2010 Tournament Staff
updated January 6, 2010

While putting on the Gulf Coast’s Premier Billfish Tournament may seem like a superhuman task, these fine folks make it look easy. If you’ve got a question about sponsorship, angler registration, dockage or any one of a million other things, just let us know. We’re here to help.

TOURNAMENT STAFF
Scott Burt, Management & Promotions
Chris Miller, Management & Operations
Steve Arndt, Marina Director
Craig Martin, Weighmaster

OUR CELEBRITIES
Scott Rossman, Tournament Host
Jessie Lee, Miss Billfish 2009

Scott Burt Tournament Director, Management & Promotions 850-233-1633 scott@baypointbillfish.com You’d think that doing the same thing for 27 years would eventually get old, but don’t tell that to Scott Burt. Through storms and struggles and sluggish economies, Scott’s steady hand on the helm has guided the Bay Point Invitational since its inception. He’s grown the event from a sleepy little fishing tournament into the Gulf Coast’s premier billfish festival. Although he’s involved in every aspect of the tournament, his current focus is on event promotion, expanded sponsor support and media coverage. Back to Top

Chris Miller Tournament Director, Management & Operations 850-233-1633 chris@baypointbillfish.com There’s something about running a billfish tournament that gets in your blood, and if you slice open Chris Miller he’ll bleed Blue Marlin. With almost a decade of experience running fishing tournaments, he’s now entering his fourth year with the Bay Point Invitational. Chris is heavily involved in the operations end of the tournament, but his real talent is finding that perfect opportunity for the perfect sponsor. If you have any questions about potential tournament sponsorship and how exposure at the Invitational may benefit your business, Chris is the man to call. Back to Top

Steve Arndt Marina Director 850-235-6911 steve@baypointbillfish.com As Marina Director, it's Steve’s job to make sure the fuel tanks are topped off, the power stays on and the ice doesn’t melt. He’s probably got other things to worry about, too, but for one week out of the year those three things are his top priority. With 5 billfish tournaments under his belt, Steve’s the guy to talk to about dockage, accommodations, dinner reservations and where to find the coldest beer in town. He’s also responsible for the legion of volunteers that make the Invitational work, so if you’d like to lend a hand, drop him a line. Back to Top

Craig Martin Weighmaster New to the Bay Point Invitational this year is Craig Martin, joining us as Weighmaster. “Big deal,” you might think, “All he does is climb a ladder and push a stupid button. How hard is that?” Well, with thousands of people watching and hundreds of thousands of dollars on the line, you want a cool hand on that particular button. Craig Martin is that cool hand. Of course, Craig’s also an avid fisherman and the proud owner of a master’s degree in biology. He’s participated in over 200 billfish tournaments, and has been a release video judge and Weighmaster for most of the major tournaments along the Gulf Coast. And in his spare time he works with fisheries scientists at several universities, collecting biological samples for genetic and life history research. Busy guy, huh? And you thought all he had to do was push a stupid button… Back to Top

Scott Rossman Tournament Host You can’t live in Panama City and not know who Scott Rossman is. As the Sports Director for WJHG-TV you'll see Scott attending, reporting or emceeing sporting events throughout the Gulf Coast, and he’s been covering the Invitational for over 20 years. As a matter of fact, he first reported on the tournament way back in 1988, the same year as the first Miss Billfish Bikini contest. Quite a coincidence, huh? Scott’s long history with the tournament gives him the unique ability to connect with the anglers as he tells their story to the crowd, giving the public a glimpse into the high stakes and high energy associated with the Gulf Coast’s premier billfish tournament. Back to Top

Jessie Lee Miss Billfish 2010 If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. When the search began for a successor to 2009’s Miss Billfish, we quickly realized that it was going to be hard to top Jessie Lee. “What if we asked Jessie to do it again,” we thought, “Would anyone notice?” Silly question. How can you not help but notice the lovely and talented Jessie Lee? More than just a pretty face, Jessie jumped at the chance to be our first ever repeat Miss Billfish. “I’ve only got one request,” she said. “Name it!” we exclaimed. “I want to be more involved with the Al Hubbard Kid’s Fishing Experience,” she told us. “I want to help the kids.” As you can imagine, it’s hard to say no to Jessie, so we enthusiastically agreed to bring her back as 2010’s Miss Billfish. Welcome back, Jessie! Back to Top