Bay Point Invitational Billfish Tournament

It's Billfish Week at Bay Point Marina!
July 8, 2008
As reported by Scott Rossman, story reproduced by permission of WJHG-TV 7.

Watch Video (Video files are available for only a short time after the event.)

Veteran

To say the least, it is a rather big week ahead at the Bay Point Marina. This is billfish week there, and everyone is gearing up for the 25th edition of the Bay Point Invitational! The sponsor and VIP tents went up Monday along with other preparations.

Also among the priorities Monday was working to make sure the tournament is a sellout!

Chris Miller, tournament co-director, said, "It's very unique this year. Typically we'd be finished, sold out a month ago. This year it's just a little different with the economy, fuel prices and other things going on, boats are waiting to the last moment. That's been the case for all the tournaments leading up to us. Just this morning alone, in the last four or five hours, we've had 7 boats call and sign up. So our count is looking great. Remember, we max out at 75 boats. We're hoping to hit that amount, and today's been a great start to it."

The official start to the event is Wednesday night’s dock party, but the unofficial start happens Tuesday with some very special VIPs taking a little trip in the Gulf!

Chris Miller added, "We are taking out five of our wounded veterans from Iraq, they are coming over as kind of a soldier's salute. We're taking them out on the Team Galati sportfishing boat, just taking them into the Gulf for a day of fishing, whether it's bottom fishing, trolling. Just to get these guys out on the water to have a great time, and in talking to them last night, they are so excited, they are beyond themselves. So they'll get out, get things started tomorrow."

Local hero Joshua Cope, seriously wounded a few years ago when his vehicle hit a landmine in Iraq, will be among those five veterans fishing Tuesday.