InTheBite

Champion’s Cup and COTY Winners

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breathe easy

Three divisions down, two to go. As the year is wrapping up, so is the Champion’s Cup and Captain of the Year sanctioned tournaments. Already, Capt. Shane O’Brien and the Wild Hooker team have taken first place for the Hawaii Division Most Points as well as Hawaii Largest Blue for their 600.5-pound marlin. This also give O’Brien the win for the Captain of the Year Hawaii Division. Over in the Gulf the Breathe Easy team with Capt. Patrick Ivie kept their first place spot for Largest Gulf Blue with an MBGFC tournament win reeling in a 584.2-pound marlin. Like O’Brien, Ivie also took home first for the COTY division as well.  [Read more…]

To Kill or Not to Kill

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a marlin at a kill tournament

By Captain Kevin Deerman

Over the last couple of decades there have been some great debates between tournament committees, competitors and conservationists on whether kill tournaments are good or bad for our sport. Although recreational anglers are legally allowed to harvest billfish, post a photo of your crew with a dead marlin on Instagram and get ready for the keyboard warriors to attack. The truth of the matter is that many of the teams you see bringing fish to the scales probably release over 99 percent of the billfish that they catch.

[Read more…]

Returning to Normal in Marsh Harbour Bahamas

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Abaco Beach Resort Marina

By Dale Wills

I recently returned from a visit to Marsh Harbour, Bahamas for the Production vs. Custom Shootout run by legend Skip Smith. This was my first time returning to the islands since Dorian devastated the Abacos in September 2019. I stayed at the Abaco Beach Resort and the marina looks better today than it ever did. The new tournament scale is awesome and I’d bet a giant sea monster couldn’t tear it down as it is now made from steel beams. If only that precious ground under the scale could talk. I have fond memories of big marlin and boats backing under it to celebrate.

[Read more…]

Meet the Champion’s Cup Players: 80′ Viking Krazy Salts

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We stopped by the harbor to check in with the Krazy Salts team to talk a little bit about their boat, their upcoming fishing schedule and life on an 80-foot Viking. The Krazy Salts team is entered into the 2021 InTheBite Champion’s Cup within the following divisions:

• East Division – Largest Blue Marlin / Largest White Marlin

• Champion’s Cup Combined Divisions Overall Largest Blue Marlin

The Extremes of Tournament Fishing

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boats running

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.

[Read more…]

Champion’s Cup, Captain of the Year Updates

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jumping sailfish

We’ve got a short intermission before the next round of sanctioned tournaments kick off and the Champion’s Cup is gearing up for another couple of weeks of tough competition. Currently, 13 teams are fighting for the top prize among the Florida, Gulf Coast, East Coast, International and Hawaii Divisions. Check out the competition below, and if you feel like you’re up for a challenge, register now.*

Current Champion’s Cup Team Lineup:

  • BAR South
    60′ Spencer
  • Lo Que Sea
    58′ Paul Mann
  • FLORIDIAN
    60′ SPORTSMAN
  • LUNATICO (Effie May)
    63′ Titan
  • LUNATICO2
    42′ Invincible
  • FINS UP
    54′ Bertram
  • Fish Tank
    65′ Hatteras
  • Krazy Salts
    80′ Viking
  • Wild Hooker
    68′ Blackwell
  • Lucky Dog
    57′ Bayliss
  • Eight Eights
    72′ Viking
  • Uno Mas
    77′ Mark Willis
  • You Never Know!
    72′ F & S

Winning a coveted Captain of the Year Cup is worth far more than any amount of money you could attain for the victory and this longstanding tradition will still be presented independently of the Champion’s Cup. However, we thought it would be nice to reward the rest of the fleet with new opportunities to win some extra cash.

Click the links below for additional information on each division or click here to register for an event.

Upcoming Captain of the Year Sanctioned Tournaments:

  • February 17 – February 21
    Sailfish Challenge, 2nd Leg of the “Quest for the Crest” Series
  • February 24 – February 27
    Los Sueños Signature Billfish Series, Leg 2
  • February 28 – March 4
    The Masters Angling Tournament
  • March 2 – March 6 
    Jimmy Johnson’s Quest for the Ring
  • March 12 – March 13
    Quepos Billfish Cup
  • March 17 – March 20
    Los Sueños Signature Billfish Series, Leg 3
  • March 18 – March 20
    Marina Casa de Campo Open

*Teams should register one month prior to their next division tournament in order for InthBite to process all the boat’s information.

Palm Beach Inlet Boat Gallery

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InTheBite Champions Cup Logo

     InTheBite’s New Sportfishing Tournament Series        is open for registration. 5 Divisions | Over 90 Events  East Coast | Gulf Coast | International | Hawaii | Florida

 

January 16, 2021—Check out the gallery of some of the finest sportfishing teams returning to Palm Beach inlet. Most of the vessels are competing in the Operation Sailfish tournament. Scroll to the bottom for a new video showcasing the incredible speed of these modern-day machines as they return from the competition. 

[Read more…]

Kona’s Capt. Shane O’Brien: $2.7 Million in Tournament Winnings at Age 30

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By Charlie Levine
Multigenerational fishing families run deep in Kona, Hawaii. The Big Island breeds good fishermen because the well-worn skills are handed down from captain to son (or daughter). Once inherited, fishing ability is modified, improved upon – rinsed and repeated. Thirty-year-old Captain Shane O’Brien is definitely part of that tradition.

[Read more…]

Splash Report: Hatteras 45 Express Sportfish

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bow of boat splashing water

Engineered for the angler who demands more, the 45EX Sportfish offers the legendary Hatteras experience in a versatile Express edition. Outfitted to be an imposing, yet nimble tournament-style force on the water, the 45EX offers outriggers, an arsenal of amenities and the choice of tower/bridge options. The vessel combines a spacious platform for entertainment, with many its many fishing attributes and functionalities.

Hatteras 45EX running in rough ocean water Hatteras 45EX galley

SPECIFICATIONS

  • LOA: 44’7″
  • Beam: 16’6″
  • Draft (with Props): 4’0″
  • Standard Engines (additional options available): Twin Cat C-12A Diesel Engines (715 MHP / 705 BHP each)
  • Fuel Capacity: 800 gal
  • Freshwater Capacity: 100 gal
  • Weight Displacement: 49,700 lbs.
  • www.hatterasyachts.com