The Bermuda Big Game Classic update is below. The big news in Bermuda
today (Monday July 13), other than local politics, is that visiting boat
"Reel Lax" released a MASSIVE blue marlin estimated to be in the range of
1,000 - 1,200 lbs. Apparently, they have some fantastic video footage to
document this achievement. Before they hooked the big blue they had
already released a 450 pounder. The offshore situation is pretty good
right now - the yellowfin have eased back a bit, but they are still
available and there are blackfin and skipjack tuna out there too. "Reel
Addiction" boated 7 yellowfin today to 60 lb along with a blackfin and some
skipjack tuna and rainbow runner etc., and "Gringo" caught four yellowfin
on Saturday.
 
 
Sunday July 12
 
BREE SWEEPS 2009 BERMUDA BIG GAME CLASSIC
 
The beautiful 72' Merritt, "Bree", with Capt. Bryce Garvey and team were
the BIG WINNERS in the 2009 Classic. This team released three blue marlin
on Day Two (two were part of a double header success) and then boated a 558
pounder down near the NW of Argus bank on Day Three to take the lion's
share of the jackpot winnings. The biggest blue marlin in the 2009 Classic
was the 594 pounder taken by local boat "Reel Hot" on Day One (this is the
first year that the biggest blue in the Classic has been under 600 lb), but
"Reel Hot" was not entered in the overall Largest Blue Marlin Jackpot and
so the 558 lb blue aboard "Bree" was worth $134,333 for taking the big
$105,000 pot as well as the Day Three Blue Marlin Jackpot worth $29,333.
The three blue marlin released on Day Two earned "Bree" the Day Two Release
Jackpot worth $27,333, and was good enough for the overall Most Release
Points Jackpot worth $90,000, and the separate release points award worth
$7,500. In addition, their tally of 2,058 points secured them First Place
honors worth $45,000 more, and they won the Manufacturer's Cup which comes
with an additional $8,000 of cash. So, their total cash winnings came to
$312,166 and needless to say they won enough trophies and other goodies
such that they will need all of their 72 feet of boat to haul everything
back home when they leave Bermuda - HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO CAPT. BRYCE
GARVEY AND THE TEAM ABOARD BREE !! There was a standing ovation at the
awards ceremony because this is a class act team who are very well liked by
all the locals and visitors. They have fished Bermuda every year since
inception of the Triple Crown and have enjoyed considerable success - this
is the fourth consecutive year that they have brought a qualifying (i.e.,
500 lb+) blue marlin to the scales at Barr's Bay Park during a Triple Crown
event - I am pretty sure that no other boat has matched that achievement.
 
Brian Lines' "Off Piste" scored with a blue marlin release and two white
releases on Day Two to add to their blue marlin release on Day One and this
secured them 2nd Place honors, worth $22,500, with 1,400 points. This is a
good local team who are on a roll as they also finished 2nd in the 2009
Blast, and they have had success before - they caught the heaviest blue
marlin in the 2006 Blast, which also secured the local world cup calcutta
winnings that year.
 
Locals Henry Smith and team aboard "Attitude" scored an important white
release on Day Two, and then at 1:04 pm on Day Three they had a double
header of good blue marlin hooked-up. The first blue was successfully
released at 1:45 pm, but the second one sounded and died and they boated it
at 3:51 pm. At Barr's Bay Park it tipped the scales at 516 lb, which
secured them 3rd Place honors worth $15,000. Interestingly, this team
could have secured the Day Three Release Jackpot worth a bit more money had
they let the second blue sink, but instead they won a much more prestigious
honor in taking 3rd Place in the Classic; the second fish was already dead
and the marlin meat was put to good use by several of the local charter
boats.
 
The beneficiary of Henry's decision was Ricky Sousa's "Over Budget" with a
blue marlin release and a white release to capture the Day Three Release
Jackpot worth $27,333. On Day Two, "Won Buy Land" (the 2006 Blast winner)
boated a 519 lb blue marlin that won the Day Two Blue Marlin Jackpot worth
$29,333. The Game Fish award, worth $7,500, was taken by "Wound Up" with a
57 lb wahoo. That's three of the past five Triple Crown events that "Wound
Up" has been in the cash awards. As an aside, I am quite sure that Dan
Jacobs knew exactly what he was doing when he introduced "World Cup winner
Stefan Olsen" to the crowd at the awards dinner - Nice one Dan !!!
 
I was aboard Capt. Cragin's "Reel Addiction" on Day Two and Day Three. At
3:46 pm on Day Two we had a good blue marlin lit up in the spread on the
shorts up near Long Point. It was a pretty bite on the short left and
Forster Darling was hooked-up solid. It took about 50 minutes to catch the
blue and we then spent a good amount of time measuring and debating to
release or not as she was clearly right around the 500 lb mark. In the
ended we opted for the release (see picture attached). No undersize blue
marlin have been brought in during the 2009 Triple Crown Series, which is
great - keep it up everyone !
 
Dan Jacobs, Raul Miranda and the Tournament Committee team did another
brilliant job. They are friendly and have great senses of humor and at the
same time are 100% professional, deeply experienced and completely
respected by all. Quite simply they are the best in the business and we
Bermudians are so grateful for the job they do and the huge success they
have made of the Bermuda Triple Crown Series !!!
 
The fleet statistics are as follows - On Day One there was a 594 lb blue
marlin boated, 7 blue marlin released and 11 whites released; On Day Two
there was a 519 lb blue marlin boated, 15 blue marlin released and 14
whites released; On Day Three there were two blue marlin boated (558 and
516 lb), 10 blue marlin released and 9 whites released. The totals are 4
blue marlin boated, 32 blue marlin released and 34 whites released.
 
The final 2009 Classic standings are as follows:
 
1. Bree - 1 blue boated 558 lbs; 3 blue releases - 2,058 points and cash
winnings of $312,166
2. Off Piste - 2 blue releases; 2 white releases - 1,400 points and cash
winnings of $22,500
3. Attitude - 1 blue boated 516 lbs; 1 blue release; 1 white release -
1,216 points and cash winnings of $15,000
4. Tantrum - 2 blue releases; 1 white release - 1,200 points
5. Won Buy Land - 1 blue boated 519 lbs; 1 blue release - 1,019 points
and cash winnings of $29,333
6.  Queen of Hearts - 2 blue releases - 1,000
7. Chasin - 5 white releases - 1,000
8. Que Mas - 2 blue releases - 1,000 points and cash winnings of $27,333
9. Lisa - 2 blue releases - 1,000
10. Weez in the Keys - 2 blue releases
11. Foreign Exchange - 2 blue releases
12. Mama Who - 1 blue release; 2 white releases - 900
13. Sea Scorpion - 1 blue released; 2 white releases - 900
14. Sea Toy - 1 blue release; 1 white release - 700
15. Playmate - 1 blue release; 1 white release - 700
16. Over Budget - 1 blue release; 1 white release - 700 points and cash
winnings of $27,333
17. Overproof - 1 blue release; 1 white release - 700
18. Triple Play - 1 blue release; 1 white release - 700
19. Reel Hot - 1 blue boated 594 lbs - 594 points and cash winnings of
$29,333
20. Rum Bum - 1 blue release - 500
21. Anita Jean - 1 blue release
22. Mako - 1 blue release
23. Reel Addiction - 1 blue release
24. Offshore Lady - 1 blue release
25. Mega Bucks - 1 blue release
26. Blue Chip - 2 white releases - 400
27. Mattanza - 2 white releases
28. Challenger - 2 white releases
29. Touchdown - 1 white release - 200
30. Runabout - 1 white release
31. Tenacious - 1 white release
32. Margin Call - 1 white release
33. Topless - 1 white release
34. Never Enough - 1 white release
35. Reel Lax - 1 white release
36. JACS - 1 white release
37. Panchdara - 1 white release
38. Profit Margin - 1 white release
 
12 boats did not score points = Boogieman, Dorothea II, Fish On, Last
Stall, Lights Out, Lone Star, Paradise One, Smooth Operator, Tease Em,
Treasure Isle, Unreel and Wound Up (cash winnings of $7,500 for the latter
= Game Fish award winner).
 
With just the Sea Horse tournament to go, the top six boats in the overall
Triple Crown standings are listed below. "Bree" will be hoping to keep the
trend alive of the Classic winner always also winning the Triple Crown
Series. "Off Piste" and "Wound Up" both have excellent opportunities to
become the first local boat to win the Series. "Mama Who" is the only boat
to have scored points on each of the five days of the Series so far this
year (no boat has ever scored points on all eight days of one Series).
 
1. Bree - 2,758
2. Off Piste - 2,300
3. Wound Up - 1,865
4. Mama Who - 1,800
5. Lisa - 1,700,
6. Weez in the Keys - 1,500
 
 
One of the blue marlin releases reported by "Tantrum" and the blue marlin
releases reported by "Fish On" and "Mega Bucks" on Day One did not have
qualifying photos and so I amended the previously sent Day One report
below.
 
Thursday July 9
 
TANTRUM RELEASES A BLUE MARLIN AND A WHITE TO LEAD CLASSIC
REEL HOT HANGS A 594 POUNDER
 
50 boats headed out for the first day of fishing in the 2009 Bermuda Big
Game Classic. That's a great turnout and beats last year's fleet of 46.
It was a gorgeous sunny day on land but offshore the conditions were very
sloppy with a steady 18-20 knot wind blowing and this certainly hampered
the fishing.
 
Capt. Allan Card's "Challenger" got on the board first with a white release
at 8:25 am, and then last year's winner "Que Mas" scored with a blue marlin
release at 8:37 am. The bite was fairly slow until a little flurry
occurred at around 10:00 am. Local boat "Tantrum" hooked-up in that flurry
at 10:06 am and released a blue marlin at 10:16 am, and they then scored a
white release at 11:49 am. This secured them 700 points and the lead at the
end of Day One. At 11:50 am, Capt. Nick New's "Reel Hot" hooked into a
good size blue marlin and they boated the big fish at 12:32 pm and reported
measurements of 118/62. At the end of the day at Barr's Bay Park a large
crowd gathered to see the blue tip the scales at 594 lbs. "Reel Hot" wins
the Day One Blue Marlin Jackpot worth $29,333 - HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to
Capt. Nick New, Reed Young and team aboard "Reel Hot" !!!! The morning
action also saw blue marlin releases for "Rum Bum" and "Off Piste" and
white releases for "Sea Toy", "Touchdown", "Runabout", "Mama Who" and
"Tenacious".
 
In the afternoon, nobody made a charge at "Tantrum's" lead, but blue marlin
releases were scored by "Queen of Hearts", "Foreign Exchange" and "Lisa",
while "Chasin" released two whites and "Margin Call" and "Mattanza" each
scored a white release. "Tantrum" is not entered in the Daily Release
Jackpot and so the Day One release winnings of $27,333 were secured by "Que
Mas" based on time for scoring the first blue marlin release.
 
The final Day One tally was one blue marlin boated, 7 blue marlins released
and 11 whites released. The Day One standings are as follows:
 
1. Tantrum - 1 blue marlin released; 1 white released - 700 points
2. Reel Hot - 1 blue boated 594 lbs - 594 points and cash winnings of
$29,333
3. Que Mas - 1 blue release - 500 points and cash winnings of $27,333
4. Rum Bum - 1 blue release - 500
5. Off Piste - 1 blue release
6. Queen of Hearts - 1 blue release
7. Foreign Exchange - 1 blue release
8. Lisa - 1 blue release
9. Chasin - 2 white releases - 400
10. Challenger - 1 white release - 200
11. Sea Toy - 1 white release
12. Touchdown - 1 white release
13. Runabout - 1 white release
14. Mama Who - 1 white release
15. Tenacious - 1 white release
16. Margin Call - 1 white release
17. Mattanza - 1 white release