Bay Point Invitational Billfish Tournament |
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Review and Preview—Florida Sport Fishing Sums it Up Re-Printed by Permission of Florida Sport Fishing, Photography by Allison Yii. November 25, 2008  The Bay Point Invitational Billfish Tournament made history July 9-13, 2008 as 47 boats headed offshore to compete in the first major all-release billfish tournament on the Gulf Coast. The highly anticipated event welcomed more than 10,000 attendees to the Bay Point Marina to enjoy the live entertainment, local food, sponsor displays and of course, the Friday and Saturday night weigh-ins. In its 25th year, the tournament raised $30,000 for the St. Joe Community Foundation, The Billfish Foundation, Anchorage Children’s Home and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office Junior Deputy & Explorer Program. Twenty-four years ago, the Bay Point Invitational Billfish Tournament was devised by a group of local Panama City anglers who proposed the idea of a billfishing competition to  the owners
of the Bay Point Yacht & Country Club.
The inaugural event was a huge success.
Over the years, the marina and tournament
have both undergone numerous
changes. While a lot has improved since
1984, the Bay Point Marina is still an angler’s
paradise. Nestled along the Grand
Lagoon in Panama City, Florida, the Bay
Point Marina is conveniently located
mere minutes from the bountiful waters
of the Gulf of Mexico. Offering a 180-slip
full-service marina with world-class facilities,
services and access to the Bay Point
Marriott Resort, it is no wonder the Bay
Point Invitational is the Gulf Coast’s premier
blue-water tournament.
In 2008, for the first time in the Invitational's history, the rules called for a release-only format for the billfish category. Instead of bringing dead billfish to the docks, teams verified their catches by video. The videos were then judged and broadcast on 27-foot JumboTron screens to the eagerly awaiting crowds on both Friday and Saturday. Nowhere else can event-goers witness anglers in action as well as the magnificent game fish in their natural environment. Along with the exciting videos attendees could also see live standings and projected winnings as the fish were being weighed. While the action and excitement along the docks was electric, the best part of the new format is that every billfish was released into the Gulf unharmed. Along with the new format, event planners added two new community events – the Al Hubbard Kids Fishing Experience and a special military tribute to honor members of the United States Armed Forces. Appropriately named after local fishing legend Al Hubbard, the children’s fishing experience reached out to nearly 30 children ages 8 to 13 from the Boys and Girls Club of Bay County, the Anchorage Children’s Home and the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center. Introducing a child to fishing and the ways of the water can change their life forever, and nine local charter captains willingly donated their time and resources to  take the kids fishing during
an afternoon “tournament” before the
Friday night weigh-in. The children were
divided into teams for a friendly competition
in St. Andrews Bay and just like the
anglers who were competing in the Invitational,
the children carried their catch
to the scales and waited for the results
from official tournament weighmaster
Paul Pristas. In the end it was team Osprey led by Captain Greg Burnett who
took the top prize, but the smiles on all
of the kids’ faces made it clear that everybody
won from being a part of this
amazing inaugural event.In partnership with the Freedom Alliance, the Bay Point Invitational also paid tribute to members of the Armed Forces by hosting five wounded Iraq War soldiers for a day of Gulf fishing with team Galati. With Tyndall Air Force Base just down the road from Panama City Beach, the military community is an integral part of Northwest Florida’s culture. The soldiers, along with all of those who have ever served in the military, were honored during the tournament with a touching standing ovation from the event crowds. According to Tournament Co-Director Scott Burt, “The tribute was very special and a great success, and this will certainly not be the last time the tournament honors the military community.” With 25-years of success, the Bay Point Invitational Billfish Tournament is recognized as the most prestigious billfish tournament on the Gulf Coast. Entry into the Bay Point is by invitation only, and the field is typically full shortly after the invitations are distributed. Unlike other tournaments with strict lines-in regulations, teams depart St. Andrews Pass at sunset on Thursday in preparation for Friday’s fishing. Teams have the option to stay at sea until Saturday night’s weigh-in, but there is a $10,000 biggest fish incentive to weigh-in on Friday night. Captain Scott Templeton of Borderline Crazy recalls the action leading up to the departure of the fleet. “They’ve got fireworks going off and all the horns and people making noise. All of the anglers are all fired up, you know, everybody was really getting excited about it, seeing all these magnificent boats head out at one time.” As mentioned earlier, for the catch and release billfish division, video verification is required to determine points. Blue marlin are worth 600-points, white marlin 250, sailfish 250, and in the event that a billfish cannot be identified by the provided video, the fish will receive 100-points. First place in the billfish catch and release division is awarded $100,000. The largest blue marlin ever caught in Florida weighed 1,046-pounds, and was caught by Conrad Hawkins on the Lucky 2 in 2001. The second largest blue marlin ever caught in Florida weighed 998.6-pounds and was caught by Barry Carr on the Sea Wolf in 2006. What do these record-catches have to do with Gulf Coast tournament fishing? Both were caught and weighed at the Bay Point Invitational Billfish Tournament, a record that no other Florida tournament can match!  Anglers participating in the 25th Invitational had a lot to live up to, and once again they did not disappoint. Life is Good took top honors in the catch and release category with three blue marlin and one white marlin released for 2,050-points. The team walked away with $210,960. Second place went to Wynsong with one blue marlin and one sailfish release. Wynsong also captured first place in the tuna category with a 105.5-pound yellowfin tuna caught by Will Wilson for a total of $208,246. Third place, based on the time of release, went to Jolly-B with one blue marlin for $53,250. Overall there were 20 billfish released including nine blue marlin, six white marlin and five sailfish.  Top dolphin and $86,882 went to Ms. Mindy for their 51.5-pound bull caught by Jeff Friedman. First place wahoo went to Cory Lockhart, fishing aboard Trader’s Hill, for his 72.3-pound wahoo worth $84,388. Looking ahead, the 26th Annual Bay Point Invitational is already gearing up to be an amazing event. Slated to become a non-profit organization, all proceeds will benefit the St. Joe Foundation and local charities. In addition to the release only format implemented in 2008, the 2009 format will include a new division called the 40/40 Shootout. Basically a tournament within a tournament, the 40/40 Shootout will feature 40 boats of 40-feet or less targeting wahoo, dolphin and tuna. With diesel prices at an all-time high, there is a growing fleet of vessels under 40-feet, and these high-performance fishcatching machines will be able to enter the tournament at an affordable price with a separate cash purse as well as optional entry categories. According to Scott Burt, “The addition of the 40/40 Shootout opens the participation in the tournament to a wider group of anglers, and we are pleased to broaden the reach of the tournament.” Overall, the 2008 event was a huge success with thousands in attendance celebrating the Invitational’s 25th anniversary. With a total payout of $932,000 and a large influence on sportsmanship, community relations and conservation, the Bay Point Billfish Invitational continues to be the leader in Gulf Coast billfish tournaments. Stay tuned for more info, and be sure to visit www.baypointbillfish.com for the latest news and updates. |
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