PRESS RELEASE
For
immediate release
August 22,
2010
CHACH TOP BOAT AFTER SECOND DAY OF FISHING IN THE 38TH
ANNUAL
USVI OPEN/ATLANTIC BLUE MARLIN TOURNAMENT
St. Thomas,
U.S. Virgin Islands. The marlin bite seemed equal opportunity on this second day
of fishing in the 38th Annual USVI Open/Atlantic Blue Marlin
Tournament (ABMT). Sixteen boats that went fishless yesterday bounded onto the
scoreboard with from one to four releases, while yesterday’s top two boats, Click Through and Black Pearl, went fishless today.
Chach, a Monterey 58, was one of the few
boats to score both days and their consistency paid off in a total of five
released blue marlin to take over the Top Boat lead.
“We headed
up to Anegada the first day, saw three marlin and caught all three,” says
angler/owner, Damon Chouest, from Louisiana. “Today, we went to the North Drop
with the rest of the fleet. We released two mid-morning and then it was
slow….until the last five minutes of fishing. A marlin came right up to the
teaser and took about 50 yards of line. It was perfect. Then, he shook his
head, out popped the hook and that was it, we lost him. We were so
disappointed. That would have given us our sixth release and put us more
securely in the lead.”
Chouest
continues, “Don’t get me wrong, we’re pleased to be where we are. This is one
of the hardest tournaments in the world because of the level of talent here.
That’s why our plan for tomorrow is to focus on our consistency, technical
execution and catching fish.”
Lady Brianna, a Viking 50, not only jumped on
the scoreboard today, the Puerto Rican-based boat rocketed into second place in
the boat category by releasing four blue marlin – two of them a double-header
scored in the last hour of fishing.
“We started
out today off Anegada and saw one fish that pulled the hook,” says Capt.
Edgardo Torres. “After that, we decided to run 18 miles further offshore until
we saw blue water. That did the trick. We set out the baits and caught our
first fish four minutes later.”
Lady Brianna anglers released one more blue
marlin and then fishing slowed. It wasn’t for long though, as Torres soon saw a
fish come up to the right long rigger and was shortly peeling off line. Seconds
later, another marlin bit on the left long and a double-header fight ensued.
“Everything
happened so fast,” says Marielle Brandon, an avid lady angler originally from
Puerto Rico who has taught science at St. Thomas’ Ivanna Eudora Kean High
School for many years. “We were nervous that we wouldn’t catch them and
overjoyed when we did.”
As a bonus,
the Lady Brianna anglers also reeled
in a 30-pound plus wahoo, which they served for dinner to celebrate being high
boat for the day.
Click Through, Keith English’s Wanchese 68 went
fishless today, but hung onto third best boat for the tournament by being the
first to release three blue marlin.
In angler
standings, Damon Chouest on Chach is
in first place with three releases, Bill Gettens on Black Pearl is second with two releases, and Mike Walsh on De-Bait-Able is third, also with two
releases.
A total of
64 blue marlin have been released in two days of fishing by the forty-one boat
fleet.
The angling action continues Monday and concludes Wednesday, with a
layday for the full moon.
For the
first time, viewers can get in on the fun from anywhere in the world by
entering the boat pool on line for the chance to win prizes. Visit: www.abmt.vi/pages/boatpool.htm
to learn more.
The public can catch the spirit of sport fishing by ‘doing the docks' or
watching the big rigs come in around 6:30 p.m. and counting the number of
marlin release flags flying from the outriggers. The more flags, the more marlin the boat released. Blue
signals the catch was a blue marlin, while white flags denote a white marlin.
Commemorative tournament T-shirts will be on sale each night of the event and
there will be a cash bar and other festivities on the docks.
On Monday,
enjoy Cheese Burgers in Paradise. The Boy Scouts invite visitors and locals
alike to their cookout at Camp Wahoo, located by the tournament tent at the
American Yacht Harbor Marina. The Caribbean Night Show starts at 8 p.m.
The ABMT’s final fishing action on Wednesday ends with the sport fishing
fleet's swift Jim Smith ‘Race from the Edge’ at 4:30 p.m. The best place to
watch this often photo finish is from the spit of land past the pool at the
Sapphire Beach Resort. The Awards Ceremony takes place later in the evening
along with the naming of the 2010 USVI Open/Atlantic Blue Marlin Top
Started by
Chuck Senf back in 1972 – and nicknamed The Boy Scout Tournament since a
portion of the proceeds have always benefited the VI Council of the Boy Scouts
of America, one of Senf’s favorite charities – the ABMT has evolved into the
competitive saltwater sports fishing events in the world. It’s one of legs of
the prestigious Bermuda Triangle Series and Spanish Main Series. This year,
Senf’s grandson, Blain Tomlinson, is traveling from California to present his
grandfather’s famous fishing jacket, a true piece of Virgin Islands fishing
history, at the Awards Ceremony.
The ABMT is fished under International Game Fishing Association (IGFA)
rules, and is overseen by a professional Board of Captains and well-qualified
observers.
The
tournament benefits the Virgin Islands Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
For more information, call: 1-888-2-FISHVI (1-888-234-7484), or
340-775-9500, or Fax: 340-779-8605, or visit www.abmt.vi
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