxwell said at the conclusion of the awards presentation. “We had an impressive number of billfish released and some nice game fish brought to the scales. Thank you all for fishing with us. Please come back again next year and bring some friends, ‘cause we’re going over $1 million mark in prize money.”

The 2018 Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament is set for August 13-17 at the Pirate’s Cove Marina in Manteo, North Carolina.

2017 White Marlin Open Updates- Griffin Leads With 86 lbs. WM

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136 Boats Fishing Today – 353 Boats Entered – $4.97 Million in Prize Money!
 

Local Boat Takes Top Tournament Prize
8/11/17

Within the first 40 minutes on the last day of weigh-ins at Harbour Island, $3 million dollars changed hands.  To win the biggest share of the $4.9 million dollars in prize money, a white marlin would have to top the 86-pound white caught off The Griffin from Palm Beach, FL on Wednesday.  That’s a big white and would have won 36 of the last 43 tournaments.  A closer look, however would reveal that it would have only won 4 of the last 8 events.  Still, Wilmington Delaware angler Mike Donohue had to like his chances to hold onto the $2.6 million-dollar prize.

The scale for the last day of weigh-ins opened at Harbour Island Marina at 4:00 PM.  Waiting at the 3:30 bridge was MR Ducks from OC, Md.  The boat was carrying OC, Md. angler Joe Andrews with a white to weigh.  The digital scale judged Andrews’ fish to weigh 79.5 pounds which didn’t affect Donohue’s $2.6 million, but jumped into 2nd knocking another OC boat, the Berzerker down to third place.

Yet another Ocean City boat, the Wire Nut made the 4:00 PM bridge and cruised toward the HI scale with a quiet confidence.  Angler Glen Frost, an attorney from Stevensville, Md. knew that he had to beat a large white, but the crew felt the measurements indicated that was possible.  When the digital scale read 95.5 pounds the celebrating started.  It was the third largest white marlin ever caught in the 44-year-old event and it was Frost’s first white marlin catch!

So, Frost’s first ever billfish catch earned first place in the 2017 WMO and $1,654,800 in prize money.  That fish cost Donohue $1,400,000 but Donohue and The Griffin still earned $1,525,964 for the 2nd place white.  MR Ducks and fell to third with earnings of $164,673.

The tuna category produced 8 winners including a White Marlin Open record $866,553 tuna payout to Joe Sadler off the Intents both from Jupiter Florida.  Other top tuna winners were $90,380 to James Boynton of Situate, MA fishing aboard the Blue Runner out of Manasquan, NJ for their 67-pound tuna.  The Warden Pass from Cape May NJ carried Buena, NJ resident Kris Rainear who caught a tying 67-pound tuna and earned $52,950.

Tuna also earned big bucks for small boats.   The Lisa from OC Md. carried angler Mike Cutler who hones his billfishing skills in Leawod, Kansas.  Team Lisa won $112,050 for small boat top tuna and small boat big fish.

Jimmy Michael on the Dawg Haus out of OC, Md won $51,300 in the small boat white marlin division with his 58 pound tuna since no qualifying small boat white marlin were weighed.

The money in the Daily Meat Fish division is split between the heavy wahoo and heavy dolphin. The dolphin fishing was the slowest in memory and only one dolphin qualified.  The one dolphin that did qualify, however, took big money.  Ashton, MD angler Andrew Cohen aboard Annapolis based Silly Money weighed the a 23-pound dolphin to win all the daily money for dolphin and earned $74,841.  The 3 wahoo shared the daily prizes and the Hog Wild, G-Force and Karen Marie each won over $25,000 for their fish.

The Restless Lady from Ocean City, MD took $7,091 for the only shark weighed when Frank Snover from White Township, NJ caught a 126 mako shark.

In the Daily Release Point division, the Bar South took first with 735 followed by Fender Bender with 700 points and Weldor’s Ark with 665 pts.  Those same boats took the top three places in the prestigious Billfish Points division.

The top Tournament Anglers who will receive the coveted Master Angler Rings are:  Jack Owens off the Rebel, John Roberts on the Weldor’s Ark, and Kevin Pento aboard the Singularis.

Dona Lucy Wins USVI Blue Marlin Tournament

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Photo: Top Boat, Doña Lucy, from Puerto Rico. L to R: Bryan Ramos, Jose De Veer, Rafael Caicedo, Efrain Rodriguez, Captain Juan Garcia, and Joselo Hernandez. Credit: Dean Barnes.

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. A total of five blue marlin released in three days of fishing earned Doña Lucy the top boat prize in the 45th annual USVI Open/Atlantic Blue Marlin Tournament (ABMT). Incredibly, the San Juan, Puerto Rico-based team scored four of these fish on today’s last day of fishing to take the trophy over A1A, which also released five blue marlin total, but had to settle for second place based on time. Doña Lucy’s triumph was in a Davy versus Goliath-style as the 41’ Ronin sports fisher was half the size of other ABMT competitors.

“We had a team meeting last night and our captain, Juan Garcia, said he had a feeling it would be a good idea to fish the tournament’s last day up off Anegada,” says Doña Lucy angler, Rafael Caicedo. “This is where we released our first fish on Day 1. We fished the North Drop yesterday, with all the rest of the boats, and didn’t catch a thing. The idea was, as the smallest boat in the tournament, we had to break away from the pack. Luckily, we did. We found a small patch of blue water without weed and trolled in that patch.”

The Doña Lucy team raised its first fish of the day late morning, but it wouldn’t bite. Then, barely a half hour later, anglers Bryan Ramos and Efrain Rodriguez hooked up a blue marlin double header and landed both. With barely time to set the baits back out, Rodriguez hooked, caught and released a blue marlin weighing an estimated 500 pounds.

“Two minutes later, Efrain hooked up the big girl. It was about a 650 to 700-pound blue marlin and took 2 hours and 15 minutes to fight and release. It was during that time that A1A almost caught up to us. However, we were the first to reach five when we released that big fish,” says Caicedo.

There were three secrets to the Doña Lucy’s team’s success. One, the skilled anglers successfully caught everything that bit. Secondly, dead bait rather than lures was the team’s preferred fish attracting method. Third, the anglers and crew had a great boat.

“We just finished building the boat and this is only the second tournament we’ve fished,” says Caicedo.

The beautiful little Ronin was the last unfinished hull sitting in the factory when the Ponce, Puerto Rico-based yacht builder closed. Two weeks before the hull was to be sent to the crushers, says Caicedo, he and his fellow fishing team moved it to a small shed and spent five years finishing her. This is the little Ronin’s debut summer.

“It’s the little boat that could and did,” says Caicedo.

A1A, a 72’ Jim Smith based out of Florida, finished in second place in the boat standings with five blue marlin releases. Angler/owner, Bill Waldorf, earned Top Angler, caught and released all five blues. Business Stinks, a 72’ Merritt with Brazilian-based owner/angler Lucas Abud aboard, ended third with three blue marlin in the boat standings.

The 8-boat tournament fleet released a total of 22 blue marlin in the three days of fishing.

Boats competing in the ABMT were A1A, Angela, Business Stinks, Cheeseburger, Doña Lucy, Gulf Rascal, Reel Tight and Sodium.

The ABMT was run this year as a team tournament under IGFA rules only, without the call for competitors to adhere to additional special tournament rules such as the need for anglers to rotate rods hourly.

On land, the 5th Annual MarlinFest concluded with a Shrimp Boil and Caribbean Show in the parking lot of the Red Hook Shopping Mall.

The ABMT and MarlinFest benefit the locally-registered not-for-profit Marine Vocational Program (MVP). The MVP’s goal is to serve as a vocational institution that provide U.S. Virgin Islands youth with a career path into the marine/hospitality/tourism industries. Current MVP programs include learn-to-swim, sailing, scuba diving and small boat handling and operation skills.

Started by Chuck Senf back in 1972, the ABMT has evolved into one of the most competitive saltwater sports fishing events in the world or the ‘Super Bowl of Sports Fishing’.

Top 5 Marlin of 2017- So Far

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Check out this list of the top 5 Blue Marlin weighed in so far in 2017 Captain of the Year Divisions. The IGY Marinas Int’l Division leads with team Flyer, led by Captain Bryce Garvey fishing the Bermuda Big Game Classic who harvested a 871 lbs. Blue Marlin. Pretty work crews!

IGY Marinas Intl’ Division

#1)Capt. Bryce Garvey, Flyer, 600 Points -Bermuda Big Game Classic, Largest Marlin, 500 Pts. 871 lbs.

Costa Sunglasses Gulf Division

#2)Capt. Scooter Porto and Reel Addiction team with 771lb Blue Marlin caught during the 46th Annual Pensacola International Billfish Tournament.

Release Ruler Hawaii Division 

#3)Capt. McGrew Rice on the Ihu Nui II hit big and won the Skin’s Tournament with a 731.5-pound blue marlin and TR release points. Photo courtesy of the Honokohau Charter Desk.

Costa Sunglasses Gulf Division

#4) Capt. Jason Buck, Done Deal, 500 Points- Blue Marlin World Cup, Largest Marlin, 600 lbs.

Billfish Foundation East Coast Division

#5)Capt. Brian Harrington, Run Off, 500 Points -Big Rock, Heaviest Marlin, 533.8 lbs. , 500 Pts.

   

Done Deal Wins World Cup Blue Marlin Championship

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Palm Beach, Florida: With a record payout on the line and redhot fishing worldwide, the story of this year’s Blue Marlin World Cup Championship centered on what some may consider an overlooked destination: the Gulf of Mexico. And yet with a fleet of 144 boats fishing in some of the planet’s best big-fish hot spots – including Bermuda, Madeira, Cape Verde and Kona -the Gulf produced the only two qualifying blue marlin in the one-day shootout.
The team aboard Gunnslinger was first to report a fish in the boat: their 110-inch blue marlin weighed 556.1 pounds and met the tournament’s qualifying minimum weight requirement of 500 pounds. But it was Jon Gonsoulin’s Done Deal that would seal the deal, scaling a beautifully-proportioned 600-pound blue marlin. They won the tournament cash plus the optional Big Blue Challenge, taking home a cool $1 million payday. Not bad
for a day of fishing. Done Deal is a 70-foot Viking captained by Jason Buck; angler Wilks Hammock was on the rod soaking a live bait off the Southwest Pass of Louisiana when the fish struck. In addition to their weighed fish, the team also released three additional blue marlin in what proved to be a superb day of
sport-fishing action.
With the increase in the base entry and the added jackpot in the Big Blue Challenge, it’s a new record payout for the World Cup. Winning $1,000,000 for a single blue marlin is the dream of any big-game angler, and the Blue Marlin World Cup reached that milestone this year. Seven of the participating teams were fishing in the Gulf region, and that is the first time since 1989 that the Gulf had produced a World Cup winner. Overall, the fishing was terrific in the Gulf. The Reel Fire team released four blues in the tournament. That’s great fishing anywhere.
The Blue Marlin World Cup is a one-day shootout held on July 4 each year. Blue marlin are the only eligible species, with a required minimum of 500 pounds, in a winner-take-all format. Teams fish from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. in their respective time zones around the world, producing a very exciting event that has attracted a tremendous following on social media.
Tournament director, Robert “Fly” Navarro, says the World Cup team is already planning for a bigger and better tournament next year. You don’t need to fish an exotic destination to catch big blues. It is anticipated that more boats from the Gulf and also the East Coast will be participating in the July 4, 2018 Blue Marlin World Cup. Note the date on your calendar, and sign up early to match your blue marlin fishing skills against the rest of
the world.
For more information, visit www.bluemarlinworldcup.com.

Sodium Wins Virgin Islands July Open Billfish Tournament

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Top Boat, Sodium, with six blue marlin releases. L to R: Captain Randy Jendersee; angler/owner Chad Damron; VIGFC President, Kevin Haddox; mates Travis Butters and Tyler Valles. Credit: Dean Barnes.

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Two boats nearly swapped places on the leaderboard during the third and final day of fishing in the 54th July Open Billfish Tournament (JOBT), hosted by the Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club (VIGFC). In the end, it was Sodium that earned Top Boat and the 75-foot Weaver’s owner and angler, Chad Damron, who won Top Angler with six blue marlin releases.
“We hooked up quickly this morning and were one of the first of the day to catch a blue marlin,” describes Damron, of Crystal River, Florida. “Never Say Never hooked up while we were fighting our fish, so that put us both one ahead.”

By midday, the release tally was 5 blue marlin for Sodium and 4 for Never Say Never, a 72-foot Merritt owned by Jim Carr of Coral Gables, Florida. Never Say Never won Top Boat and one of its anglers, fifteen-year-old Zachary ‘Zac’ Murck, of Davie, Florida, Top Angler in the 2016 JOBT.

Then, Sodium hooked up. But, the marlin broke off the hook. Never Say Never used the opportunity to tease up a blue and connected with a release. This tied both boats with 5 releases apiece, with Sodium still in the lead based on time.

“We caught another marlin around 2 p.m. That meant Never Say Never had to catch two more to beat us, so I was feeling pretty confident. The closer it got to line’s out, the better I felt,” says Sodium’s Damron, who credited his crew, Captain Randy Jendersee and mates Travis Butters and Tyler Valles for the win. “It’s so special here. The fish are meaner and if you miss one on the first pass it usually comes back around. The Virgin Islands are such a great place to fish. Big fish and lots of fish.”

For his Top Angler win, Damron will have his name engraved on the prestigious Captain Johnny Harms ‘Give Him Line’ Trophy. Past winners of this trophy read like a Who’s Who of blue marlin sport fishing. Angler Elliot Fishman’s winning 845-pound catch in 1968 set an all-tackle world record. Only two anglers have reeled in this honor two times – the late Howard Crouse in 1965 and 1988, and Puerto Rico’s late legendary angler Ralph Christiansen in 1973 and 1984.

Damron’s six blue marlin releases were 9 fish short of earning this year’s new prize: $25,000 cash for catching and releasing 15 blue marlin during the three-day tournament.

Never Say Never, helmed by Captain Eddie Herbert, finished second in the Top Boat standings with five blue marlin releases.

“I just hoped we could have seen a couple more marlin to win,” says Never Say Never’s Murck, who won the Top Junior Angler award. “Still, it was pretty exciting.”

Local charter boat, Mixed Bag, a 40-foot Luhrs based out of The Westin, St. John with Captain Rob Richards at the helm, finished third in the boat standings with the release of three blue marlin total.

In total, the six-boat tournament fleet caught and released 19 blue marlin and 1 white marlin in three-days of fishing. Teams in this longest annually held angling contest in the Virgin Islands, represented the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and U.S. mainland.

Profits from the VIGFC tournaments, which received 501 C (3) status this year, will benefit the Ivanna Eudora Kean High School Marine Vocation Program and local veterans. Tournament sponsorship and donations are tax deductible.

Sponsors include IGY’s American Yacht Harbor; Fish Tails Bar & Grill; Southern Glazer’s Wines & Spirits, distributor of Mount Gay Rum; and Yeti. and Yeti.

For more information and to register, visit: www.vigfc.com or call (340) 775-9144. Visit us on Facebook too!

Chad Damron on Sodium (second from left) win’s Top Angler and the Captain Johnny Harms ‘Give Him Line’ Trophy. L to R: Captain Spike Herbert; VIGFC Board Member; Damron; Dr. Brian Biscoe, VIGFC Board Member; Captain Red Bailey, Past President and VIGFC Board Member. Herbert and Bailey both fished with the late Captain Johnny Harms, who pioneered the blue marlin fishery in the Virgin Islands.