Boat Division 2008 Viking
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Contender
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Sea Vee
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Sea Hunter
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Conch
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Motor Division 2008
President’s Cup Kona Blue Trophy by Geoffrey Smith www.geoffreysmith.com
Caterpillar
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MTU/Detroit Diesel
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MAN
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Yamaha
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Mercury
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This award is presented annually to the top boat and motor manufacturing companies based on performance in over 70 tournaments on the WBS World Tour. The current standings are presented above.
T A B L E
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On the Cover The Fort Lauderdale Billfish Tournament. Photo by Robbie Carter.
Departments 7
Editor’s Message
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Upcoming Event Calendar
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Industry News
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Caught On The WBS World Tour
Destination 18
Destination: Vanuatu
Tournament Tales 28
Fort Lauderdale Billfish Tournament This ever-popular event underwent a facelift this year, placing emphasis on spectators as well as participants.
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Capt. Bob Lewis Billfish Challenge Inspired by a kite-fishing pioneer, this annual event continues the legacy of cameraderie and community service.
Angler Profiles
Inside the WBS
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Matthew Jackson
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Drew Tyler
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2008 Standings
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Ritchie Allen
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2008 World Tour Schedule
“Supporting Tournament Fishing, Now and Forever” Billfishing Magazine
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SERENADE Dual Time and Light Zones, Automatic. 18K Rose Gold. Movement: Patented GV- AOASE. Louisiana Crocodile. Limited Edition: 50 Pieces www.gevril.com
E D I T O R ’ S
FROM THE WBS
M E S S A G E
As we move through spring and prepare for a busy summer season, we’ve got some great new developments on the horizon that I’d like to share with you. First, please join us in welcoming Blue Water Shirt Club as the newest sponsor of the WBS World Tour. Founded by brothers Chris and Jason Lynch of Florence, South Carolina, Blue Water has experienced significant growth in the billfishing marketplace in the last several years and is poised to really come on strong in the next season or two. They offer a full range of customer services, from custom embroidery to screenprinting and much more. For more information, give them a call at 800-990-8337 or visit www.bluewatershirtclub.com and be sure to mention that you’re a WBS member. We’re also aggressively expanding the WBS World Tour this season to include new events in St. Thomas, El Salvador and Costa Rica as well as several new tournaments in Florida and the Mid-Atlantic region as well. We anticipate this being our busiest season yet, with eight geographic divisions and over 70 events on the World Tour. The season will culminate with the WBS Grand Championships, to be held in Los Sueños, Costa Rica December 3-6, 2008. We expect this event to reach maximum capacity quickly so qualified anglers should contact our offices to reserve their spaces. Several divisions are set to kick off in the coming weeks so it will be interesting to watch the divisional races to see which anglers will rise to the top. Divisional winners will once again receive a beautiful bronze marlin trophy as well as a five-year automatic qualifying exemption for the Grand Championships so be sure to check out our website at www.fishWBS.com for more information. Good luck this season, see you on the docks soon,
BILLFISHING
®
The Official Monthly Publication of the WBS Volume 8 No. 3, March 2008
Published monthly by SportsUSA Group, Inc 112 Pinellas Bayway Tierra Verde, Florida 33715 phone: (727) 864-4400 fax: (727) 867-1149 email: info@fishwbs.com
President & CEO James R. Simons Editor-in-Chief Sam White Creative Director Linda Fisher-Morgan Director of Marketing & Communications Kathryn Chappetto Senior Account Executive Anthony Mendillo Account Executive Robbie Carter Administrative Director Jana E. Simons Destinations Editor Jeff Merrill
Sam White World Billfish Series
Upcoming Events
April 12 - 14 Presidential Challenge of Costa Rica April 13 - 18 BBC Central Abaco Championship April 23 - 26 Cancun Billfish Classic April 27 - May 2 BBC Marsh Harbour Championship May 11 - 16 BBC Harbour Island May 12 - 16 Puerto Los Cabos Billfish Classic May 23 - 26 Mobile BGFC Memorial Day Tourn. May 26 - 30 Boat Harbour Billfish Blast Order the WBS Tournament Calendar at www.FishWBS.com.
Special Contributors Bailey Bobbitt David A. Brown Jacqueline Caspari Peter Caspari Laurie Ciecierski Bart K. Davis Capt. Rob Ellyn Brenda Fletcher Rick Gaffney Greg Gawlikoski Scott Kerrigan
Marty Locke Heather Maxwell Kitty McGowan Jim Niemiec Bruce Paul John E. Phillips Walt Rhodes Capt. Jim Sharpe Tom Twyford Capt. Joan Vernon Eric West
Special Thanks to: All the companies, associations and individuals who give back to the sport of billfishing so that future generations can enjoy one of America’s favorite pastimes. Copyright © 2008, SportsUSA Group, Inc.
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I N D U S T R Y
N E W S
MARINA PEZ VELA CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
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ituated along the spectacular coastline of Quepos, Costa Rica and featuring direct access to some of the world’s best sportfishing, development of Costa Rica’s newest world-class destination, Marina Pez Vela, is fully underway. Scheduled to open in late 2008, the marina project is the vision of sportfishing enthusiast Harold Lovelady. Harold and colleague John Kane have teamed up with the world-renowned marina contractor Bellingham Marine to deliver a truly state-of-the-art marina, which is expected to open up thousands of miles of open ocean to anglers and trans-oceanic travelers.
Quepos has long been regarded as a fishing haven but access to the region’s famed grounds has been difficult to impossible, as boating facilities and services in the region are extremely limited. Marina Pez Vela will provide a safe haven for boats as well as a fully-staffed maintenance facility. “We are confident that this project will satisfy the tremendous demand for marina services in the region which have gone largely unmet until now,” said Lovelady.
secure moorage. The first phase of construction includes 100 slips accommodating yachts up to 200 feet in length. Slip-side services include telephone, cable television, high-speed Internet service, fresh water and electrical hook-ups. High-speed fuel pumps, septic pump-out and dockside concierge services will also be available onsite. The marina will be built with an emphasis on environmental protection a For more information, please visit www.marinapezvela.com.
The 300-slip marina will feature extra-wide modern concrete floating docks to allow easy access via golf cart as well as the safe loading of passengers and equipment and
COSTA DEL MAR INTRODUCES NEW LINES
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osta Del Mar, the company that changed the way people see the world outdoors, kicks its sunglass performance technology into even higher gear with two new coinjected models: Blackfin and Permit.
Perhaps the most unique part about both Blackfin and Permit is Costa Del Mar’s signature co-injected Hydrolite® rubberized composite compound found lining the sunglasses from one temple tip to the other, as well as the nose pads. The hypoallergenic, lightweight material is naturally adhesive, giving the sunglasses superior fit and grip properties, no matter how extreme the wearer’s adventure becomes. Besides the no-slip, comfort fit Hydrolite lining, Blackfin and Permit feature a more aggressive, contemporary large eye frame shape. Each touts flexible stainless steel integral hinges and wire core designed to fit the consumer perfectly, providing
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comfort and stability all day, every day. Permit, similar to Costa Del Mar’s Fathom sunglasses, offers innovative side venting in the frame. Both Blackfin and Permit are available in
nylon frame colors shiny tortoise, matte black and gunmetal, and come in the full array of Costa Del Mar’s 100 percent polarized CR-39 and glass lens technology, including COSTA 400 and the patented 580 mirror and non-mirror options. “Blackfin and Permit are serious performance sunglasses for today’s extreme adventurers,” said Chas MacDonald, president of Costa Del Mar sunglasses. “Whether you’re skiing black diamonds,
shredding waves or catching the big one, Blackfin and Permit have built-in enhancements, like the Hydrolite lining, to let the wearer experience the adventure in a whole new way–and look great while doing it.”
The new sunglasses join other co-injected perennial best sellers from Costa Del Mar, including Fathom, Brine, Stringer, and the new ‘birds of prey’ line featuring Man-o’-War. Available in February, Blackfin and Permit will retail from between $139 to $239. For more information, please visit www.costadelmar.com.
I N D U S T R Y
N E W S
BLUE WATER SHIRT CLUB JOINS WORLD TOUR SPONSORS
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he World Billfish Series is excited to welcome Blue Water Shirt Club as a sponsor of the 2008 WBS World Tour. Blue Water will now be the exclusive WBS provider of quality apparel while serving as the preferred Tour vendor for all WBS events worldwide.
ognized as a T-Shirt of the Month Club catering to offshore enthusiasts, Blue Water Shirt Club has steadily gained a strong reputation over the past five years for providing custom quality screenprinted t-shirts to an ever-increasing worldwide clientele. Chris Lynch, president and founder of Blue Water Shirt Club, said, “As our membership base has grown, so has our overall involvement in the offshore and billfishing industries. We love our positioning in these industries and are very excited about our new relationship with the World Billfish Series.” Jim Simons, president of the WBS, added, “We’re extremely pleased to have Blue Water join our World Tour. The future is very bright this year and adding a respected company like Blue Water will greatly enhance our in-house merchandising capabilities. We look forward to working closely with Blue Water to ensure our mutual success in this venture.”
Located in Florence, South Carolina, Blue Water Shirt Club is the shared passion of brothers Chris and Jason Lynch. Originally rec-
CARLSON NAMED CEO OF PURE FISHING
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edicated angler and accomplished business leader Terry Carlson was recently named to the newly created role of president and CEO of Pure Fishing, where he will oversee the Pure Fishing brands including Berkley, Penn, Shakespeare, Abu Garcia, Fenwick, Mitchell, Stren, Pflueger, All-Star Rods and others. Carlson takes over for acting president Tom Bedell.
Carlson comes to Pure Fishing from Raymarine, Inc, an industry leader in marine products, where he served as CEO of the company’s Americas business and was responsible for worldwide global product management and strategy. Prior to Raymarine, Carlson held senior management positions at Black & Decker, Polaroid and Emerson Electric. “Terry’s background in the marine industry and experience with similar markets and customers served by Pure Fishing’s uniquely positions him to be the ideal person to take the reins of the ‘new’ Pure Fishing,” said Bedell. “He’s a dynamic leader with a solid character based on values that match those of Pure Fishing. I couldn’t be more thrilled that Terry has embraced this opportunity.” Carlson added, “Being named the leader of the world’s largest and strongest fishing tackle company is a great honor that comes with great responsibility. This is a responsibility that I take very seriously. I look forward to getting out in the coming weeks to meet with our customers, key opinion leaders and consumers and to build relationships that move not only our company forward but the industry as well, doing this with high integrity andmutual respect.”
For more information on Blue Water Shirt Club, please visit www.bluewatershirtclub.com or call 843-679-0045.
CABO YACHTS NAMES NEW REGIONAL SALES MANAGER
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abo Yachts, one of the world's top builders of sportfishing boats, recently announced that Jenny Brueske has been promoted to regional sales manager. Brueske, who has been with Cabo for more than ten years, will be responsible for managing the relationships with the central and western domestic dealers for Cabo as well as a number of international dealers. She will also take on several new internal sales department functions. Most recently, Brueske was an assistant sales manager, handling everything from dealer support to boat show coordination and advertising development. "Jenny is uniquely qualified for her new role, bringing more than a decade of sales and marketing experience at Cabo Yachts to the position," commented Jim Renfrow, vice president of sales and marketing at Cabo Yachts. "Jenny has been an important part of our sales and marketing team since Cabo's early days when the department was made up of only two employees. She possesses an indepth knowledge of our company and the brand." For more information, please visit www.caboyachts.com.
For more information, please visit www.purefishing.com. Billfishing Magazine
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WELCOME TO UNCHARTED TERRITORY.
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VERADO ® IS YOUR MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE. At cruise, Verado 150 hp delivers up to 26% more mpg than Suzuki® 150 hp and up to 43% more mpg than Evinrude® 150 hp E-TEC.®
300 hp 275 hp 250 hp 225 hp 200 hp 175 hp
MERCURY ® VERADO
SUZUKI
EVINRUDE
VERADO DELIVERS UP TO 26% MORE mpg THAN SUZUKI
VERADO DELIVERS UP TO 43% MORE mpg THAN EVINRUDE E-TEC
150 hp 135 hp
SEE MORE TESTS AT MercuryMarine.com
When it comes to fuel efficiency, Mercury breaks all the rules. Check out the Mercury Range Plus Powertrain, which delivers unsurpassed fuel economy and lets you go farther and stay longer for less. During five years of ownership, you could save as much
as $2500 with the fuel-efficient Verado compared to other engines. If you want to spend less at the pump and more time on the water,
look deeper at MercuryMarine.com.
www.FishWBS.com Source: Tests conducted by Mercury Marine – May 2007. Test conducted on a 17’ aluminum fishing boat using a new Mercury Verado 150 hp FourStroke, Evinrude 150 hp E-TEC, Suzuki 150 hp EFI four-stroke and a Honda® 150 hp EFI four-stroke. © 2008 MERCURY MARINE. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. E-TEC is a registered trademark of BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. Evinrude is a registered trademark of Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. Honda is a registered trademark of Honda Motor Co. Ltd. Suzuki is a registered trademark of Suzuki Motor Corporation. All other trademarks belong to the Brunswick Corporation.
Enter the "Caught on the WBS World Tour" contest and win a new pair of Costa Del Mar sunglasses! 3
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D0 you recognize anybody in the “Caught On WBS Tour” photo gallery? 6
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caught on tour the place to see your face 10
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Win a new pair of Costa Del Mar sunglasses! See page 15 for more on the “Caught On WBS Tour� Contest.
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Congratulations to our most recent contest winners: Corkie Greenley — Mears, MI Chris Lepping — Collegetown PA Peter Franks — Miami, FL
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The WBS Anglers Club member who correctly identifies the most people on pages 12, 13 and 15 by April 29, 2008 will win a pair of Costa Del Mar sunglasses. Send your entries—including photo number, names of individuals in photo, tournament name, and magazine issue—to sam@fishwbs.com, fax to 727-869-1149 or mail to 112 Pinellas Bayway, Tierra Verde, FL 33715. Please include your name, address, phone number and e-mail address. Fax, e-mail or mail entries only. Entries will be judged on individual identification first, tournament identification second. Any ties will be decided by time and date of entry.
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Story & Photos by Alistair McGlashan he strike was typical of a blue marlin: sudden and explosive. One moment the hookless lure trailed along in the wake, then the next it simply disappeared. The mate burst to life, cranking in the teaser rod, the lure creating an exaggerated smoke trail in the process. At the same time, the angler fed a pitch bait over the side and free-spooled it back. The teaser had almost completed its journey back to the boat when suddenly the bill and shoulders of one very irate blue marlin came crashing down on top of it. The hookless lure vanished and the mate clung desperately to the bucking rod before finally wrenching the fish’s meal away. Winding madly he ripped the lure back to the boat with the marlin in hot pursuit. Seizing the opportunity, the angler started skipping his pitch bait on the surface right under the marlin’s snout. The fish switched over immediately and was on the bait in a flash. With an awesome
Marlin concentrations are higher in Vanuatu than in most of the surrounding waters, due to the ocean’s topography and corresponding schools of tuna.
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strike the line sprang tight—we were on! Seconds later we found ourselves losing line as the rampaging blue headed for the horizon at full speed. At around 350 pounds it wasn’t a huge fish, but on 50-pound standup tackle she was putting on a good show. Twenty minutes later, after a spectacular aerial display and a lot of black smoke from the diesels, we were finally on top of the fish and quickly wired it for a proper release. An hour later we were hooked up again, but this time it turned out to be a huge wahoo. The striped speedster wasn’t quite as lucky as the marlin and was added to the evening’s menu. The Republic of Vanuatu comprises roughly 40 islands and islets that cover several thousand square miles of ocean. Located between Australia and Fiji, the islands of Vanuatu are simply the tips of a submerged volcanic ridge. Smothered in lush rainforest, these islands stand out in stark contrast to the surrounding cobalt blue waters.
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Year Round Fishing The South Pacific is dotted with numerous tropical islands, all of which offer reason-able billfishing. However, the jewel in the crown is undoubtedly Vanuatu. A combination of reliable ocean currents, deep water and plentiful food make for great fishing throughout the year in Vanuatu’s waters. Six species of billfish, yellowfin and dogtooth tuna, mahi mahi, huge trevally and hordes of wahoo are all common. Blue marlin are particularly prevalent and, although present all year, they are at their peak between September and June.
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Varying in size, from just a hundred pounds to more than a thousand, many anglers believe it may be a spawning area for the species. On good days, one can expect as many as a dozen shots in a day, while on a quiet day anglers will see just one or two fish. Black marlin are common here as well, particularly from January to July, and tend to be big fish ranging from 300 to 500 pounds. Ironically, they are usually caught by accident when boats are targeting sailfish closer to shore. Despite the warm water temperatures, striped marlin also make a brief visit during the cooler winter, which equates to August through to October in this part of the
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world. Some surprisingly large stripes have been caught, with the Vanuatu record pulling the scales down to more than 400 pounds. Swordfish are also surprisingly common in the Vanuatu island chain. Nevagivup, one of the more successful gameboats, helped pioneer night trolling here, and has tallied up a number of swordfish captures including two in one night. Although generally small in size (less than 200 pounds) skipper Charles Wheeler expects that there are bigger fish to be had. It is simply a matter of time. Sailfish are also common, especially from March through to November, and can
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be found within casting distance from shore. In fact, they are regularly caught in the entrance to Port Villa right in front of the resorts, barely five minutes from the charter boat wharf. Even the rare spearfish are caught with impressive regularity. This is all good news for anglers keen on catching a billfish grand slam.
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Billfish aren’t the only attraction. Ravenous schools of tasty yellowfin tuna (left) and good-sized wahoo (below) are also found in these same waters. It’s truly a paradise for the bluewater angler.
Vanuatu is a great choice for anglers keen on catching a billfish grand slam. Billfish aside, anglers can be distracted by a wide range of other species, especially wahoo and yellowfin tuna. These can be in plague proportions at times. Troll around the many seamounts or ridges and you are sure to find wahoo by the boatload. At times they stack up in incredible numbers, offering non-stop action. When you consider the fact that most anglers use 20-pound spinning tackle for these oceanic speed demons, which average 30 to 50 pounds, you can bet you will be in for a bit of fun! Yellowfin tuna vary in size, from barely a pound up to 200-pounders. Smaller tuna are regularly caught while trolling for billfish. The larger ones are picked up by fishing live baits deep down around the fish aggregating devices, known as FADs. Finally, casting poppers around the rocky headlands is a great way to excite the local trevally (a member of the jack family). Getting a bite from these fish is easy, although landing them amid such rugged territory is another story.
Sheltered Waters One of the most productive marlin grounds is found at the northern end of Efate, about a half-hour run up the coast from the capital of Port Villa, which houses the gamefishing fleet. With the thousandfathom curve swinging right in to within a mile of shore, there is little need to travel far out to sea. What makes these grounds
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all the more appealing is that the area is completely protected from the prevailing southeast tradewinds. Howling from July to September, the tradewinds can make conditions uncomfortable, but being protected by Efate’s towering peaks, the waters on the marlin grounds are usually dead flat.
There is a huge natural harbor on the coast directly inside the fishing grounds.
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Incidentally, there is a huge natural harbor on the coast directly inside the fishing grounds. Known as Havana Harbour, it provided a protected anchorage for most of the U.S. Navy prior to the historic battle of the Coral Sea during World War II. Further offshore there are numerous seamounts and ridges, all of which can really fire up at times. One of the better spots is a series of seamounts that rise up hundreds of fathoms almost to within sight of the surface. Often plagued with tuna and wahoo, there is also some good marlin fishing off the edge in the deeper water. It’s also worth mentioning that this is one of the hot spots for swordfish.
Live-Aboard Option The main fishing grounds barely cover five percent of Vanuatu’s waters, so although all gamefishing operations are based in the capital of Port Villa, they regularly embark on long-range excursions to explore the remote outer islands.
South Pacific Anglers One of the best gamefishing operations in Vanuatu is South Pacific Anglers. Operating two fullyequipped gameboats and rumors of a third on the way, SPA plans to open up Vanuatu’s 12-month billfish season to international anglers. The crews and captains are some of the most experienced in the world and have tallied up many world records including light-tackle and fly gear. They aren’t in the job for the money—they simply love the sport, which makes them all the more enjoyable to fish with. If you are thinking about somewhere new to fish, you should head Down Under and check it out. You will have the pleasure of fishing with some of the best in the business, so check them out at www.southpacificanglers.com or you can contact Dean Butler at dbsportfish@ozemail.com.
Volcanoes draped in thick rainforest provide an amazing backdrop for visiting anglers. The thosuand-fathom curve swings to within one mile of shore here.
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Some of the better charter boats like Nevagivup work in conjunction with larger boats, like the 43-foot Kahuna, when they do long range live-aboards. This allows anglers to fish from one boat and to sleep aboard the other. Adding an extra element of comfort makes fishing remote waters all the more pleasurable. The sparsely populated islands north of Port Villa are rich in aquatic life and as of yet are mostly unexplored. Anglers keen on fishing these waters need a sense of adventure and should also be prepared to rough it a bit because there are no resorts or marinas, just little villages where the only form of transportation is by canoe. However, the rewards can be outstanding and well worth the effort.
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Attractions Abound With an ideal climate and an average temperature of between 70 and 80 degrees, it is impossible not to relax in Vanuatu. It is this idyllic location that is good news for those not interested in offshore adventure. Port Villa has numerous hotels and resorts, many of which are situated on small, secluded islets only accessible by boat. There are a number of restaurants that offer some great seafood with a touch of French flair. One of the better places is the Waterfront Bar, which happens to be where all the gameboats moor at the end of the day, making it the perfect spot to enjoy a few well-deserved beers. I have spent many an evening enjoying fresh-caught wahoo
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steaks washed down with more than a few drinks while looking out over the harbor. There are certainly worse ways to end a day on the water. For those that don’t just want to fish, there are a host of other activities here, from lying on the sandy beaches to visiting the local markets, where merchants offer everything from fresh fruits to native clothing. Diving is also very popular, with numerous coral reefs and ledges to explore. The biggest attraction for undersea explorers is the many shipwrecks from World War II, both American and Japanese, that litter the waters surrounding these islands. Avid wreck divers will find plenty of opportunities here. Vanuatu is the hidden jewel of the South Pacific. Not only is it a magical destination, but it also offers some of the most consistent blue marlin fishing in the region. And the fact that much of the area remains unexplored makes it all the more enticing for the traveling angler who is interested in a bit of adventure well off the beaten path.
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Getting there Vanuatu enjoys regular flights from most Australian East Coast cities as well as Auckland in New Zealand. The flight time is about three hours. There are seven-day travel packages from Australia, which include accommodation and return flights, from as little as $600US. The only downside is you have to get to Australia or New Zealand first!
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Phot os by Andr es W allace
Ft. Lauderdale Billfish Tournament Ft. Lauderdale, Florida www.lauderdalebillfish.com
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Ft. Lauderdale Billfish Tournament
Fishing, Food and Fun in Ft. Lauderdale By Mark Constantino
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he Five Days of Sea and Ft. Lauderdale Billfish Tournament registration kicked off on Wednesday February 27th at Las Olas Marina with gusts of wind and a chill in the air. The five day festival and tournament began with tents, a giant inflatable fish slide for the kids, a full stage for the entertainment, and a packed parking lot visible from the Las Olas Boulevard Bridge. Jimmy Stowe and and rules,” comthe Stowaways set the mented Strauss. atmosphere with classic Jimmy Buffet and Caribbean tunes that are a staple at any South Florida Festival. As soon as the gates opened, anglers poured through the door with the public close behind in anticipation of the captain’s meeting and the headliner for the evening, Rick Derringer. The event was finally off to a start and the stage was cleared for the captain’s meeting. Many of the changes in the rules were questioned and discussed well in advance of the start of the tournament, so there was clarity in all of the additions this year. The overall sense was that the changes, particularly, the fishing boundaries, were welcome. The enthusiasm of the anglers participating in the One Day Slam was evident with the amount of reassurance that was offered by the Fort Lauderdale Billfish Tournament President, Jamie Strauss. “Many of the teams needed the reassurance that they were within the guidelines
Registration for the Marine Industries Association of South Florida’s One Day Slam was at an all time high, with 55 boats entering. Many were first-time tournament teams that were obviously nervous and excited. The goal of the One Day Slam is to offer the weekend fisherman and families a tournament with prize money that is well within reach to win. The prize structure was set up with the heaviest in the species of dolphin, wahoo, kingfish and tuna winning $5,000 each. There was also a sailfish category paying $5,000 for the most release points at 300 points per release. The winners this year were Bonnie & Clyde for the largest dolphin weighing in at 27.6 pounds, Shutter Up for the largest kingfish weighing in at 40.3 pounds and
This year, the Ft. Lauderdale Billfish Tournament underwent some significant changes with a revamped schedule of events and a stronger focus on dockside entertainment while still providing one of the finest sportfishing tournaments in the Southeast. More Magic taking the overall Sailfish Division with 1200 release points, releasing four fish. No tuna or wahoo were weighed this year. The anglers had a challenging day of fishing on Saturday with a very quiet morning. The bite picked up in the afternoon with 33 sailfish releases and some big kingfish boated. The HMY Yacht Sales Three Day Classic saw the top names in the sport participating in a winner take-all tournament. With the major increase of anglers participating in the one day, it is evident that anglers like the shorter fishing hours and higher payouts. Watch for the three day classic to evolve in the coming years based on the comments and suggestions of the South Florida tournament teams. The FLBT recognizes the importance of feedback and will listen to ensure the continued growth of the Classic. The teams collectively decided to make the purse a winner take all, with a modest prize for the second place boat. The top boat was Catch One releasing 15 fish with 4500 points and earning $20,000. The venue was significantly changed Billfishing Magazine
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Ft. Lauderdale Billfish Tournament rotation of the tournament results, all in attendance were provided a culinary feast abundant in both the Dewalt Angler Tent and The XM Café with choices ranging from seared tuna to prime rib, specialty pizza to individually netted clam bakes and much more. Over 25 vendors with unique wares ranging from custom candles to stainless steel sculptures to artwork created the Market. The Kids Paradise was a tremendous hit with the inflatable 35-foot fish slide, virtual wave runner, mechanical surfboard, sand art, and many other electronic games and activities. There was full concert stage, sound and lighting for the music festival that allowed the music and lights to be seen and heard from the Las Olas Bridge and the beach. Mark Wodlinger was awarded the Top Angler award. this year with not one, but two separate tents for dining and drinks. Each of the tents was equipped with at least one TV for constant feed of current tournament standings, alternating with live feed from the bands on the stage. It was the first year the tournament incorporated a video production crew, which enhanced the tournament by providing streaming live feed from the entire event. All musical performances and footage from the weigh station can be found on the tournament website at www.lauderdalebillfish.com. While watching the live feed and the
The entertainment line-up was incredible, and there was not a dull moment from the time the gates opened each day until their close. The music was virtually non-stop from Wednesday through Sunday. Acts included Blue Fire, Amber Leigh and Out N the Cold on Friday for the Hot Kicked-Up Country theme for the day. Saturday continued with the excitement of Rock, Roll, Rev It Up! and performances by Rythmation, Hep Cat Boo Daddies and Pat Travers. Sunday offered a tremendous close to the event with Cookin’ It Up In The Tropics and performances from Hot Brass Monkey, The Kasim Sulton Band and Bill “The Sauceboss” Wharton. Local and national acts provided top of the line music and entertainment for the event just
The Florida Marlin joined in the fun of this family friendly event. the same, with constant energy from the crowd throughout the week. Plans are already on the table for next year’s event scheduled for February 26th through March 1st, 2009. “The structure, the support of all of the sponsors that made this year happen, and the strong affiliation and commitment between U. S. Recreational Alliance and The Marine Industries Association of South Florida, will make this event a South Florida favorite for years to come,” stated Mark Constantino, the event director from U.S. Recreational Alliance. For more information, visit
Take A Kid Fishing all of the members of that group that have worked so hard to keep this fishing trip a success. The Fort Lauderdale Mariners Club will be taking the torch this year, with their gracious sponsorship of the 2008 event. The Boys & Girls Clubs of America and The City of Fort Lauderdale’s Parks and Recreation Department will recruit the anglers for the 2008 Kids Fishing Day. Kids will receive a tournament T-shirt, trophies and lunch when they return from the day’s fishing. Other activities are planned for a full day of enjoyment for all of the kids and their families. A primary goal of the Fort Lauderdale Billfish Tournament is to introduce children and families to the joy of fishing and boating through a Kid’s Fishing Day. This event began in 2001 will continue in 2008. The Hunting and Fishing Rotarians of District 6990 have been the driving force behind this worthwhile cause, and The Marine Industries Association of South Florida and The Fort Lauderdale Billfish Tournament Board of Directors wish to thank
The Florida Marlins Community Foundation will be on hand to help out with the event. The Marlins Community Foundation will be the recipient of the funds raised at this year’s Silent Auction that will be held on Saturday, March 1st. The Boys & Girls Clubs of America is the official charity of the Florida Marlins and Major League Baseball.
Billfishing Magazine
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Photos by Gre g Gawli kowski at www .Endles simage ry.com
Captain Bob Lewis Billfish Challenge Miami, Florida www.billfishchallenge.com
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www.FishWBS.com
Captain Bob Lewis Billfish Challenge
Tradition, Conservation and Cameraderie By Capt. Ernie Portuondo
O
n Saturday morning, March 1st, the teams were met with good sailfish conditions as the fleet of 44 boats headed out to find their spot on the edge off the coast of Southeast Florida. In the days leading up to this year’s tournament, good numbers of feisty Atlantic sails had been spotted along the border of the Gulf Stream feeding on large schools of baitfish, so things looked good indeed for the gathered teams to get in on the action.
Gary Lawson’s Team Boat Center was out of the gates quickly with four fish in the morning—they would finish five for seven by day’s end. Team Advanced Roofing, captained by Mike Kornahrens, leading the outboard division, and Ovi Vento’s Rock Star, first in the inboard division, were tied for the overall lead with eight fish going into the final minutes of Day One. But the action was far from over. Any experienced tournament competitor will say that it’s not over until the final call for lines out is made—anything can happen in tournament fishing, and frequently it happens quickly. A familiar foe in the Miss Britt, captained by Jim Mulcahy and with
mate Jason Cartwright handling the cockpit duties, happened across a pod of tailing fish with just ten minutes until lines out. After getting releases on three of the last four fish they hooked, Miss Britt packed up from their southern fishing grounds and headed to the docks with their catch cards indicating they had nine fish and a slim overall lead by just one release. Day Two promised to be slightly more challenging with weather and timing, as the crews had only six hours of fishing
The 2008 Capt. Bob Lewis Billfish Challenge promised to be an exciting event for its 15th annual fishing classic from the very start, with several changes implemented to enhance angler and team competition and yet still keeping the heritage and camaraderie that the CBLBC is famous for. from lines in at 8 a.m. to lines out at 2 p.m. The shortened fishing times made it imperative that a team get on their fish in the morning and not waste time moving around too far during the day or they would risk spending all their precious fishing time running instead of having the lines in the water. Nevertheless, the crew of the Miss Britt, fishing south once again, managed to lead the field by scoring another seven releases for the overall win and a 16 fish, two-day total. Joe Turner, captaining the 4 Aces, worked their way up through the field to capture second place overall with a two day total of twelve fish and taking home Top Angler honors for WBS veteran angler Peter Adrian, who scored nine of the team’s releases. The Uptight had battled mechanical demons with an overheating transmission but was able to limp into the docks at 3:21, just before the 3:30 p.m. deadline. Their efforts were rewarded with Billfishing Magazine
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Captain Bob Lewis Billfish Challenge GIVING BACK TO THE SPORT The Capt. Bob Lewis Billfish Challenge reaches over a thousand children directly or indirectly every year. Activities funded, either entirely or partially, by the CBLBC include fishing and snorkeling trips, glass-bottom boat rides, educational tours and field trips to local marine environments, youth fishing clinics, summer camps to outdoor destinations and scholarships.
The First Place Outboard prize was awarded to Advanced Roofing. a third place overall finish. Team Rock Star edged out Advanced Roofing based on time for fourth place in overall division with ten sailfish releases each.
In addition, the tournament hosts the Capt. Bob Lewis Kid’s Fishing Challenge, an annual youth fishing tournament that’s free to the general pubic. In 2004, the tournament gave away over 1,000 rods and spinning reels to various organizations and children in South Florida. It is the tournament committee’s hope and dream to encourage the youth to be environmentally responsible, attentive to marine conservation issues and appreciative of the sport we all cherish.
In the Outboard Division, Team Advanced Roofing’s catch was followed by the Money Shot, also with ten sails released, but finishing in second place based on time. The third place outboard boat, Team Night Prowler, had seven releases but scored big with the tournament’s heaviest fun fish, a 50-pound dolphin caught by Daniel Uribe. Finishing fourth and fifth based on time were the Kite Hunter and Extra Expense, both of which also had seven releases for their two day total. Other notable winners included the Top Lady Angler, Paige Owens aboard the PRN II captained by her father Mike Owens. The tournament’s Top Junior Angler was David Mills with five releases, while the Top Amateur Boat belonged to KC Crook’s C&C. All in all, even with the slightly reduced field, the new tournament format allowed more boats to win more money than ever before in the tournament’s illustrious history. The awards ceremony was a great event that allowed true camaraderie that has made the CBLBC an event that is second to none. The Capt. Bob Lewis Billfish Challenge is a 501(c)3 not for profit tournament that benefits kids fishing and the environment. To learn more please visit www.billfishchallenge.com
The big winner of the day was Miss Britt with five top prizes.
The team aboard the Miss Britt took the top spot in the Inboard division and a prize worth $92,725.00.
Top Angler honors went to Peter Adrian. Billfishing Magazine
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Sponsor Profile - Blue Water Shirt Club
The Owners Chris and Jason Lynch
When spectators line the docks of a World Billfish Series event, they are immediately drawn to the passion and pride each angler, captain and crew carries with them. You can see it on their suntanned faces and most evidently on the shirts they wear. There are many who dream of catching a grander marlin but simply don’t have the means or finances to do so. Now with the help of the Blue Water Shirt Club, they can make your dreams a partial reality by wearing the same apparel these crews wear in remote fishing destinations around the world.
One of the multi shirt screen printing stations. 40
www.FishWBS.com
Located in Florence, South Carolina, Blue Water is the shared passion of brothers Chris and Jason Lynch. Blue Water has been designated a shirt of the month club for saltwater fisherman and boaters and T-shirt collectors who enjoy finding the most interesting, unique and creative T-shirts from around the saltwater fishing world.
Bringing On The Best Blue Water Shirt Club searches the globe to find the most appealing boating businesses and events. They add their designs to Blue Water’s prestigious collection of T-shirts. Sleek designs, great colors and custom-made products. If you could travel the world, Blue Water knows you would visit every cool marina and fish with every charter captain you could book, and afterward you would pick up a shirt to add to your personal collection. Problem is you likely don’t have the time or the finances to do it. So Blue Water has done it for you. Having a two-pronged attack, the club side focuses on getting shirts out to their monthly members. This is not a pre-print line of shirts. Blue Water features only one design each month, selected for its unique qualities and design. These are shirts that you would only be able to buy from the actual marina, bait shop or charter boat and some may even be from private boats. You simply won’t know until that package is delivered to your doorstep each month. In addition to the club, the second and more integral portion of Blue Water’s business is the screenprinting side of the company. In the beginning, Blue Water was strictly a screenprinter. Just recently, they’ve evolved the “shirt club” concept to expand their line. “We wanted to be the very best we could with developing and screenprinting quality shirts before we jumped into a club concept. We now feel out products have been proven, and are ready to be distributed in some new and exciting channels,” said Chris Lynch. With 73 events on the WBS World Tour slated for 2008, Blue Water brings a unique edge to the heavily packed marine sponsorship lineup. Throughout the 2008 WBS tournament schedule, it’s likely you’ll see Chris or Jason from Blue Water out on the docks with the anglers. This is an important stepping stone for the World Tour, as it has experienced significant growth over the past several years. Its focus has always been to surround the participants with the very best companies the marine industry offers. Blue Water offers a variety of services to accompany their screenprinting expertise. From custom embroidery to logo towels, Blue Water has the in-house capability to prepare your marine needs. “As we all know, fishing and boating enthusiasts enjoy a wide range of products from boat bags to key chains. Blue Water has the unique advantage of presenting all of these items to the anglers and captains alike,” said Lynch. The main focus of this partnership will be to bring the anglers, mates and captains the best in printed material. Blue Water has built a business on keeping this clientele happy in the local South Carolina community, and they now are poised to take on the much broader billfish and offshore charter industry. Join The Blue Water Shirt Club and collect a new T-shirt with a different design each month. There are no hidden fees and no length of membership required. Once Blue Water Shirt Club finds the winning design they print them on the highest quality T-shirt available. For more information, please visit www.bluewatershirtclub.com. Billfishing Magazine
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Matthew Jackson Profile Tournament Awards 2003 3rd Place Dolphin: Key West Marlin Tournament, FL Favorite Billfishing Location: “The big ones are way out in the deep blue of the northern Gulf of Mexico, and the sails are in the shallows around Key West. Either way, you’re going to have fun. As my father says, ‘A bad day of fishing is better than a day at the office.’” Favorite “Fun Fishing” Location: “The dolphin seemed to have moved to Louisiana, but Biloxi, Mississippi will always hold a special place in my heart next to Key West. I grew up fishing in the Keys so I will always think of that as my home waters.” Other Interests: “Medicine, SCUBA, hiking, canoeing, photography, technology and cooking.” Occupation: “Medical student—my B.E. is in Biomedical Engineering.” Thoughts on the Future of Sportfishing: “I’m glad to see people are realizing that we are not living in a world of endless resources. Circle hooks and fishing regulations will help us bring the sport back to where it was when my father was a child. The only think I think we need to work on is to not bring home so many small dolphin— they need a chance to grow up.”
I
started tournament fishing several years ago in the Key West Marlin Tournament and fish events throughout the Gulf Coast during the summer season, including the Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic, the Emerald Coast Classic at Sandestin and others.”
Favorite Fish Story: “If you haven’t figured it out yet, I love to fish for dolphin. They have always represented my opponent in the ocean. When I was in Islamorada at age 13 with my brother and father, we chartered a boat called the Hot Shot. My brother caught a wahoo and I landed a dolphin that was bigger than I was. The picture of that day hung in my father’s office for many years. A couple other great memories were the time I was captaining the boat from the tower while my father fought a blue marlin off the Gulf Coast that was so big it broke the swivel, and the summers of 2006 and 2007 that took me from the tip of Louisiana to the Turks that gave me a lifetime of fishing stories and time with my Dad that I’ll never forget.”
“Some of my most memorable days on the water would include a 60-pound dolphin caught off Islamorada in 1997, a 40-pounder off Biloxi the week before the tournament in 2007, catching white marlin off the Bahamas in the 1990s, sailfish in the Keys and many others. The one trip that really stands out was taking a boat from Ft. Lauderdale down to the Turks and Caicos with my father in the summer of 2006—we had a great time on that run.” “For tournament preparation, I try to break things down into steps. The first is to prefish, prerig and prepare—the more you can do before a tournament begins, the better prepared you’ll be once the fishing starts. I try to get a good night’s sleep the night before since we normally get an early start the next day. I also make sure I check our cameras (video, still and disposable), then just try to have fun during the event itself.”
Billfishing Magazine
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Drew Tyler Profile
Favorite Billfishing Location: “Kona Coast, Hawaii. The location itself is very beautiful, not to mention that it’s surrounded by some excellent marlin fishing. It’s almost always calm, the runs to the fishing grounds are very short and there are some big blues that swim in those waters.” Favorite “Fun Fishing” Location: “Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri for largemouth bass.” Other Interests: “University of Illinois athletics, waterskiing, music and spending time with my wife.” Occupation: “Sports promotions and sales.” Favorite Fish Story: “When I was in college I worked at a summer camp and taught a fishing class to the campers. Each one was given a youth-sized pole and corn for bait. One day I decided to go fishing with the campers, so I dropped my corn niblet down to the bottom and started reeling up when I got snagged on something. I slowly continued to reel up whatever I had snagged in hopes that I wouldn’t break the line. The next thing I know I’m staring into the mouth of the biggest catfish I had ever caught. I yelled at one of the campers to bring me a net when suddenly the two-pound test line snapped. It was literally ‘the one that got away.’”
I
began fishing competitively in 2001 and I average about one tournament a year. I’ve been told that I should stick to my day job so I mostly fish for enjoyment although I do enjoy the competition.” “When I was nine years old, I was the neighborhood champion when I hauled in 23 bluegill in 30 minutes from the local pond—my mother was not too happy with me when she found them all frozen in the freezer. More recently, my wife and I went shark fishing on our honeymoon. It was a thrill for me to see her catch her very first blacktip. But my most memorable experience would have to be catching my first Pacific blue marlin on Hawaii’s Kona Coast. I’ll never forget that one.” “On tournament days, I take a double shot of espresso and fill the cooler with energy drinks. Trust me, you can’t catch fish if you’re falling asleep on the boat all day. I really don’t have any other secrets, as I tend to do the same things as everyone else when it comes tournament day. Why reinvent the wheel, right?” “Television has made fishing a legitimate spectator sport. Fans are able to get up close and personal with the action. As ratings increase, sponsorship will grow and fishing will become a leader among professional sports, but if we don’t support conservation there won’t be any fish left for future generations to enjoy.”
Drew enjoys fishing for a wide variety of species, from Pacific blue marlin off Kona to largemouth bass and everything in between.
Billfishing Magazine
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Ritchie Allen Profile Tournament Awards 1988 1st Place: San Diego Marlin Club Junior Angler Tournament, CA Favorite Billfishing Location: “San Diego in the late summer for striped marlin and Cabo and Hawaii for blue marlin. Any of those places is hard to beat for billfishing.” Favorite “Fun Fishing” Location: “Offshore of San Diego chasing tuna or Cabo for all other species.” Other Interests: “Cooking. I collect cookbooks from all over the world. I also enjoy travel, preferably when there’s fishing involved.” Occupation: “I have a captain’s license so I’m available for boat deliveries, consulting, refit supervision and tournaments. During the tuna season I run a 48-foot sportfisher called Haven and fill in as second captain for a number of the short- and longrange boats out of San Diego.”
M
y first tournament was around 1988 when I fished the San Diego Marlin Club’s junior angler tournament with my sons Ryan and Travis on our 24foot boat. We got lucky and hooked up with a marlin—Ryan fought the fish while Travis held him in the chair. When we got to the dock I think the tournament director was happier than we were since it turns out it was the first junior angler marlin in many years. I fished a number of events in Catalina after that, then I heard that WBS World Champion Terry Tri, Dan Hart and Mike (the Beak) Hurt were looking for a team member, so I started fishing a few events in Cabo with them.”
Favorite Fish Story: “Probably the time I almost joined the fish. I was in the Bisbee’s with Terry, Dan and the Beak, and it was my turn on the rod. We were admiring a new set of rods that Terry had purchased, really beautiful gear, when the short corner line went off. I grabbed the rod to move to the chair but forgot to loosen the drag a little—the rod was going over the side but I wasn’t letting go, especially considering that we were just talking about how nice the rods were. Luckily Beak was standing in the corner and managed to grab me just in time—since then I’ve never forgotten to loosen the drag and I’ve also never stopped thanking him for the grab.”
“One of my most memorable days was the first time I went marlin fishing. We were off San Diego with my brother Paul and my son Ryan, trolling on the 182 Spot when bang, all three rods went off at the same time. What a circus! We eventually lost all but one over the next two hours but it was a very exciting introduction.” “Since we fish some big-money events, tournament prep involves making sure we have agreements in writing before we start so everyone’s on the same page and not worrying about that part. We pre-fish with the tournament team and boat as much as possible to get in the routine and we triple-check the tackle. We lost a big fish on the second day of the Bisbee’s back in the 1990s because our deck man had rigged one of the reels with the line wrapped under itself—when the marlin hit the line cinched down on itself and the reel blew up under the pressure just as the angler was reaching for it. Not only did we lose the fish but we almost had a serious injury.”
Ritchie runs the Haven, a 48-foot charterboat, during San Diego’s tuna season. Billfishing Magazine
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Billfishing Magazine
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2008 WORLD TOUR SPONSORS
The following companies proudly support the World Billfish Series and the sport of billfishing as sponsors of the 2008 WBS World Tour. Bacardi USA Marketer of fine spirits, including the world’s number one rum.
2100 Biscayne Blvd. Miami, FL 33137-5028
Phone: 305-573-8511 www.bacardi.com
Bank Of America Helping customers fulfill their dreams every day.
100 North Tryon St. Charlotte, NC 28255
Phone: 866-887-3259 www.bankofamerica.com
Bertram Yacht, Inc. Builder of sportfishing boats from 39 to 67 feet.
3663 NW 21st St. Miami, FL 33142
Contact: Kari Webber Phone: 305-633-8011 www.bertram.com
Blue Water Shirt Club 1826 Sally Hill Farms Blvd. For Saltwater Sportman, who enjoy Florence, SC 29501 finding interesting and unique Tees.
Contact: Chris Lynch Phone: 843-679-0045 www.bluewatershirtclub.com
Costa Del Mar Manufacturer of premium performance sunglasses.
2361 Mason Ave. Suite 100 Daytona Beach, FL 32117
Phone: 386-677-3700 www.costadelmar.com
Davis Yachts The most beautiful ride on the ocean.
P.O. Box 702 Egg Harbor City, NJ 08215
Contact: Bob Hazard Phone: 609-965-2300 www.buddydavis.com
El Cid One of Mexico’s finest resort destinations.
Av. Camaron Sabalo S/N PO Box 183 Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico 82110
Contact: Geronimo Cevallos Phone: 011-52-669-916-3468 www.elcid.com
Fountain Powerboats Builder of high-performance sport and fishing boats.
PO Drawer 457 Washington, NC 27889
Contact: Clayton Kirby Phone: 904-838-3230 www.fountainpowerboats.com
Los Sueños Resort and Marina Costa Rica’s premier resort and marina.
PO Box 25635 Miami, FL 33102-5635
Contact: Ashley Bretecher Phone: 866-865-9759 www.lossuenosresort.com
Lowrance Electronics, Inc. Manufacturer of sonar, GPS and chartplotting equipment.
12000 E. Skelly Dr. Tulsa, OK 74128-2486
Phone: 918-437-6881 www.lowrance.com
Mercury Marine PO Box 1939 Manufacturer of boat engines, pro- Fond du Lac, WI 54936 pellers and racing products.
Phone: 920-929-5040 www.mercurymarine.com
MTU Detroit Diesel The leading name in marine power.
13400 Outer Drive West Detroit, MI 48239-4001
Phone: 313-592-7000 www.mtu-online.com
Release Marine Manufacturers of custom fighting chairs and accessories.
2100 Roger Lacy Ave. Savannah, Georgia 31415
Contact: Jimmy Dewberry Phone: 800-603-4448 www.releasemarine.com
Sebago Footwear Fit, durability, comfort and style since 1946.
9341 Courtland Drive HA-140 Rockford, MI 49351
Phone: 800-789-8586 www.sebago.com
Topaz Building legends, one boat at a time.
P.O. Box 702 Egg Harbor City, NJ 08215
Contact: Bob Hazard Phone: 609-965-2300 www.topazboats.com
Venture Marine 1800 Old Dixie Highway Building the highest quality center Riviera Beach, FL 33404 console boats from 24 to 39 feet.
Contact: Rusty Kelley Phone: 800-960-3434 www.venturemarine.com
Underwater Lights Limited If it doesn’t say “limited” on the box, it is not our lights.
Royale Palm Yacht Basin, Ste. C 629 NE 3rd Street Dania, FL 33004
Contact: Martyn Bignell Phone 954-524-2844 www.underwaterlights.com
Viking Yachts Sportfishing boats from 45 to 74 feet.
Route 9, “On the Bass River” New Gretna, NJ 08224
Contact: Peter Frederiksen Phone: 609-296-6000 www.vikingyachts.com
XMWX The leader in mobile weather display software and receivers.
430 Research Drive Huntsville, AL 35805
Phone: 800-985-9200 www.wxworx.com
Yamaha Motor Corp. Manufacturer of two- and fourstroke outboard engines.
1270 Chastain Rd. Kennesaw, GA 30144
Contact: Mike Dixon Phone: 770-420-5800 www.yamaha-motor.com
2 0 0 8 W O R L D T O U R STA N D I N G S
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425 125 0 275 0 0 0 0 500 125 200 0 275 0 300 0 0 0 125 125 0 0 200 0
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400 650 700 200 0 275 350 500 200 725 425 200 125 0 325 275 350 200 125 350 125 275 275 125
ADDITIONAL PARTICIPATION POINTS
Angler Peter Miller Johnny White Jeffrey Fiorentino Luis Isaias Warren Sands Rick Arnold Rick Murphy Osvaldo Vento Debbi David Peter Adrian Scott Robins Janice Sands Kitt Toomey Brett Dudas John Salom Gary Lawson Raul Gonzales Bill Danko John Burke Chad Newell Rick Thomas Todd Kirkpatrick Eddie Lopez Sandra Kirkpatrick
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Boat Name Spanish Fly Sweet Dreams Hatt-A-Boy Super Fly Prime Time Miss Behavin Lady Columbo Prime Time Dream Maker Muy Caliente Gringo Honeymoon The Bite After You Super Fly Penguin Clean Sweep El Jefe Grande Dealer’s Choice Uno Mas Predator Miss Behavin Miss Celeste Sweet Dreams Mainline
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ADDITIONAL PARTICIPATION POINTS
Angler Mainor Oporto Ron Lea Arturo Nunez William Easum Keylor Vindas Roberto Gonzales Ron Hutchings Russ Nixdorf Warner Porra Paul Snow Hector Munoz Mariano Da Chris Fischer Jimmy Taylor Chris Lepping Andrew Shapiro Carlos Cambronero Eric McDowell Darwin Aranda Edwin Bustos RJ Lily David Finkelstein Robert Beasley Guillermo Nunez
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2 0 0 8 W O R L D T O U R STA N D I N G S
Boat Name Chips Ahoy Sandman Rude Awakening Sandman Miss Britt 1 Priceless Catch One Miss Annie Money Shot Blank Check Chips Ahoy Get Lit Certifiable Sandra T Miss Britt 1 Big Oh Covert Mission Anejo Certifiable Masque Lady Lane Money Shot Sandra T X Generation
350 350 350 350 650 50 275 275 0 0 0 575 200 125 575 275 125 0 0 0 500 0 125 500
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275 0 350 0 0 275 0 0 0 0 0 0 125 200 0 0 0 0 0 350 0 0 125 0
650 0 0 0 0 275 350 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ADDITIONAL PARTICIPATION POINTS
Angler Mark Wodlinger Sandra Kirkpatrick Rudy Polselli Jr. Todd Kirkpatrick Dave Dickerson Lev Mullins Erik Waldin Mark Donahue Eddie Lopez Dan Doyle Jr. Chip Sheehan Kitt Toomey Matt Lynch Serena Wilson Danny Farkas Gray Ingram Tom Craig Dave Przysinda Colin Murphy Mark Schwartz Rob Lane Manny Menendez Sandy Kaupe Doug Kontz
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2275 1425 1300 1225 1025 850 825 800 775 725 650 625 600 600 575 575 575 575 575 575 550 550 525 500
2008
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*The World Billfish Series reserves the right to make changes in the Schedule, including additions and deletions of events, at any time during the course
Tournaments By Division MID-ATLANTIC DIVISION Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina Billfish Tourn., 6/25 - 6/28 HMY-Viking Megadock Billfish Tournament, 7/9 - 7/12 N.C. Ducks Unlimited Band the Billfish, 7/31 - 8/2 White Marlin Open, 8/4 - 8/8 Pirate's Cove Billfish Tournament, 8/11 - 8/15 Mid-Atlantic $500,000, 8/17 - 8/22 The Sailfish Slam, 10/1 - 10/4 SOUTHEAST DIVISION FYI Sailfish Kickoff, 12/6 - 12/9 (2007) The Sailfish Tournament, 1/10 - 1/12 Cheeca Lodge Presidential Sailfish Tournament, 1/17 - 1/19 Miami Mayor's Cup, 1/24 - 1/27 Captain Bob Lewis Billfish Challenge, 2/28 - 3/2 Yamaha Contender Miami Billfish Tournament, 4/3 - 4/6 Islamorada Swordfish Tournament, 8/15 - 8/17 Miami Swordfish Tournament, 9/12 - 9/14 TREASURE COAST DIVISION Silver Sailfish Derby, 1/7 - 1/10 Jupiter Billfish Tournament, 1/9 - 1/11 Buccaneer Cup Sailfish Release Tournament, 1/15 - 1/19 Palm Beach Sailfish Classic, 1/22 - 1/26 Ft. Lauderdale Billfish Tournament, 2/27 - 3/2 El Pescado Billfish Tournament, 10/2 - 10/4 New Smyrna Beach Billfish Invt'l, 10/9 - 10/12 GULF COAST DIVISION Mobile BGFC Memorial Day Tournament, 5/23 - 5/26 Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic, 6/4 - 6/8 New Orleans Invitational Billfish Tournament, 6/11 - 6/15 Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic, 6/24 - 6/29 Pensacola International Billfish Tournament, 7/3 - 7/6 Bay Point Invitational Billfish Tournament, 7/9 - 7/13 Outcast Blue Marlin Classic, 7/23 - 7/26 Texas International Fishing Tournament, 7/30 - 8/3 Orange Beach Billfish Classic, 7/30 - 8/3 Sarasota Slam-HBA Fishing Tournament, 8/6 - 8/9 Old Salt Loop Tournament, 8/15 - 8-18 CARIBBEAN DIVISION BBC Central Abaco Championship, 4/13 - 4/18 BBC Marsh Harbour Championship, 4/27 - 5/2 BBC Harbour Island, 5/11 - 5/16 Boat Harbour Billfish Blast, 5/26 - 5/30 BBC Treasure Cay Championship, 6/1 - 6/6 Abaco Billfish Challenge, 6/10 - 6/13 BBC Boat Harbour Championship, 6/15 - 6/20 VIFGFC July Open, 7/14 - 7/17 A.H. Riise BVI Billfish Tournament, 7/19 - 7/23 Club Nautico Int’l Billfish Tourn. of San Juan, 8/11 – 8/16 USVI Open Atlantic Blue Marlin Tournament, 8/13 - 8/17 Presidential Caribbean Cup, 9/12 - 9/14 PACIFIC DIVISION Los Sueños Signature Series #1, 1/21 - 1/24 Los Sueños Signature Series #2, 3/12 - 3/15 The Presidential Challenge of Costa Rica, 4/12 - 4/14 The Presidential Challenge of El Salvador, 11/8 - 11/10 The Presidential Challenge of Guatemala, 11/21 - 11/23 SOUTH PACIFIC DIVISION South Indian Ocean Billfish Tournament, 2/10 - 2/16 Broken Bay Fishing Club Invitational Tournament, 3/14 - 3/16 Raiatea International Billfish Tournament, 3/24 - 3/29 Lizard Island Black Marlin Classic, 10/13 - 10/20 MEXICO DIVISION Cancun Billfish Classic, 4/23 - 4/26 Puerto Los Cabos Billfish Classic, 5/12 - 5/16 Puerto Los Cabos World Cup, 10/14 - 10/18 Mazatlán Billfish Classic, 11/5 - 11/8 Puerto Vallarta Billfish Classic, 11/12 - 11/14
2008 WBS GRAND CHAMPIONSHIPS December 3 – 6, 2008
DECEMBER 6 - 9, 2007 Miami, Florida FYI Sailfish Kickoff Anthony Albelo (305) 461-2700
MARCH 12 - 15 Playa Herradura, Costa Rica Los Sueños Signature Series - #2 Ashley Bretecher abretecher@lossuenosresort.com
JANUARY 2 - 5, 2008 Palm Beach, Florida Silver Sailfish Derby Tom Twyford (561) 832-6780
MARCH 14 - 16 Broken Bay, Australia Broken Bay Game Fishing Club Craig Findlay cfindlay@sge.com
JANUARY 9 - 11 Jupiter, Florida Jupiter Billfish Tournament Scott Nichols (561) 262-6424
MARCH 24 - 29 Raiatea, Tahiti, French Polynesia Raiatea Int’l Billfish Tournament Dominique Goche 011-689-60-05-45
JANUARY 9 - 12 Playa Herradura, Costa Rica Los Sueños Signature Series - #I Ashley Bretecher abretecher@lossuenosresort.com
APRIL 3 - 6 Miami, Florida Yamaha Contender Miami Judy Layne (305) 598-2525
JANUARY 10 - 13 Miami, Florida The Sailfish Tournament Richard Peeples III (305) 672-38075
APRIL 12 - 14 Samara, Costa Rica Presidential Challenge of Costa Rica Joan Vernon (305) 361-9258
JANUARY 15 - 19 Singer Island, Florida Buccaneer Cup Sailfish Release Gary Caputi (732) 899-9988
APRIL 13 - 18 Treasure Cay, Bahamas BBC Central Abaco Championship Brenda Fletcher (954) 920-5577
JANUARY 17 - 19 Islamorada, Florida Cheeca Lodge Presidential Sailfish Liz Hill (305) 451-5094
APRIL 23 - 26 Cancun, Mexico Cancun Billfish Classic Harvey L. Hunnicutt (714) 259-4899
JANUARY 22 - 26 West Palm Beach, Florida Palm Beach Sailfish Classic Pat Ross (561) 818-6095
APRIL 27 - MAY 2 Boat Harbour, Bahamas BBC Marsh Harbour Championship Brenda Fletcher (954) 920-5577
JANUARY 24 - 27 Miami, Florida Miami Mayor’s Cup Anthony Albelo (305) 461-2700
MAY 11 - 16 Eleuthera, Bahamas BBC Harbour Island Brenda Fletcher (954) 920-5577
FEBRUARY 10 - 16 Black River, Mauritius South Indian Ocean Billfish Tourn. Kapil Ramnarain bvmarketing@intnet.mu
MAY 12 - 16 Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Puerto Los Cabos Billfish Classic Harvey L. Hunnicutt (714) 259-4899
FEB 27 - MARCH 2 Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale Billfish Tourn. Mark Constantino (877)-561-7245
MAY 23 - 26 Orange Beach, Alabama Mobile BGFC Memorial Day Mike Rogers (251) 479-2675
FEB 28 - MARCH 2 Miami, Florida Capt. Bob Lewis Billfish Challenge Capt. Ernie Portuondo (305) 525-8941
MAY 26 - 30 Marsh Harbour, Bahamas Boat Harbour Billfish Blast Mike Dickman (954) 926-0400
OUR
SCHEDULE
of the year. Please visit our website at www.fishwbs.com for the most up to date tournament information.
JUNE 1 - 6 Treasure Cay, Bahamas BBC Treasure Cay Brenda Fletcher (954) 920-5577
JULY 23 - 26 Orange Beach, Alabama Outcast Blue Marlin Classic Tommy Holmes (850) 457-1450
SEPTEMBER 12 - 14 Miami, Florida Miami Swordfish Tournament Richard Peeples III (305) 282-1006
JUNE 4 - 8 Biloxi, Mississippi Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic Bobby Carter (228) 436-7928
JULY 30 - AUGUST 3 South Padre Island, TX Texas Int’l Fishing Tournament (TIFT) Betty Wells (956) 943-8438
SEPTEMBER 12 - 14 La Guaira, Venezuela Presidential Caribbean Cup Joan Vernon (305) 361-9258
JUNE 10 - 13 Marsh Harbour, Bahamas Abaco Billfish Challenge Amy Withers (305) 934-0505
JULY 30 - AUGUST 3 Orange Beach, Alabama Orange Beach Billfish Classic Beth Reed (251) 978-2524
OCTOBER 1 - 4 Charleston, South Carolina The Sailfish Slam K.C. Rennie (843) 278-4914
JUNE 11 - 15 Venice, Louisiana New Orleans Invt’l Billfish Tourn. Gino Rendeiro (504) 529-5100
JULY 31 - AUGUST 2 Morehead City, North Carolina N.C. Ducks Unlimited Bob Lichauer (336) 454-5493
OCTOBER 2 - 4 St. Augustine, Florida El Pescado Billfish Tourn. Dennis Rosa (904) 642-0210
JUNE 15 - 20 Boat Harbour, Bahamas BBC Boat Harbour Championship Brenda Fletcher (954) 920-5577
AUGUST 4 - 8 Ocean City, Maryland White Marlin Open Jim Motsko (410) 289-9229
OCTOBER 4 - 11 Lizard Island, Australia Lizard Island Black Marlin Classic Bob Lowe 011-61-2-9546-8540
JUNE 24 - 29 Sandestin, Florida Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic Shawna Meisner (866) 505-4458
AUGUST 6 - 9 Sarasota, Florida Sarasota Slam-HBA Fishing Tournament T.J. Nutter (941) 650-2321
OCTOBER 9 - 12 New Smyrna Beach, Florida New Smyrna Beach Billfish Invt’l. Jon Zellar (386) 290-4181
JUNE 25 - 28 Charleston, South Carolina Charleston Harbor Billfish Tourn. Deidre Menefee (843) 345-0369
AUGUST 11 - 15 Manteo, North Carolina Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tourn. Harry Hindmarsh (252) 473-1015
OCTOBER 14 - 18 Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Puerto Los Cabos World Cup Harvey L. Hunnicutt (714) 259-4899
JULY 3 - 6 Pensacola, Florida Pensacola Int’l Billfish Tourn. Greg Whibbs (850) 433-7671
AUGUST 11 - 16 San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan Int’l Billfish Tourn. Gonzalo M. Ferrer (787) 727-7700
NOVEMBER 5 - 8 Mazatlán, Mexico Mazatlán Billfish Classic Harvey L. Hunnicutt (714) 259-4899
JULY 9 - 12 Charleston, South Carolina HMY-Viking Megadock Billfishing Tourn. K.C. Rennie (843) 278-4914
AUGUST 13 - 17 Saint Thomas, US Virgin Islands U.S.V.I. Open Atlantic Jimmy Loveland (340) 775-9500
NOVEMBER 12 - 14 Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico Puerto Vallarta Billfish Classic Harvey L. Hunnicutt (714) 259-4899
JULY 9 - 13 Panama City, Florida Bay Point Billfish Invt’l Scott Burt (850) 235-6911
AUGUST 15 - 17 Islamorada, Florida Islamorada Swordfish Tourn. Richard Peeples III (305) 282-1006
NOVEMBER 8 - 10 Bahia Del Sol, El Salvador Presidential Challenge of El Salvador Joan Vernon (305) 361-9258
JULY 14 - 17 St. Thomas, Virgin Islands VIGFC July Open Jeff Kreiner (404) 580-4126
AUGUST 15 - 18 St. Petersburg, Florida Old Salt Loop Tournament Tom Verdensky (727) 867-9388
NOVEMBER 21 - 23 Iztapa, Guatemala Presidential Challenge of Guatemala Joan Vernon (305) 361-9258
JULY 19 - 23 Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands A.H. Riise BVI Billfish Tournament Lawrence Wheatley (284) 495-8002
AUGUST 17 - 22 Cape May, New Jersey Mid-Atlantic $500,000 Bob Glover (609) 884-2400
DECEMBER 3 - 6 WBS GRAND CHAMPIONSHIPS Los Sueños, Costa Rica Sam White (727) 864-4400 www.FishWBS.com