59 marlins caught during the current tournament

Blue marlin and other game fish took the bait in droves over the weekend during the first three-day leg of this year’s Scrub Island Invitational Billfish Tournament.

For $5,000 each, 12 sport fishing boats carrying up to six people registered for the first stage of the tournament and planned entertainment, according to event organizers. By Monday, participants were in the final day of the first stage, and event organizer Jennifer Dudas was already declaring this year’s tournament a success.

“The fishing was very good,” Dudas told the Tag“I think every team caught at least one fish, so that’s encouraging.”

During the first stage, 59 marlins weighing between 200 and 700 pounds were caught and released, as well as seven sailfish, according to the organizer.

As she was answering another question, Ms. Dudas had to interrupt her conversation with the Tag to respond to a competitor who reported that he had just caught a blue marlin.

“The Gulf Rascal“We got you,” she said over the radio. “I was contacted at 11:47. Good luck.”

The Scrub Island Invitational is the territory’s second billfish tournament in just over a month, following closely on the heels of the inaugural North Drop Open held Aug. 8-10 in Virgin Gorda.

A leg to stand on

After three days of trolling the North Drop under their hulls, fishermen began appearing on the horizon just after 5:30 p.m. Monday, their course set on the wide open waters of Scrub Island.

Since the tournament was catch and release only, anglers returned to the marina with photos, stories and not much else.

However, it is the stories that keep fishermen coming back for more.

When asked if they were having a good time so far, Darling Marlin Owner Bobby Jacobsen, a Florida native, spoke on behalf of the crew.

“Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah!” Mr. Jacobsen said aboard his 62-foot fishing boat Spencer.

The team caught a blue marlin that day weighing about 250 pounds, he estimated.

Mr Jacobsen’s team was in fifth place with 3,200 points, and he said he was “absolutely” looking forward to the second leg. With 5,000 points, the boat Doña Lucy from Puerto Rico finished the first stage in first place.

As the crew pulled into the marina, they cheered and whistled to celebrate their victory. A Puerto Rican flag flying from the back of the boat, with the silhouette of a marlin instead of a star, informed the other teams of their home island.

As a member of Marlin Magazine Using a smartphone to live stream, three crew members dove from the yacht’s flybridge while dance music played through its speakers.

They had reason to rejoice: Doña Lucy They nearly swept the competition, catching and releasing nine blue marlin to take home most of the prizes in the first leg.

In total, they won $104,466.67 out of an available prize of $157,600.

Jackpot

There are several ways to win the tournament.

For example, half of each participant’s registration fee goes into a pot reserved for the top three teams in terms of points.

Teams receive 500 points for each blue marlin caught and released, and 100 for each white marlin, spearfish and sailfish.

After half of the entry fee is added together, 50% of the prize money goes to first place, 30% to second and 20% to third. The individual anglers, both male and female, with the highest scores also win a trophy and other prizes.

In addition to the entry fees and base prizes, there are four different optional jackpots that boats can enter for.

For those brave enough with their money, the winner-take-all jackpot costs $5,000, but the team with the most points wins the full 88 percent.

Teams that wanted to take a chance on every jackpot available for the first leg — like Doña Lucy — paid $35,000, including registration fees.

Second step

Yesterday marked the start of the second stage, which will continue until tomorrow.

When registration closed Tuesday evening, all but two of the 12 boats originally scheduled had registered, according to organizers.