Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club
6501 Red Hook Plaza #201
St. Thomas, VI 00802
Phone 340-775-9144
Email usvigfc@gmail.com
PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
July 11,
2011
48TH
ANNUAL JULY OPEN BILLFISH TOURNAMENT KICKS OFF TUESDAY WITH NEARLY A DOZEN
BOATS
The 48th
Annual July Open Billfish Tournament (JOBT) – the longest annually held angling
contest in the Virgin Islands hosted by the Virgin Islands Gamefishing Club
(VIGFC) – will kick-off Tuesday July 12 with a fleet of nearly a dozen boats
hailing from the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and U.S. mainland.
“The bite’s
been okay and should pick up as we head into the full moon,” says tournament
director, Jeffrey Kreiner. “Weather-wise, we’re looking at three good days of
fishing.”
Anglers in
this three-day tournament, which concludes Thursday July 14, will set their
sights on catching and releasing the most blue marlin, white marlin and
sailfish. “This is an all-release tournament,” says Kreiner. “No fish will be
boated or brought to the dock for weigh-in.”
IGFA
trained Observers, all members of the IGFTO (International Game Fish Tournament
Observers), will ride aboard each boat throughout the tournament to verify the
releases.
Lines go in
the water at 8:30 a.m. and out at 5 p.m., except on the final day of the
three-day tournament when lines out will be at 4 p.m.
The public
is invited to greet the fleet as the boats come back to the dock around sunset.
The number of flags flying on the outriggers indicates how many billfish the boat’s
anglers caught and released for the day. There will be dock parties each night
at the American Yacht Harbor marina.
An Awards
Banquet will take place at the Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club’s Clubhouse in
Red Hook. Winners will receive exquisite hand-carved marlin head trophies by
artist, David A. Wirth.
Past
winners of the prestigious Capt. Johnny Harms ‘Give Him Line’ Trophy read like
a Who’s Who of blue marlin sport fishing. Angler Elliot Fishman’s winning
845-pound catch in 1968 set an all-tackle world record. Only two anglers have
reeled in this honor two times – the late Howard Crouse in 1965 and 1988, and
Puerto Rico’s legendary late angler Ralph Christiansen in 1973 and 1984.
For more information, visit: www.vigfc.com.
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