InTheBite

Big Rock Results Are In! Meet the Newest Winners

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As competitors headed offshore Monday for the start of the 61st annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, a final review of all entries confirmed 184 boats were entered and set to compete for a RECORD PURSE of $2,869,050. The previous Big Rock record — set last year — was $2,560,925.

By the end of the week, anglers racked up 156 releases: 83 blue marlin, 54 white marlin, 17 sailfish and two spearfish. A total of 14 blue marlin were boated and weighed, resulting in a 91% overall release rate. DOC FEES and crew scored the 61st release of the 61st Big Rock to win the tournament’s special $6,100 prize. Competitors battled for $284,750 in weekly release prize money and $282,625 in daily release prizes! The Dolphin Winner-Take-All category reached a record $361,250 payout after increasing the level to $2,500 earlier this year!

TOP DOG became “Top of the World” on Day 6 when it landed a record breaking 914-pound blue marlin to WIN the 61st Annual Big Rock Blue Marlin tournament! TOP DOG captain Ryan Knapp of Ocean City, Md., and angler Todd Dickerson, fought their catch for more than five hours and then needed an additional 90 minutes to get the 15-foot fish partially into their 60-foot Buddy Cannady. Dickerson’s catch crushed the Big Rock’s previous record of 831 pounds set in 2000 by the SUMMERTIME BLUES. [Read more…]

The 2019 Hatteras Cup Million Dollar Sportfish Challenge Has Begun

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NOW OPEN TO ALL ANGLERS FISHING FROM HATTERAS YACHTS 
$1.115 MILLION IN PRIZE MONEY AT STAKE!

NEW BERN, N.C.– MAY 6, 2019 – Hatteras Yachts, a world-leading builder of convertible sportfishing and luxury motor yachtsfrom 45 to 105 feet, is pleased to announce that the 2ndAnnual Hatteras Cup Million Dollar Sportfish Challenge kicked off on May 1, 2019. The competition, which runs through December 31, 2019, is open exclusively to anglers fishing onboard a Hatteras yacht, regardless of model or year, who register in advance atwww.hatterasyachts.com/hatterascup.

The Hatteras Cup_lores 3The Hatteras Cup $1 Million Grand Prize for Heaviest Atlantic Blue Marlin will be awarded to the registered angler or team that catches an Atlantic Blue Marlin from a Hatteras yacht during an official billfish tournament that exceeds the current IGFA All-Tackle World Record. For the official Hatteras Cup Rules, please visit https://www.hatterasyachts.com/media/3362/2019-hatteras-cup-rules.pdf

If no registered Hatteras Cup participant wins the Million Dollar Grand Prize by Dec. 31, 2019, then $50,000 will be awarded for the Heaviest Atlantic Blue Marlin caught from a Hatteras during an official billfish tournament that was entered by a registered Hatteras Cup participant.

Prizes totaling $65,000 will be awarded to registered anglers in two other Divisions: Game Fish – Heaviest Tuna, Wahoo, Dolphin, Snapper, Grouper – and Catch & Release (multi-species). Participants competing for prizes in these Divisions do not need to be fishing in an official tournament when they make their catch.

The Hatteras Cup awards will be presented at the Miami Yacht Show in Miami, Fla., in February 2020.

“Last year’s Inaugural Hatteras Cup was a great success with 245 anglers competing across the globe,” said Hatteras Yachts President and CEO Kelly Grindle. “We are looking forward to even more owners, anglers and teams to participate this year and compete for prize  money, as well as bragging rights for themselves and their boats..”

The tournament is easy to enter—just visit hatterasyachts.com/hatterascup.

The 2019 Hatteras Cup Divisions and prizes are as follows:

ATLANTIC BLUE MARLIN
Place Prize Official Tournament Entry Required
Grand Prize – Exceeding current IGFA World Record Weight (per Hatteras Cup rules) $1,000,000 Yes
Or – First $50,000 Yes
CATCH & RELEASE – MULTI-SPECIES
Place Prize Official Tournament Entry Required
First $10,000 No
Second $7,500 No
Third $5,000 No
GAME FISH – TUNA – ALL SPECIES
Place Prize Official Tournament Entry Required
First $5,000 No
Second $2,500 No
Third $1,000 No
GAME FISH – WAHOO
Place Prize Official Tournament Entry Required
First $5,000 No
Second $2,500 No
Third $1,000 No
GAME FISH – DOLPHIN
Place Prize Official Tournament Entry Required
First $5,000 No
Second $2,500 No
Third $1,000 No
GAME FISH – SNAPPER – ALL SPECIES
Place Prize Official Tournament Entry Required
First $5,000 No
Second $2,500 No
Third $1,000 No
GAME FISH – GROUPER – ALL SPECIES
Place Prize Official Tournament Entry Required
First $5,000 No
Second $2,500 No
Third $1,000 No