USA, Turks and Caicos, Brazil, Portugal, Mexico, Italy and Bermuda  in very tight race for
fishing’s prestigious offshore championship title

By Pete
Johnson, Johnson Communications, IGFA-PR counsel

 

CABO SAN LUCAS,
Mexico – A log jam
has been
created among seven teams from seven countries for the top position
going into
the fourth and final day of the eighth annual International Game Fish
Association (IGFA) Offshore World Championship Tournament in
Cabo San
Lucas
, Mexico
.

           
In first place with just a single
marlin release on Day 3 and holding a slim lead of just 45.6 points
from a
weight fish is a team representing the Master Angler Billfish
Tournament in
Balboa,
California,
USA
.  The team made up of Floridians
Burt Moss and Tim
Hamilton
of Pompano Beach, along with George and Stuart
Disbury
,
Deerfield Beach have 10 marlin releases and additional points from a
45.6 lb
yellowfin tuna as a weight fish. 
Their
total is 3045.6 points.

           
In a tie for second place with 3000
points on 10 marlin releases each are three teams. They include the
Caicos
(Turks and Caicos) Classic Release Tournament team who after having a
scoreless
day on Monday released six marlin Tuesday and another four on
Wednesday. They
are locked in with
Brazil‘s Cabo Frio
Marlin
Invitational team which had four releases Wednesday and
Portugal‘s 2nd Int’l
Big Game
Fishing Championship of Portimao making the biggest jump in the
standings
Wednesday with five marlin releases.  

           
First round leader
Mexico‘s Copa del
Gobernador
San
Jose
del Cabo team
dropped
another notch to third place tied with
Rome,
Italy
‘s YCSS-IMD
Fishing
Tournament and Bermuda Anglers ILTT. They each have nine marlin
releases for
2700 points.

           
Also in contention with seven
releases each are
Kenya‘s Sunset
Kingfisher and
Mexico‘s
Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo
Total Tag & Release teams at 2100 points. 

 
         
“This
will be an old fashion shootout on the water Thursday,” said IGFA
tournament
director Mike Myatt. He said 72
marlin were released Wednesday. “Most of the teams went to areas where
marlin
were caught the previous days, but found the bite scattered.” 

           
The final tournament results will be
announced on Friday, May 25th by
noon
MST.

           
Each catch-and-release of a marlin
(blue, black and striped) or a swordfish equals 300 points. The catches
are
scored and released alive at the boat in accordance with the IGFA
tournament
rules with all anglers using 30 lb. Momoi fishing line.

           
Teams also receive “weight” points
for tuna, wahoo or dorado caught per pound over 25 lbs. Local charities
receive
the donations of all fish weighed at the Cabo docks.

           
The prestigious four-day tournament
is believed to host the single largest contingent of international
anglers and
teams (30 countries represented) to compete in a fishing
competition.

           
In the top boat standings
for the captains is Picante with Capt. David Lieras of the Picante
Fleet
releasing four marlin each day for a point total of 3600 points. In
second
place is the Rebecca, captained by Roberto Sandez of Pisces Fleet with
2745.6
points and with a two way tie for third place at 2700 points are Capt.
Manuel
Romero on the Bad Market and Capt. Ricardo on the YaHoo.

           
The
United
States
is
represented with 19
teams competing. There are over 40 teams representing tournaments in
the
countries and territories of
Angola,
Australia, the
Bahamas,
Barbados,
Bermuda,
Brazil
,
Canada,
Costa
Rica
,
England,
Italy,
Jamaica,
Kenya,
Kingdom of
Tonga
,
Mexico,
New
Zealand
,
Panama,
Portugal,
St.
Lucia
,
Senegal,
Spain, Sultanate
of Oman,
Trinidad & Tobago, Turks and
Caicos,
Vanuatu
and
Venezuela. Anglers on
several of
the teams are from the countries of
Holland,
Singapore
, the
Canary
Islands
and
Ireland.   

           
The IGFA OWC has attracted many of
the world’s best angling teams who won one of 132 IGFA sanctioned
qualifying
offshore events held in 40 countries across the globe during
2006. 

           
The team with the most points at the
end of the four days of competition will receive engraved watches and
trophies.
Eighteen other prizes will be presented to the three top male and
female
anglers, top three captains and top three places for the heaviest tuna,
wahoo
and dorado. 

           
Sponsors and partners for the IGFA
Offshore World Championship are Secretaria de Turismo de Baja
California Sur,
Costa Del Mar, Hotel Finisterra, Momoi, Guy Harvey, Inc., Mold Craft
Products,
Picante Sport Fishing and Yacht Sales, Cabo Yachts, Outdoor Channel, K
D &
G Sea Life Masterpieces, Shimano, Hook & Tackle, Murray
Products, AFTCO
Bluewater, Bodo Muche, IWS Scales, King Sailfish Mounts, Stidd Systems,
Corona
and Modelo S.A. de C.V. Mexico, Trans Cabo Group, API Dock, Daiichi,
Minerva’s
Baja Tackle, Pisces Fleet Sportfishing and UltraJewels.

           
 Founded in
1939 the IGFA is a not-for-profit
organization committed to the conservation of game fish and promotion
of
responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule
making
and record keeping.  IGFA
members are
located in over 125 countries and territories. The IGFA welcomes
visitors to
its 60,000-square-foot interactive Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum in
Dania
Beach
, Florida
.

           
For more information on the total
daily scoring of the 63 teams please go to the IGFA web site at www.igfa.org.

About the author

Anglers' Net

Pin It on Pinterest