2009 Tournament Results

 

2009 Mid-Atlantic $500,000 - FINAL Results
Cape May, NJ and Ocean City, MD
August 16 - 21, 2009

From the press release:

Talk about consistency! For the third consecutive year the final day of the Mid-Atlantic $500,000 produced a tournament record in the white marlin category! As predicted the weather began to deteriorate with the initial effect of Hurricane Bill’s far reaching wind starting to impact the east coast as the tournament drew to a close. On Day Five only 11 boats headed offshore in sporty sea conditions and one would believe topping Thursday’s record-setting weigh-in session would not be possible. But this is the Mid-Atlantic $500,000 and Day Five heroics and last minute changes have become very common.

Scott Steele of Catonsville, Maryland aboard his Toplesss saved his best day for last. Early in the evening’s weigh-in session he pulled up to the scales at Sunset Marina in Ocean City, Maryland and sent a shockwave through the entire tournament as he weighed a new tournament record white marlin of 95 pounds and won the Heaviest White Marlin category and $653,375! Mark and Amy Granville-Smith of Manassas, Virginia aboard Phat Mann, winners of the Heaviest White Marlin category in 2007 with their then-record 92-pound white marlin, and John Raimondo of Newton Square, Pennsylvania aboard Sea Mistress finished in a tie for second with a white marlin of 78 pounds. Sea Mistress received $118,290 in prize money while Phat Mann received $106,415.

Note that in the white marlin as well as other categories, any difference in prize money, where ties are concerned, is reflected in the levels of calcuttas the boats participated in as well as the number of days each fish was on the leaderboard.

You may notice the 81-pound white marlin caught aboard the Top Notch and weighed on Day Four is not among the winners. After weighing the fish at 81 pounds, the boat left the weigh station and the biologists went to work with their normal examination. They found some ice lodged in the gullet that had failed to drop out of the fish when it was hung by the tail. It appeared to be enough ice to influence the weight recorded. Tournament management met with the owner of the Topnotch to explain the situation. After some discussion it was stated that the fish had been heavily iced on the way back to the dock, and that any ice remaining at weigh-in was inadvertent. None-the-less, the ice was weighed, tainting the accuracy of the official weight. The owner of the Topnotch, stated that he understood the issue and that the ice shouldn’t have been there. If there was any concern about the accuracy or legitimacy of the weight, he would prefer to simply withdraw and win without question another day. Tournament management agreed and that this was the right thing to do and removed the fish from contention. The final standings reflect that change.

In the blue marlin category, Sonny Falcone of Staten Island, New York aboard his Cookie II swept all three places as no other qualifying blue marlin was weighed. Cookie II received $381,665 for their 453 pounder caught on Day One of the tournament.

The tuna category was the most contested of the week and here to the prize money awarded is reflected by the levels of calcutta participation. Charlie Duerr of Tinton Falls, New Jersey aboard Sea Hag was the big winner as he received $173,600 for his 69-pound yellowfin while Adam Glushakow’s Predator from Salisbury, Maryland, who tied with Sea Hag, received $55,000 for his 69-pound yellowfin. A three-way tie for Third Heaviest Tuna with yellowfins of 67 pounds resulted in Bob Belansen of Cape May, New Jersey aboard Beast and Peter Cherasia of Rumson, New Jersey on Shark Byte each receiving $66,557 while Jeffrey Scanelli of Bohemia, New York aboard his April Fool won $54,682.

Warren, New Jersey’s Bill Gallo aboard Joanna won the Heaviest Wahoo category with a new tournament record ‘hoo of 97 pounds and received $10,000. Mike Ackley of Mannington, New Jersey received $10,000 for his Heaviest Dolphin (mahi-mahi) of 37 pounds caught aboard Foray.

As only 11 boats fished on Day Five, the catch report for the day was predictably light though Tequesta, Florida’s Greg Hill aboard Wanted released three white marlin while Shark Byte let go two white marlin on the day.

The approaching weather did little to dampen the spirits of tournament participants as the Big Top tent at Canyon Club Resort Marina in Cape May hosted the lavish Lobster House buffet dinner awards ceremony that included cool libations and entertainment by Bluebone. Tournament President Dick Weber graciously thanked everyone for their continued support of the Mid-Atlantic $500,000, especially in light of tough economic times and Tournament Director Bob Glover, with help from assistants Mark Allen and Scott Knoff distributed the tournament purse of over $1.7 million!

See more at www.midatlantic500000.com. 

36th Annual White Marlin Open
Ocean City, MD
August 3 - 7, 2009

The big story of the tournament is angler Robert Farris of Charlotte, North Carolina aboard the No Problem out of Fenwick Island, Delaware setting a tournament and a state record with his blue marlin at 1,062 lbs. After fighting the fish for over three hours on 80-lb tackle, the crew brought the fish to Harbour Island.  Here are the final results:

Place	Boat	Weight
White Marlin:
1.	Orion	93.5
2.	Longfin	85.0
3.	Nontypical	83.0
Blue Marlin:
1.	No Problem	1,062.0
2.	Olivia Grace	530.5
Tuna:
1.	Shadowfax	249.0
2.	Drillin & Billin	234.0
3.	Foolish Pleasures	207.5
Dolphin:
1.	Shadowfax	37.5
2.	Drillin & Billin	37.0
3.	Foolish Pleasures	34.0
Wahoo:
1.	Shadowfax	47.0
2.	Drillin & Billin	43.0
3.	Foolish Pleasures	42.5

See more at www.whitemarlinopen.com. 

10th Annual Bisbee's East Cape Offshore Tournament
Buenavista, Baja California Sur, Mexico
July 28 - August 1, 2009

From the press release:

David Buenavista, BCS, Mexico (August 4, 2009) – The 10th Annual Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore Tournament, presented by Cabo Riviera, took place July 28 through August 1 in Buenavista, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Fifty-three boats and 254 anglers competed for $274,350.00 in prize money.

In what is becoming a Bisbee's "Grand Finale" tradition, it was the last fish on the last day that won the 2009 event. Cap’n Jake, a 50’ Mikelson with Capt. Barrie Harnett, pulled up to the scales at the last minute with a 341-pound blue marlin caught by Kent Andersson to squeeze out the only other qualifying marlin of the tournament by 31 lbs. The team aboard Cap’n Jake took $77,871.40 for 1st Place and the Day 3 Marlin Jackpots.

The runner-up, however, took the big money. Keith Jones, fishing aboard Mi Corazon, a 30’ Luhrs captained by Antonio Lucero Castillo, caught a 310-pound blue marlin on the second day and, in addition to 2nd Place, won the Day 1 and Day 2 Marlin Jackpots for a total of $124,784.60. Mi Corazon is no stranger to center stage—they took first place in 2006 with a 418-pound blue marlin and share the record with Copa Gobernador for the largest blue marlin caught in the ten year history of Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore Tournament.
 
The fishing was steady throughout the three days of competition despite rough seas, and the field posted 101 billfish with a 95% release ratio: 36 blue marlin, 1 black marlin, 37 striped marlin and 27 sailfish.

Tuna were scarce, but the two that made it to the scales were both over 100 pounds. First place went to Fisherman with Capt. Perico Sanchez Alarcon and angler Daniel Fisher. The 174.4-pound yellowfin won $17,997.00 for Top Tuna and the Day 3 Tuna Jackpot. Fisher’s son, Danny Fisher, Jr., caught the third largest dorado of the tournament, 51.4 lbs., and won honorable mention as the top junior angler.

Pepe Yuen Ritchie, fishing aboard Slippery Lizzard with Capt. Chino Rocha Valenzula, brought in the only other tuna weighed, and won the Day 1 and Day 2 Tuna Jackpots for $17,850.00.

There was a strong showing of dorado this year with the winning fish, 57.2 lbs., caught by Alfredo Lucero fishing aboard Sails Call with Capt. Ed LaJoy. Sails Call took $17,997 for Top Dorado and the Day 1 Dorado Jackpot. They also won the Early Bird Drawing for getting their entry in early and will be fishing the 2010 East Cape Tournament for free! Dottie B II won the Day 2 Dorado Jackpot (48.5 lbs.) and Lucky Hooker took Day 3 (52.4 lbs.). Each team won $8,925.00.

See more at http://www.bisbees.com/.

Hawaiian Billfish Tournament
Kona, Haxaii
July 20 - 24, 2009

From the press release:

David Kona, HAWAII (July 24, 2009) - Last week the Emporer and Empress of Japan  paid an official visit to Kona.  This week, Kona Game Fishing Club-Bellhope of Japan captured the prestigious Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament championship, beating out Old South Marlin Club #4 by 93 points.  Third place honors went to Malibu Marlin Club.

Skunked for the first two of five tournament fishing days, the father-son team Kona Fishing Club-Bellhope from Japan roared back mid-week.  When the final fish count was tallied, angler Kihachio Suzuki's week-long catch of five Pacific blue marlin and one ahi (Yellowfin tuna) put them on top of the scoreboard.  On Wednesday, Suzuki tagged two Pacific blue marlin.  On Thursday, Suzuki tagged another Pacific blue marlin plus he boated a Pacific blue marlin that weighed in on Kailua Pier at 332 pounds.  By the end of HIBT fishing on Friday, Kona Game Fishing Club-Bellhope tagged its final Pacific blue marlin estimated at 150  pounds.

See more at http://www.hibtfishing.com/.

2009 Bermuda Triple Crown Billfish Tournament Series
Bermuda
July 3-6, 8-12 & 15-19, 2009

From the press release:

The Bermuda Triple Crown Billfish Championship series starts off with a record bite of large blue marlin but is hampered by Hurricane Bertha hitting the island in between the Classic and Sea Horse legs. A total of 50 different teams participated in at least one Triple Crown event, with the biggest blue marlin in the series weighing 832 pounds. A total of 188 billfish were caught; 180 were photographed and released with eight blues boated over the 500-pound minimum weight coming to the scales. The releases consisted of 115 blue and 65 white marlin. The series awarded $808,000 in cash and $75,000 in prizes over the three-event series. To fish the BTC, visiting boats making the crossing must run at least 680 miles to reach Bermuda. Considering the quality of the charter and private boats, you have many of the most competitive teams in fishing plying the rich waters off Bermuda during the peak July marlin run. With the average blue marlin weighing 450 pounds and some reaching the grander range, the BTC is the most challenging and competitive marlin fishing series in the world. 

The red-hot visiting team from Florida, Que Mas, a 70-foot American Custom, won the championship, scoring 3,918 points. Owner Wally Whitley, Capt. Travis Butters, mate Ian Fletcher of Bermuda along with crewmembers Robert Helms, Brian Komer, Jim Whitley, Chad Ford, Sue Whitley and Brice Barr recorded five blues, released one white marlin and boated one blue at 718 pounds. The team on Que Mas, including the captain, mate and five anglers, will each receive the largest prize package of any billfish series: Each will be given the coveted Triple Crown Champion ring from Vanmark Jewelry; a bronze blue marlin sculpture from Geoffrey Smith; a trophy from King Sailfish Mounts; championship apparel from Pelagic Gear embroidered by Tropical Enterprises; the Triple Crown painting from Steve Goione; a Furuno Sounder; special triple crown lures from Mold Craft, Ocean Waves Sunglasses, Evade T-shirts; and complimentary one-year subscriptions to Marlin and Sport Fishing magazines. The boat receives a Pompanette flying gaff, lure pack from Pacific Trolling Gear, lure pack from Tormenter Lures, a one-year membership from Hilton's Realtime-Navigator, artistic gaff from Evade and an Accurate 130 reel from Finest Kind Offshore Gear. The top-five 2008 boats all had a shot at the crown until Que Mas added a blue and white release on the final day of the Sea Horse. Late-charging Fa La Me scored 3,100 points and finished second; consistent Reel Addiction scored 2,900 for third; Tenacious ended up in fourth with 2,858; and Tease Em made the top five with 2,780. 

See more at http://www.bermudatriplecrown.com/.

26th Annual  Bay Point Invitational Billfish Tournament
Bay Pointe, FL
July 15 - 19, 2009

From the press release:

Braving rough water and even tougher fishing conditions, 35 boats ventured out to test their skill in the 26th annual Bay Point Invitational Billfish Tournament. One of the most eagerly anticipated tournaments of the year, more than 14,000 spectators descended upon Bay Point Marina from July 16-18 to enjoy live entertainment, abundant art, local food, sponsor displays and, of course, the promise of weigh-ins on Friday and Saturday night.

Traders Hill was named Tournament Champion with their first place finish in the Catch and Release category. Their one blue and one white marlin release totaled 850 points and was enough to fend off several challengers in the Catch and Release Divison.

Peter Bos aboard Legendary landed the single heaviest fish of the tournament with a 119.5 pound tuna, and easily captured first place honors in the Tuna division. Life Is Good angler Grant Nicholson brought in the winning wahoo with a 33 pounder, while August Redding’s 33.1 pound dolphin gave Dreams Wake II top honors in the dolphin category.

For the second year in a row, Life Is Good claimed the largest payout and took home a check for $204,284. The tournament featured a total purse of $481,967.

New this year was the addition of the 40/40 Shootout, which featured 30 boats fishing on Friday only for tuna, dolphin and wahoo. Fishing conditions for the 40/40 were less than ideal, and resulted in smaller than expected fish. Mark Crone aboard A-Loan Again brought in the only tuna and tipped the scales at just over 56 pounds. Wideopen anglers Jeremy Sprenkle and Mark Datelle brought in the first and second place dolphin, while Monty Ferrell brought in the biggest wahoo of the evening on board Just One More.

See more at http://www.baypoinbillfish.com/.

22nd Annual Ocean City Tuna Tournament
Ocean City, MD
July 10-12, 2009

With 120 boats entered in this year's contest, the tournament paid out $570,060 .  Here are the final results:

Place	Boat	Weight
Heaviest Total Weight:
1.	Billfisher	399
2.	Sea Slammer	338
3.	Always Late	317
Single Heaviest Dolphin:
1.	Instigator/Binnacle - Tie	23
2.	Playmate/Samurai I - Tie	22
Single Heaviest Tuna:
1.	That's Right	158
2.	Reel Chaos	157
3.	Fishomatic	156

See more at www.oceancitytunatournament.com. 

7th Annual HMY-Viking MegaDock Tournament
Charleston, SC
July 8-11, 2009

From the press release:

A count of 51 billfish releases on Saturday adds up to a new South Carolina State Record for releases in a tournament, with 151 releases total for three days (5 Blue Marlin, 8 White Marlin, 138 Sailfish). This is the third time in five years that the HMY-Viking MegaDock Tournament has broken this record: 82 in 2005, and 131 in 2006. Congratulations to all of the competitors on three exciting days of offshore angling.

Billfish Winners
1. Micabe - 1,800pts (9 Sailfish)
2. Miss Annie - 1,600pts (8 Sailfish)
3. Rameseas - 1,500pts
4. Rookie IV - 1,400pts
5. Flybuoy - 1,400pts (based on time)

Dolphin Winner
Steve Crammer - Blue Sky - 42.0lbs

Tuna Winner
Billy Ingram - Reel Passion - 21.1lbs

Wahoo Winner
Bobby Krivohlavek - Reel Hooker - 59.0lbs

Youth Winner
Drew Nettles - Short People - 20.9lbs

Lady Angler Winners
1. Kathy Baxley - Flybuoy - White Marlin, Blue Marlin, Sailfish - 1,100pts
2. Tara Asbill - Fin-Addict - Blue Marlin, Sailfish - 800pts
3. Becca Wells - Rameseas - 3 Sailfish - 600pts

See more at http://www.megadocktournament.com/.

Xtreme Redfish Series
St. Petersburg, FL
July 11, 2009

From the press release:

David Hutcherson and Chris Slattery were the only team to weigh in two fish at the final stop of the 2009 Artificial Only West Coast Division event. Thier 8 lbs of fish were not only good enough for first place which paid 1600.00 but it secured them the overall points leader by just one point worth another 1260.00. When talking with David Bolema, captain of the second place team in the points race, he was torn on what to do. They felt they were on the fish to win the tournament and were scared to abandon them in order to catch a couple of keepers in the B spot which in turn would of one them the overall points champion and 1260.00. Unfortuantley neither worked out for them. All the fish they caght were just oversized. David went on to tell me he wouldn't do anything diffrent based on the pre fish and pile of fish that were around them all day.

Hutcherson and Slattery were the only team to weigh in fish in all 3 events proving that being consistant will pay in the end. Thanks to all the anglers which made this new series very enjoyable and I look forward to the 2010 changes.

See more at http://www.xtremefishingseries.com/.

Bermuda Billfish Blast
Bermuda
July 3-6, 2009

From the press release:

The blue marlin bite kicked into high gear for the 41 boats competing in the Bermuda Billfish Blast, the first leg of the Bermuda Triple Crown. On Day One the Blast is also fished in conjunction with the World Cup Blue Marlin Championship and the entire fleet kept their eyes out for the big blue that would bring the World Cup title back to Bermuda. With more than $260,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs in the Blast, the crews were chomping at the bit to try their luck offshore.

The weather broke and the bite turned on just in time as the fleet headed to Bermuda’s world-class offshore banks on Day One. Madeira was already atop the World Cup leader board as the Bermuda fleet left the dock with a 595-pounder, but no one seemed too worried about topping that mark. Wound Up, led by Capt. James Robinson, scored an early blue marlin release with angler Mike Henry in the chair. At 1:41 p.m. the team on Wound Up saw the fish they were looking for as a big blue pilled on a lure and took off. Seventeen-year-old angler Stefan Olsen made his way to the fighting chair. After a drag-and-pull battle lasting two hours, the fish came up dead. At 3:40, Robinson made the announcement that the fish was secured and measured 132 inches short length. All estimates showed that it should definitely be enough to take the lead in the World Cup. The team kept fishing until lines out and a raucous crowd awaited their arrival at the weigh in to see how the scale would treat the Bermuda boys. At 865 pounds, it toppled the mark and beat out the boats in Hawaii to bring the World Cup back to Bermuda and take the big fish award in the Billfish Blast worth $88,000.

Wound Up wasn’t the only one finding the bite on Day One. Off Piste, with Capt. Brian Lines, got into the mix just after 9 a.m. as angler Todd Peever cranked in a white marlin in just five minutes. Peever added a second white marlin release and topped his day off with a blue marlin to help his team lay claim to the Day One, level one release prize worth $19,500. Four boats finished Day One with 700 points for releasing a blue and a white. Karen Sealuck caught Mako’s first blue at 9:53 and Sacha Bearden added a white marlin just a few minutes later, to give Mako, with Capt. Allen DeSilva, the level two release jackpot worth $34,000.

On the second and final day of the Blast, Lisa, a 58-foot Merritt, took the daily release jackpots based on time. Owner and angler Dan Braman caught a blue and white to give Lisa the daily. Three boats ended the day with 700 points, each one catching a blue and a white, but Lisa took day two levels one and two release jackpots worth $53,500. Anita Jean, a 54-foot Gary Davis also caught a blue and a white and finished the day in second place. Jones and her team on Mama Who scored a blue and white on Day Two helping their team take third place overall. Jones also reeled in top lady angler honors and a check for $8,200. Off Piste didn’t release any on Day Two but their 900 points scored on Day One was enough for second place overall giving the team a total prize of $35,900. Wound Up released another blue marlin on Day Two, bringing their point total to 1,865 points overall, enough for the top spot in the Billfish Blast and the lead in the Triple Crown going into the next event in the series, the Bermuda Big Game Classic. Wound Up angler Stefan Olsen also won the young angler award for his 865-pound blue catch. Wound Up’s cash winning totaled $116,700 and they received an invitation to compete in the IGFA Offshore World Championship. the Bermuda Triple Crown. 

See more at http://www.bermudabillfishblast.com/.

25th World Cup Blue Marlin Championship
Worldwide
July 4, 2009

From the press release:

The 25th annual World Cup Blue Marlin Championship (World Cup) was won with an 865 pound blue marlin taken at Bermuda on July 4, 2009. The huge marlin was landed by 17 year old Stefan Olson, a Bermuda native. He was fishing aboard the WOUND UP with Captain James Robinson. It was the 6th time in the 25 year history of the World Cup that the winning marlin was landed in Bermuda. That ties Kona, Hawaii as the winning est location for the international tournament.

The World Cup is unique in that it is the only tournament where anglers can fish anywhere in the world for eight hours in their time zone. The angler with the largest blue marlin over 500 pounds is the champion. There is no second place. The payout for the 865 pound blue was over $340,000.

On July 4 there were 142 teams fishing 17 countries and territories around the globe Teams register on the World Cup web site with a credit card and report their catches by phone to World Cup headquarters in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. Fishing actually starts during the afternoon of July 3rd by Florida time since locations such as Australia, Fiji and Vanuatu in the Pacific are a day ahead of the US east coast. The last teams to fish are in Kona, Hawaii where the 4:30 PM lines out time, is 10:30 PM in Florida.

See more at http://www.bluemarlinworldcup.com/.

5th Annual Houston Invitational Billfish Tournament 
Houston, TX
June 25 - 27, 2009

From the press release:

The Houston Big Game Fishing Club hosted the 5th Annual Houston Invitational Billfish Tournament on June 25th to June 27th. Ideal weather conditions greeted the fleet of sport fishing boats as they departed Galveston, Freeport and Port O’Connor, Texas for the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Participants were allowed to begin fishing at 12:00 am on Friday, June 26th and the calm seas allowed the majority of the boats to get to deep water for night time tuna fishing at the start of fishing time. The tuna bite was on at the deep rigs with numerous boats reporting solid tuna in the 100 lb range. The good tuna fishing was a sign of the billfish action to come on day one.

“Booby Trap”, Brett Holden’s 52 Viking got things started early on day one and kept the pressure on all day. By dark the “Booby Trap” had reported an amazing tally of 2 blue marlin, 1 white marlin and 2 sailfish releases to establish a solid lead. Reel Bounty, a 64 Hatteras owned by Tony Annan was in 2nd with 2 blue marlin and 1 sailfish followed by Mike McLees’ 33 Grady White “Michelle Rae II” with 2 blue marlin. In the hunt after day one were several boats with blue marlin releases including “ Paparda Rey”, Randy King’s 54 Bertram; “Nereus”, a 60 Hatteras owned by Michael Thorn-Leeson; Ed Bass’ 74 Halter, “Akela”; “Team Venture”, Wes Tumlinson’s 38 Venture; and “Ocean Oasis”, Debbie Conway’s 48 Ocean all releasing blue marlin.

The “Booby Trap” crew not only had a solid lead but had caught and released a grand slam, all by Angler, Travis Joyce. Having pursued the elusive super slam of 4 billfish species in the same day for several years, “Booby Trap” could not resist the chance to pick up a swordfish even though swordfish would not add to their tournament points. As darkness fell, they ran to a productive swordfish spot and at 9:30 PM on June 26th the crew released a swordfish to accomplish one of bill fishing’s rarest achievements; A Super Slam for the crew and all caught by the same angler, Travis Joyce. The “Booby Trap” team stayed on the swordfish spot into the morning and released an additional swordfish for angler Charles Stetzel, which was his first ever. As day 2 began word spread quickly over the radio of the Booby Trap’s catch; an amazing 2 blue marlin, 2 swordfish, 1 white marlin and 2 sailfish. In less than 24 hours they had actually caught and released a double grand slam (3 billfish species) and the elusive Super Slam.

The hot fishing from day one did not continue on day 2 as the billfish releases became few and far between allowing the day one leader board to stay the same except for “Nereus” picking up a sailfish release to move into 4th place.

The weigh station stayed busy on Saturday evening, especially with wahoo and tuna and the spectators were greeted with some exceptional catches.

The wahoo division was swept by noted wahoo experts, the crew on Kevin Harper’s 54 Bertram, “Contigo” as they weighed the first place fish weighing exactly 101 pounds caught by Randy Stiba and also the second place wahoo weighing 56.4 pounds caught by Jeff Nesmith. 3rd place wahoo went to Mike Dowler with a 52.7 pound fish caught on his 45 Bertram, “Six Chicks”.

The tuna division was very competitive with five teams weighing tuna over 100 pounds. The Nereus took 1st place with a 130.4 tuna caught by Johnny Timmons, followed by Mike Hopkins' 50 Viking, “Pass It On” with a 115.1 pound tuna caught by Bill Cannan. 3rd Place went to Kenny Rogers fishing on Shane Babich’s 42 Don Smith, “Minnesota” with a 105.9 pound yellow fin.

The big dolphin did not show this year but numerous dolphin were caught and weighed in. 1st Place went to angler Greg Cullum with a 34.0 pound fish caught on the 52 Hatteras, “Big Advantage” owned by Billy Dills, followed by Richard Richardson’s 29.7 pound dolphin on the 56 Viking, “Legacy” owned by George Gartner. 3rd Place was won by Shane Harwell on the 58 Viking “Gringo Honeymoon”, owned by Mike Miller with a 27.4 pound dolphin.

Top Female Angler was captured by Tracia Dills on the “Big Advantage”.

This years Houston Invitational set new marks with a total of $285,000 in cash payouts and a total contribution to the Houston Big Game Fishing Club’s Scholarship and Charitable Programs of $13,500.00.stringer anchored one of the heaviest final days in Redfish Cup history. One of the closest too, just 1.33 pounds separated the final five teams.

29th Annual Ocean City Shark Tournament
Ocean City, MD
June 17 - 21, 2009

From the press release by Mark Sampson:

This year's event proved that there is no such thing as a "usual" tournament. The first day was plagued by such nasty weather that only five out of 54 registered boats elected to fish. Surprisingly enough, despite the rough seas and intermittent bouts of light to heavy rain each team that went out managed not only to come back alive but also caught a few fish! At the scales Thursday evening we weighed a 152-pound mako and some bluefish from the FIN-NESS, a 116-pound blue shark from the MAKO ME, and bluefish from the WAYNE’S WORLD. Not a lot of activity under the scales that day but enough to get the crowd primed for what lay ahead.

Friday's weather was much more cooperative and allowed tournament teams the opportunity to get offshore and do what they do best - CATCH FISH! First to the scales that evening was the boat SHARK TOOTH with a magnificent 236-pound mako. Seeing the size of the fish, many of us immediately assumed that it would likely hold top honors in the Mako Division. And it did (for less than an hour) until the next mako was brought in aboard the CANYON CRUSHER which pushed the numbers up to 243-pounds! At 6:20 the PRESS TIME gave that fish a run when they weighed their 223-pounder, but 243-pounds is a tough mark to beat!

But as they say "it ain't over until it's over". No sooner had the PRESS TIME pulled away from the dock than the PUMPIN' HARD rolled up to the scales and hung a beautiful 271-pound mako! And again most of us thought we were looking at what probably would be the winning fish; of course there was still one more fishing day to go.

As exciting as Friday was, no one could have imagined that it was just the sage-setter for the grand finale on Saturday! Anglers enjoyed beautiful weather on the last fishing day of the event and as they began to filter into the weigh station the crowd got a glimpse of what kind of luck the teams had. One of the first boats to the scales was the CAPT.IKE II with an awesome 227-pound thresher shark that took over the first place spot in the Open Division, then the TREE HUGGER weighed a 107-pound blue shark, followed by the HOO'S YOUR DADDY with a 126-pound blue. Saturday also had a number of teams clawing for the bluefish prize money and we weighed blues for the TUNA BOX, FULL LOAD, GAME OVER, and STRESS REEL-IEF.

Immediately following a short, powerful and very wet squall that blew over the dockside activities and ended with a magnificent double-rainbow, the NONTYPICAL pulled up on one end of the dock and the MARLIN MAGIC pulled up at the other. Even before the fish was hoisted out of the boat the crowd went nuts! The mako was probably the largest anyone in attendance had ever seen anywhere! To try and make a long-story-short, Jim Hughes while fishing with his friend Capt. Terry Layton had captured himself an 876-pound (11-1/2 foot) mako that not only would take first place in the Mako Division but also set a new Maryland state record for that species. By wonderful coincidence, Frank Gaither who until then had held the record with a 766-pound mako he caught back in 1984 was there to see the catch and congratulate Jim Hughes for his accomplishment.

7th Annual Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic
Sandestin, FL
June 16 - 21, 2009

From the press release:

Destin, Fla. (June 24, 2009) – The 7th annual Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic (ECBC), which took place June 16-21 at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, remained the richest tournament on the Gulf Coast by handing out an incredible $1,292,000.00  in cash awards making this the fourth year in a row the tournament has paid out over a million dollars. In the process, a new tournament record was set in the Blue Marlin Division. Sixty-seven teams participated.

The call came into Tournament Headquarters at 7:30am Saturday morning. The 60-foot Hatteras Jasper Time was clearing the sea buoys with a fat 124-inch blue marlin onboard. Tournament director Shawna Meisner advised them to ice her down and bring her to the scales—the blue would be the first fish weighed when the scales opened at 4:00pm. The news spread like wildfire and a crowd was waiting anxiously as the fish was hoisted… and made 714.7-pounds! A new ECBC record was set and Jasper Time walked away with $325,203.75. Pretty amazing all by itself, but even more amazing when you know that it was angler Chip Temple’s first blue! This was also Capt. Tommy Braden’s second time to the scales—last year he brought in the third place marlin.

The 68-foot Viking A Work of Art, captained by Ron Woodruff, took 1st Place Release Team with two blue and one white marlin released. The team took home $96,647.50 and will have their name inscribed on The Magnificent Blue Perpetual Trophy. Life is Good came in 2nd with two blue marlin released, and Reel Addiction took 3rd with a blue and a white.

The top dolphin, weighing in at 47.8 lbs., was caught by Brian Schwan fishing aboard You Never Know!, a 64-foot Viking captained by Joey Birbeck. Tommy Browning, Jr. fishing aboard the 67-foot Bertram Britney Jean with Capt. Danny Timms, weighed in a 72.6 lb. wahoo for first place in that division. The 60-foot Hatteras First Choice with Capt. Mike Roberto, took top tuna with a 171.1 lb. yellowfin.

Sherry Polk, fishing aboard Share-E, a 48-foot Viking with Capt. Eddie Savoy, was the Top Lady Angler. Shawn Clemons, Jr., fishing aboard the 60-foot Bertram Experts Only with Capt. Dale Gardner, was the Top Junior Angler.

Thirty-seven billfish were released including 15 blue marlin, 15 white marlin and seven sailfish. Overall, 87 gamefish were boated including 42 dolphin, 21 yellowfin & two blackfin tuna and 22 wahoo.

See more at http://www.fishecbc.com/.

Miller High Life PTTS - Final Week
Boca Grande, FL
June 14, 2009

From the press release:

Boca Grande, Fla., June 14, 2009 - The Miller High Life Professional Tarpon Tournament Series presented by Century Boats held held the final event of the its' five week regular series.

Fishing proved to be a challenge for the field of the Top 25 Tarpon fishing teams in the world.  At the start of the event few fish were in World Famous Boca Grande Pass.  During the first two hours only three fish had been landed, two by Team Miller’s Ale House, and one by Team MyELS.com, all were leader released.

Just after 11:00 AM Capt Nick Winger, and his Team Angler Boats, Tampa Bay, FL, hooked up.  After a thirty minute fight the fish was boatside and the Team decided to take it in.  “We knew we had to weigh two, and thought the fish was around 160 LBS” said Capt. Nick Winger, leader of Team Angler Boats.  The Tires Plus scale proved Winger and crew wrong with the fish only weighing in at 119 LBS.  “We were discouraged, but determined to go out, hook a bigger one, and bring it in.”

After losing two fish, one estimated at above 170 LBS, Capt. Troy Sapp, and Team Yamaha radio’s that they had a fish on.  After almost losing the fish to a large hammerhead shark, Team Yamaha jumped on the Florida Fishing Weekly leaderboard with a 140 LB Tarpon, overtaking Angler Boats for first place.

The drama continued as Team Howard Leasing reached the Miller’s Ale House weighboat with a 129 LB Tarpon, that was immediately surpassed by Team Culo Majada’s 130 LB fish.  Shortly after the bite began to taper off.

With official Reactor time at 1:28 Team Angler Boats reported another hook up.

“The fish never jumped so we weren’t sure what we had” said Capt. Nick Winger.  As the fight neared completion the team was unsure of what they would do.  “After misjudging the first fish,  I was nervous about making another guess, so we put it to a team vote, and the decision was made to take it to the scale.”  A decision that would ultimately pay off for Winger, and his crew of Capt. Lori Deaton, Rodney Taucher, and Mike Kopel, but not without some last minute drama. 

With less than ten minutes to go in the event, Team Yamaha radioed in a hook up.  After a short battle, they were headed to the Miller’s Ale House weighboat to weigh in their second fish to challenge Team Angler Boats for the lead.  In addition to Yamaha, Team Hendrick Roofing who had previously weighed in 65 lb Tarpon was headed to the scales with a fish.

“When I heard these fish were coming in, I almost threw up.” said Rodney Taucher, of Team Angler.  Ultimately neither fish was large enough for either Team to take the lead from Angler Boats, but it moved Team Yamaha in to second place, sliding Team Howard Leasing, who weighed in a second fish a mere 52 lbs to third.  Hendrick Roofings’ fish propelled them into the 4th Place slot sliding Team Culo Mojada to fifth place.

With the victory Team Angler won a new Century 2102 Inshore powered by a Yamaha F150 four stroke motor and Continental aluminum trailer, along with four, custom Tarpon Cup Championship Gold Rings.  The total prize package valued at $45,000.

The Tarpon Cup Championship marks the end of the 6th season of the Miller High Life PTTS presented by Century Boats.  During the seven events, 78 Tarpon were weighed in for a total of 10,188 LBS, with the average fish weighing 131 lbs.  Additionaly, 258 Tarpon were leader released, which translates to a fish being released every 49 seconds of competition.  Other highlights include a record setting 217 lb Tarpon which won Week #3, and is the largest Tarpon ever to be weighed during a live release Tarpon fishing event.

See more at http://www.tarponanglersclub.com/.

2009 Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic
Biloxi, MS 
June 3 - 7, 2009

Over $1 million was given out as a large protion of the teams were given a check.  Here are the final results:

Place	Boat	Weight
Blue Marlin:
1.	Sea Hunter	380.4
2.	Four Reel	324.2
Tuna
1.	Testing the Water	822.6
2.	Annie Girl	166.6
3.	Lady Ann	165.9
Dolphin
1.	Goodbye Girl	50.2
2.	Lady Ann	49.0
3.	Hot Black & Sticky	47.5
Wahoo
1.	XS Rated	86.6
2.	Pipe Dream	72.9
3.	Iona Louise	59.1

See the complete list of winners at www.mgcbc.com.  Don't forget to check out TI's photo gallery.

2009 Redfish Cup Series
Kemah, TX
May 28 - 31, 2009

From the press release:

Ben Alderman and Ronnie Pitts won the event with an impressive two-fish stringer that totaled 17.52 pounds and taking home the $40,000 top prize. Their stringer anchored one of the heaviest final days in Redfish Cup history. One of the closest too, just 1.33 pounds separated the final five teams.

Erik Rue and Larry Pucket were second with 16.78 pounds followed by Rick Murphy and Geoff Page in third with 16.28 pounds. Day Two leaders Sonny Granger and Jake Martney were fourth with 16.20 pounds and Chris Wittman and Tom Winrow rounded out the five with 15.19 pounds.

Grass wasn’t the only deciding factor for the winners. They started this event out of the smallest boat in the field. While their competition ran long and far in 21- to 24-foot boats the pair stuck to 18-foot poling skiff. “The weather played right into our hands‘’ Alderman said of the lack of wind in an area known for its wind. Each day the pair would run approximately 100 miles one way to an “Industrial-looking area right across the border." “Ronnie found these fish last year but they had grown this year’’ Alderman said.

See more at http://www.redfishcup.com/.

Miller High Life PTTS - Week 3
Boca Grande, FL
May 31, 2009

From the press release:

Boca Grande, Fla., May 31, 2009 - The Miller High Life Professional Tarpon Tournament Series presented by Century Boats held Week #3 of its five week regular series events this past weekend in Boca Grande Pass, FL.  A sold out field of fifty, four person teams competed in the three hour event.

During the past six years, Week #3 of the Miller High Life PTTS presented by Century Boats, has seen a fish over two hundred pounds reach the Tires Plus scale at the Miller’s Ale House weighboat.  Last year it was Team Fast Lane weighing a 210 lb fish.  The tradition continued in to 2009 when Capt. Artie Price, and Team Miller’s Ale House weighed in a record breaking 217 lb Tarpon, the largest fish weighed in a live release Tarpon fishing tournament, and took first place during Week #3.

“We knew it was going to take 200 lbs to win.” Said Price.  “We let a 140 lb fish go early, and that decision paid off.”

The decision paid off in more ways than one for Team Ale House consisting of Price, Capt. Greg Devault, Capt. Jon Turner, and Frank Massaro, all from New Port Richey, FL.  With the victory the team won a new Century 2102 Inshore powered by a Yamaha F150 four stroke motor and Continental aluminum trailer.  In addition, Price and crew extended their lead in the Yamaha Team of the Year Race by securing a single day points total of 617, shattering the previous record of 555 points set by Capt. Doug Creek last week.  Heading in to Week #4, Team Ale House has 1,397 points, 427 points ahead of the second place team, Culo Majado.

See more at http://www.tarponanglersclub.com/.

MBGFC 2009 Memorial Day Tournament
Orange Beach, Alabama
May 29 - 31, 2009

With only one blue marlin weighed, Doctor J took home first with a 475.4 lb blue.  Check out the rest of the final results:

Place	Boat	Weight
Catch and Release:
1.	Blue Eyes
2.	Cocoon
3.	High C's
4.	Attila
Tuna
1.	Sundowner	165.6
2.	J Sea	165.2
3.	Blue Eyes	163.0
Dolphin
1.	J Sea	46.6
2.	Chichi1	43.0
3.	Iona Louise	43.0
Wahoo
1.	Chichi1	66.2
2.	Lucky 2	63.4
3.	Triple Threat	63.0

See the complete list of winners at www.mbgfc.org.  Don't forget to check out TI's photo gallery.

1st Round Results for the 2009 SC Governor's Cup - Edisto Marina
Edisto Beach, SC
May 21, 2009

From the press release:

The 2009 South Carolina Governors Cup Billfishing Series got underway May 13-16 at the annual Edisto Marina Billfish Tournament.

This year commemorates the 21st season of the Governor’s Cup Billfishing Series, a program coordinated by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that has accomplished much towards the promotion and enhancement of marine resources conservation, most notably the 100 percent release rate of billfish caught and released during the 2008 Series. This year, the Series consists of four tournaments along the SC coast, concluding July 25 with the Bohicket Marina Invitational Billfish Tournament.

Despite small craft advisories that prevented fishing on day one, the weather was excellent   for both Friday and Saturday for the 27 boats participating in this Series tournament.  Wally Jenkins and Amy Dukes, Series Program Coordinator and Tournament Coordinator, respectively, said that the fishing was excellent.  "The hospitality extended to the fleet and enthusiastic support of the citizens and leaders of Edisto Beach helped kick off what is likely to be a great year for the Series," according to Jenkins.    

Jenkins and Dukes recorded 13 billfish caught and released by participating anglers during the tournament, including 11 blue marlin and 2 sailfish. In addition, a total of 355 dolphin were landed during the weekend.  However no tuna or wahoo were landed.

Points and awards are accrued during the South Carolina Governor’s Cup Series tournaments and include: 600 points for a blue marlin released in good condition, 300 points for a white marlin released, and 200 points for a sailfish released.  Additionally, boats are awarded 25 participation points for each Series tournament entered up to a maximum of three events. 

The Outstanding Billfish Boat was awarded to "Miss Magnolia," owned and captained by Tram Colket.  Anglers caught and released two blue marlins, accruing 1200 points. "Miss Magnolia" also earned top honors as the Outstanding Billfish Conservationist boat for tagging and releasing both marlins.

Second place for Outstanding Billfish Boat went to "Blue Sky," owned by Greg Smith. Steven Crammer captained the boat which caught and released a blue marlin on Friday.    

"Fin Addict" won third place for Outstanding Billfish Boat, the boat is owned and captained by Danny Massalon. Angler Tara Asbill caught and released a blue marlin and also earned the honor of being designated Outstanding Lady Angler.

 Kasey Dantzler aboard "Dough Boy" won second place Lady Angler with the release of a sailfish, while Kym Harrington on "My Time Out" came in third for the capture of a 19.2 pound dolphin.
Outstanding Dolphin was awarded to "Rapid Pace," owned by Sam Schirmer and Trey Banks and captained by Schirmer.  Angler Trey Sires landed a 52.6 pound dolphin to earn top honors.
 
Will Gould won first place for Outstanding Youth Angler for a 29.4 pound dolphin catch aboard "KiKi."  While second place for Outstanding Youth Angler went to Buster Murdaugh for reeling in a 26.8 pound dolphin aboard "Blacksheep." 

The "Blacksheep" also successfully tagged and released 11 dolphin earning then 550 points towards the Blue Water Conservation Award. 

Don't forget to check the photo gallery to view the winners.

Miller High Life PTTS - Week 1
Boca Grande, FL
May 17, 2009

From the press release:

Boca Grande, Fla., May 17, 2009- The Miller High Life Professional Tarpon Tournament Series presented by Century Boats held Week #1 of it’s five week regular series events this past weekend in Boca Grande Pass, FL.  A sold out field of fifty, four person teams competed in the three hour event which awarded a new Century 2102 Inshore powered by a Yamaha F150 four stroke motor and Continental Trailer for first prize.

Strong East winds, and dirty water usually means less than ideal Tarpon fishing conditions in Boca Grande Pass, but conventional thinking was proven wrong.  Twenty-one fished were leader released, with thirteen fish making it Miller’s Ale House weighboat.

Team Yamaha, led by Capt. Troy Sapp hooked a fish just before the end of the tournament that took them in to overtime.  The Yamaha team was able to land the fish before the sudden death overtime ended, and it registered 167 lbs. 

Team Culo Majado has been fishing the Miller High Life PTTS since its’ inception seven years ago, and has had 4 Top 5 finishes, but this is their first victory.  With the win Team Culo Majada took the lead in the Yamaha Team of the Year Race with 570 points.

Rounding out the rest of the Top Five was Team Yamaha, 167 lbs.; Team MGD 64, 155 lbs.; Team Miller’s Ale House, 155 lbs; and Team Angler Boat Corporation.

See more at http://www.tarponanglersclub.com/.

SKA Palm Beach 440
Lake Park, FL
May 16, 2009

From the press release:

Lake Park, Florida - After getting pictures taken at the dock, George Mitchell’s Snake Dancer team moved quickly to the stage at the Lake Park City Marina, site of the second annual Palm Beach Offshore 440 Tournament. While team members Ralph and Kyle Smith, and Danny Carroll, were excited and anxious to see their king on the scale, it was George Mitchell, the proud father of Eddie Mitchell, who was most excited. If he told me once, he told me and the crowd watching the show on stage three times, that it was his eleven-year-old son who struck the fish and brought her to gaff.

Jim Scharfschwerdt read the LED numbers as the scale settled, “62.82” he shouted into the microphone, and of course the whole team began their high fives. The biggest king of the season so far was just scaled, the Snake Dancer got into the sixty-pound club, plus an SKA record was set by a junior angler and oh yes, they won the event also!

After taking a lot of pictures for posterity, George told the crowd that this was not his biggest king ever caught. He had a seventy-one several years ago. He also thanked his team for working so hard. “We fished a lot of baits today,” he continued. We caught her in 110 feet of water with a blue runner dangling on the kite.”

George Mitchell works with Yamaha Outboards in a public relations capacity, fishes tournaments, and does Yamaha’s Saltwater Fishing School. He has been the focus of many television shows, and is a very accomplished angler. Snake Dancer is a Yamaha powered Contender. Eddie was the Top Junior Angler both for the tournament and the SKA.

See more at http://www.fishska.com/.

26th Maryland Saltwater Sportfisherman's Association Spring Rockfish Tournament
Chesapeake Bay, MD
May 1 - 3, 2009

From the press release:

(PASADENA, MD) – The 26th annual Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen’s Association (MSSA) 26th annual spring tournament, Championship on the Chesapeake, ended on Sunday with 560 boats and nearly 3,000 anglers taking part in the fishing classic.

The three day tournament started on Friday at 6:00 AM and ended Sunday when all ten weigh stations shut down at 5:00PM. Friday marked the first big fish and what would ultimately be dubbed the winner. Chuck Falter of Middle River, MD brought a 47.2 pound rockfish into the Herrington Harbor weigh station. Falter caught this magnificent fish just west of Sharps Island in 55 feet of water using chartreuse tandem parachutes. “There is skill involved but luck plays a big role. Being at the right place at the right time has a lot to do with it”, said Rich Novotny, Executive Director of the MSSA.

For the next two days Falter anxiously fished for an even larger rockfish, meanwhile hoping his 47-pounder would hold up. Saturday and Sunday came and went with several fish in the 40-pound area, but nothing close to Falter’s 47. On Sunday the top ten took a dramatic hit as four fish weighing in the mid-forties came to the weigh stations. But, once again, Falter’s fish held on. Billy James of Arlington, Virginia reeled in a 45.3 pound rockfish to secure second place and 1st place in all of the TWT’s, giving him a grand total of $67,570. James hooked this beauty near buoy 78 at 10:30 AM. James said he was using a white parachute and shad with a purple head. James had to overcome some adversity earlier in the week when his boat blew a motor. A friend was kind enough to lend James his 19-foot Triumph boat for the tournament. “Once again we see the second place fish winning all of the TWT’s. You have to enter all of the TWT’s or you will miss out on some big money”, said Smith of the MSSA. John T. Dove of Annandale, Virginia reeled in a 45 pound rockfish at 11:30 A.M. Friday morning, placing him third in the overall tournament and second in the TWT’s. His winnings total $29,115. Dove caught this beast on a white parachute just south of Cedar Point. Raymond Cleaveland of Waldorf came in fourth place in the main tournament and third place in the TWT’s with his 44.6 pound rockfish. Cleaveland will be walking away with $9,521. Stephen Smith of Hanover, Pennsylvania walked away with $15,101 for weighing in a 42.65 pound rockfish. Smith was fifth overall and placed in all of the TWT’s. In the Charter Boat and Professional Division, Captain Robert Wetherald weighed in a 46.35 pound rockfish securing him first place overall and first place in all of the TWT’s. Wetherald will be receiving $10,200 for his efforts out on the Bay. Second place went to Captain Charlie Sisson on Back Draft out of Chesapeake Beach, MD. Sisson brought in a 42.55 pound rockfish on Friday worth $6,220. Finally, third place went to Captain Rick Huckleby who weighed in a 41.15 pound rockfish winning him $4,480.

Don't forget to check the photo gallery to view the winners. See more at http://www.mssa.net/.

Marathon Offshore Bull & Cow  Dolphin Tournament
Marathon, FL 
April 30 - May 3, 2009

Final Results:

Place	Boat	Weight
Dolphin (Largest Bull & Cow Combined:
1.	Reel Conch	89.0
2.	Endless Summer	51.2
3.	The Natural	50.6
Largest Dolphin Overall:
1.	Reel Conch	53.0
3 Largest Dolphin Overall:
1.	Reel Conch	123.8
2.	Cara Mira	73.9
3.	Don't Panic	71.4

See the complete list of winners at www.marathonoffshoretournament.com.

The World Sailfish Championship
Key West, FL
April 14 – 18, 2009

Congratulations to GET LIT on 22 sailfish releases, winning over $340,000, and being crowned the 2009 World Sailfish Champions.

Final Results:

Place	Boat	Releases
1.	Get Lit	22
2.	Excavator	19
3.	Weez in the Keys	19
4.	Owl's Nest	14
5.	Lights Out	14
6.	Jichi	14
7.	Rock Star	13
8.	The Reel McCoy	13
9.	Miss Britt	12
10.	Fish Tales	12

SKA Tournament of Champions
Treasure Island, FL
April 18, 2009

Team Due West battled tough seas and toppled the field of 74 boats to win the SKA Tournament of Champions with a 41.53 pound kingfish.

Open Class
Place	Team	Weight
1.	Due West	41.53
2.	G-Force	37.26
3.	Bimini Twist	36.54
4.	Idle Time	35.91
5.	Constant Chaos	29.79
6.	Delosa's/Marshall Law	29.47
7.	Courtside Grill/Top Gun	28.88
8.	C.R.A.P. Happens	26.78
9.	Fish Bonz	26.62
10.	Surreel	28.55
23 Class
1.	Poon Daddy	28.38
2.	Team Boothe Construction	25.89
Junior
1.	Courtside Grill / Top Gun
Ladies
1.	Sea Dog - Karen Bixler
Mack Stalker

Bahamas Billfish Championship - Bimini Championship Leg
Bimini, Bahamas
April 14 - 17, 2009

Team Crush Em' captained by Ronald Bennett edged out Team The Edge for first place by time with one blue marlin release.  Teams The Edge captained by Mason Brown III and Real Estate captained by Robert Harrell finished 2nd and 3rd respectfully with blue marlin releases.

The Bahamas Billfish Championship has taken place annually since its first season in 1973.  Spanning April through June, all championship tournaments are governed by a uniform set of rules controlling minimum lengths for qualifying billfish, line class, fishing hours, and entry fees.  Anglers can fish any or all the tournaments with cumlative points determining the overall Bahamas Billfish Champions.

See the complete winner list at http://www.bahamasbillfish.com/.

IFA Redfish Tour Rockport, TX
Gulf Coast Division
Rockport, Texas
April 18, 2009

Final Results:

Place	Team	Weight
1.	Jay Watkins/Jay Ray Watkins	17.67
2.	Bennie Hatten/Gary Sills	17.12
3.	Geoff Bennett/Rudy Romero	16.96
4.	Glen Watts/Mike Miller	16.90
5.	Eddie Curry/Skipper Mock	16.64
6.	Kevin Akin/Chris Coulter	16.63
7.	Len Know/Pete Lopez	16.55
8.	John Bremser/Chris Burns	16.55
9.	Scott Belcher/Justin Henne	16.22
10.	Mike Shimek/Kurt Koliba	16.16

See the complete leaderboard at http://www.redfishtour.com/divisions.html.