REEL TIGHT WINS 45TH ANNUAL JULY OPEN BILLFISH TOURNAMENT
Best Boat Winners Reel Tight (photo Pat Ford)
REEL TIGHT WINS 45TH ANNUAL JULY OPEN BILLFISH TOURNAMENT
by Carol Bareuther, RD
July 17, 2008
Top Boat honors in the 45th annual July Open Billfish Tournament went to Reel Tight, and you could call it by divine intervention. Just weeks ago, owner, avid Virgin Islands' sports fishermen and Hillsboro Beach, Florida-based angler, Jim Lambert, passed away after a long fight with cancer.
"It was always his idea that we would continue. We all have a shared love of fishing," says Reel Tight mate, Robert 'Fly' Navarro.
Tournament fishing started out slow for the 16-boat fleet and Reel Tight went fishless on the first day.
"It was one of those 'awww man' type of days," says Reel Tight captain, Eddie Herbert.
Luck on the 82-foot Merritt, based out of Hillsboro, Florida, changed the next day.
"It was about 11 a.m. when we rigged Jim's special Reel Tight lure and put it in the water," says mate, Joe Figiel. "We didn't catch anything on it, but just putting it in the water changed our luck."
Reel Tight released three fish on both the second and third days of this three-day tournament to end with 6 releases and the Top Boat prize.
"We've never won this tournament before," says Lambert's son, Jimmy Lambert, who fished as one of the anglers. "I think you could say my dad was with us in spirit."
Big Oh, a 63-foot Scarborough finished Second Top Boat, with five blue marlin releases, all by owner/angler, Gray Ingram. Ingram was awarded Top Angler and gets his name engraved on the prestigious 'Give 'm Line' Trophy.
"We've never fished the Virgin Islands before, but we've heard how good the fishing was," says Ingram, who homeports out of Jupiter Beach, Florida. "The first day was slow, but it picked up after that. We'll be here for fishing for the summer."
Black Gold, an ACY 65' owned by Boca Raton, Florida's Harry Sargeant, finished Third Top Boat with the release of (five blue marlin.)
"Fishing kept getting better and better every day," says Sargeant.
The Virgin Islands' Gamefishing Club hosted July Open Billfish Tournament benefits the Boys & Girls Club.
For full results, visit www.vigfc.com
BITE TURNS ON AT 45TH ANNUAL JULY OPEN BILLFISH TOURNAMENT
by Carol Bareuther, RD
July 16, 2008
The marlin bite turned hot during the second day of fishing in the 45th annual July Open Billfish Tournament. This was especially so for local sports fishing charter boat, Black Pearl. “We saw one fish yesterday and eight today,” says Capt. Jim Estraca. “Today, we headed up to the top of the Drop and I kept circling around. We saw five in the morning and another three in the afternoon, although we only got a release on one of them. But, it was great. The fish are out there.”
The crew of Black Pearl.
(photo Dean Barnes)
Storm clouds that gave way to sun, the seas laying down calmer, and the fish-catching effect of the full moon being just a few days away were all reasons fishermen gave for the tournament’s better second day bite.
Gray Ingram’s Big Oh jumped into the lead with three fish released.
The Reel Tight also released a total of three fish, but is second on the scoreboard having reached their three after Big Oh.
Eric Leech, mate aboard Reel Tight says, “We saw four and released three, including one that jumped up the side of the boat and took out a swatch of fiberglass.”
Local sports fishing charter boat, Abigail III, rounds out the top three.
“We saw three today and released one,” says Abigail III’s captain, Red Bailey. “One pulled the hook and one we missed. Still, it was twice the amount we saw yesterday.”
Other tournament boats also had good days of fishing.
Gary Domel, the Texas-based owner or Deguello, says, “We saw five today and hooked up two. Definitely better than yesterday.”
Harry Sargeant, the Florida-based owner of Black Gold and an avid Virgin Islands sports fishermen, adds, “We saw two and caught one. The weather was a whole lot nicer than yesterday.”
The 16-boat tournament fleet ended the day collectively with 15 hook-ups and 12 releases, compared to 10 hook-ups and 5 releases on the first day.
The late sports fishing legend, Johnny Harms, was one of a handful of early movers-and-shakers on the Virgin Islands angling scene that started the July Open Billfish Tournament. This year, Harms daughter, Erva Robbins, and granddaughter, Kim Shufflebarger, from Kansas, are in attendance. Their goal isn’t to win the tournament or even catch fish, but to research a book about Harms life.
“I remember being here on the docks as a kid with my grandfather,” says Shufflebarger. “Back then, we didn’t think he was doing anything special. Now, we’re learning just how special his early pioneering days really were.”
Tournament fishing wraps up tomorrow.
The Virgin Islands’ Gamefishing Club hosted July Open Billfish Tournament benefits the Boys & Girls Club.
ABIGAIL III TAKES THE FIRST DAY LEAD IN THE 45TH ANNUAL JULY OPEN BILLFISH TOURNAMENT
by Carol Bareuther, RD
July 15, 2008
Rough seas and elusive fish didn't stop local sports fishing charter boat, Abigail III, with Capt. Red Bailey and the helm and veteran Florida husband-and-wife fishing team, Tim and Kathleen Aylward, from defending their Best Boat title in the 45th annual July Open Billfish Tournament. Tim Aylward released the first blue marlin of the tournament to put Abigail III in the Day One lead.
A passing tropical depression ramped up 6 to 8 foot seas on the North Drop and damped the fish catching action for the 16-boat fleet. Even so, five boats put their names on the scoreboard with the release of a single blue marlin apiece.
"We saw one fish (blue marlin) and released one," says Brooks Smith, the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida-based owner of Uno Mas, in second place.
Gray Ingram, who hails from Jupiter, Florida, and owns the Big Oh, caught the third marlin of the day and ended his boat in third. But, if there were a prize for best fish story of the day, Ingram would have won.
"The marlin came right in the boat when we flooded the cockpit backing down," says Ingram, pointing to a dime-sized hole in the floor left by the marlin's bill. "The fish started swimming around, wrapping line around fighting chair with the Observer scooting to get out of its way. It finally went back out the cockpit door when we opened it and released the fish. It was only about a 150-pounder, but it sure made for a lot of excitement."
Angler Gray Ingram (second from left) and crew on Big Oh finish the day in 3rd place, but with the best fish story.
(photo Dean Barnes)
Gulf Rascal and Game On finished the day fourth and fifth, respectively, on the scoreboard.
Capt. Billy Borer, aboard the Gulf Rascal and long-time Virgin Islands sports fishermen, says, "It was a slow day, but we expect the fishing to pick up as the weather clears and we run up to the full moon."
One of the bright spots of the day's fishing was a raffle of $100 each held at 10 a.m., Noon, and 3 p.m. Marlin Men At Sea, a charitable organization that benefits captains and crews, sponsored the raffle. Today's winners were Aeriel Donovan, mate board Abigail III; Matt Coffen, mate aboard Deguello; and Shawn Skinner, mate on Game On. Another $300 a day will be raffled to professional sport fishing crews over the next two days of fishing.
Fishing continues tomorrow and wraps up Thursday.
Proceeds from the JOT benefit the Boys & Girls Club of the Virgin Islands.
45TH ANNUAL JULY OPEN BILLFISH TOURNAMENT KICKS OFF TUESDAY.
by Carol Bareuther, RD
July 14, 2008
Summer marlin mania kicks into full swing with this week's July Open Billfish Tournament (JOBT), the oldest sports fishing event in the Virgin Islands boasting a 45-year tradition of fishing fun. Customarily this tournament has been fished over the Fourth of July holiday. But since the full moon is better for a blue marlin bite, the host Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club (VIGFC) decided a few years ago to move the date to three day's before the month's full moon - July 15, 16 and 17.
"We expect the fishing to get hotter and hotter as we approach the full moon," says Capt. Red Bailey, who runs the local sports fishing charter boat, Abigail III, and who earned Best Boat last year.
Bailey is looking forward to defending his title as is New Port Ritchie, Florida, angler, Tim Aylward, who won Top Angler and the prestigious Give 'm Line trophy last year with four blue marlin releases. Aylward fished aboard Abigail III, with wife, Kathleen, as fellow angler, and Bailey at the helm. The Aylwards are back again this year with Bailey aboard the Abigail III.
Over 60 anglers aboard 16 boats - hailing from the Virgin Islands and U.S. mainland - will take to the seas tomorrow for the first day of fishing.
Anglers sign up while marine artist, Carey Chen, paints a blue marlin mural on the wall of the newly renovated Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club.
Tournament director, Jeff Kreiner, says, "This is a 100 percent billfish release tournament. Therefore, we have an IGFA (International Game Fishing Association) certified observer on each boat."
This is the fifth year Bob Malerba, who hails from Connecticut, will coordinate the observers. "About half of our observers are local and the other half are from as far away as Colorado," Malerba says.
He adds, "Observers make sure each boat has a level playing field out there on the seas. We're not there to intimidate, but to authenticate the catches and help the boats follow the rules."
Fishing takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. Boats will set their sights on scoring the most release points for blue marlin, white marlin and sailfish.
Dock parties are planned every night.
"There will be lots of music, food and drinks at the American Yacht Harbor Marina and at our Clubhouse across the street," says Kreiner.
The JOBT is stepped in history. The event made fishing headlines around the world in 1968 when on the first day of competition, St. Thomas angler Elliot Fishman brought in an 845-pound marlin that gained him the world record for this species. In 2001, the VIGFC started a tag and release format and no marlin have been boated since.
Tournament history was made again this year when famous marine artist, Carey Chen, sketched a full-color life-size blue marlin on the newly renovated Club's wall.
Proceeds from the JOT benefit the Boys & Girls Club of the Virgin Islands.
See the July
Open tournament page for all the details!
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