PAPASAN WINS 41st SPICE ISLAND BILLFISH TOURNAMENT!

Sixty Eight Billfish Released at the 41st Spice Island Billfish Tournament
Grand Slam Grenada 24-28th January 2010

The 41st “Grand Slam Grenada” Spice Island Billfish Tournament attracted a joint record turnout of Fifty One boats (last time we had this many was 1994!) carrying 244 anglers which somehow squeezed into the Grenada Yacht Club, home of the event. Boats entered from Trinidad & Tobago (27 boats – more than half the entry!), St Lucia (2 boats), Barbados (6 boats), Martinique (4 boats), United Kingdom (1 boat), and Grenada (10 boats). One boat “Rum n Coke” made the long voyage down from Antigua just to take part. The fishing was somewhat slower than last year with the official results showing sixty nine billfish released and only two blue marlin landed (biggest being four hundred and seventy three pounds by Cool Runnings from Trinidad and Tobago). Of course many more billfish escaped and additional catches of yellowfin tuna to 167 lbs and Dorado to 47lb kept anglers busy.

The large number of boats made an awesome spectacle as they paraded out through the Carenage, St George’s on the way to the bimini start across the harbour mouth on Monday 25th January. At the cannon they all roared off safely and fishing commenced 5 minutes later. First release was a blue marlin for Par T Time Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) followed by 2 sailfish for Surf n Turf (Grenada). Temptation (T&T) had an excellent day releasing 3 blues to take an 1800 point day one lead, while Wahoo (T&T) and Crazy Baldhead (Grenada) had two blues each to take 4rd and 5th places respectively. Papasan (T&T) were already on fire releasing two sails and a blue to take 3rd place with 1400 points while Blue Fever (T&T) had the most releases - a hat trick of white marlin and one blue, great action which put them in second place on 1700 points. Steady catches continued with numbers of dorado and yellowfin tuna coming to the boats. In all 32 billfish were released on day one, 18 blue marlin, 6 white marlin and 8 sailfish.

Day 2 saw lines in at 7.00am and shortly afterwards Ring Leader (T&T) called in a blue marlin hook up – over 3 hours later the marlin came up dead and was boated – it weighed 359 lb which was below minimum weight and so scored no points. Cool Runnings also bought in a blue marlin of 473 lb which scored 495 points – if they had released it they would have scored 500… Crazy Baldhead had a good day in the generally slower fishing conditions – they released a blue marlin and a sailfish to increase their day one tally to 2100 to take first place at end of day 2. Blue Fever added a sailfish release to take 2nd place with 2000 points, Papasan released a blue to take 3rd with 1900 points, Temptation remained on 1800 points in 4th place ahead of Wahoo also on 1800 and Big Swordfish (Martinique) on 1400. Total billfish releases for day 2 were 19 - 10 blue marlin, 5 white marlin and 6 sailfish, plus 2 marlin landed. In the evening everyone crowded around the burger and hot dog cook out courtesy of “Anything on the Water” a Florida based yacht brokerage and a new sponsor for the event.

Wednesday 27th was the lay day with food and drinks in a relaxed atmosphere at Grenada Yacht Club beach where the Minister of Tourism walked the docks meeting and chatting with the visiting anglers.

Thursday 28th was final days fishing and an early start with lines in at 6.30 am. Unfortunately conditions were not good with a heavy northerly swell and winds gusting to 20 knots. However with so many boats separated by very few points the event was still wide open to be won or lost. Magic Lady (T&T) ventured out 40 miles to find fish – they succeeded catching seven yellowfin tunas (although one was mostly eaten by a very large mako shark next to the boat!) – this was enough for them to take the boat pool prize with over 800 lbs of tuna! The crucial tournament winning blue marlin was released at exactly mid day by Anthony Brash on Papasan – this gave them 2400 points and jumped them ahead of Blue Fever and Crazy Baldhead neither of whom scored points on the final day. When lines up was called at 3.00pm 15 billfish had been released - 9 blue marlin 2 white marlin and 4 sailfish.

Tournament totals were 18 Sailfish, 13 White Marlin and 37 Blue Marlin = 68 billfish were released and 2 Blue marlin landed = 70 billfish caught.

For comparison in 2009 the final figures for the tournament were: 69 Sailfish, 14 White Marlin and 21 Blue Marlin released and 1 Blue marlin landed = 105 billfish caught – so this year it was a case of more marlin but where did all the sailfish go??

The awards ceremony and closing dinner was held at the Grenada Yacht Club and attended by anglers, sponsors and the Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, the Hon. Glynnis Roberts and Minister of Health the Hon. Ann Peters. The Minister of Health gratefully accepted a donation of an automatic defibrillator (AED) from SIBT sponsor Tim Mills of First Call Surgical Services Fort Lauderdale.

The results were as follows:

First place boat Papasan (Trinidad & Tobago), second: Crazy Baldhead (Grenada), third: Blue Fever (Trinidad & Tobago).

First place angler: Anthony Brash (Papasan Trinidad & Tobago) second: David Gibbon (Wahoo Trinidad & Tobago), third: Michael De Freitas (Blue Fever Trinidad and Tobago).

Top Release Boat – Blue Fever (Trinidad & Tobago)
Top Release Angler – Michael De Freitas – (Blue Fever Trinidad & Tobago)
Top Female angler: Liz Whitman (Surf n Turf Grenada)

Boat pool (weight of fish brought to the scale): First: Magic Lady (T&T), second: Cool Runnings (T&T), third: Orion (Barbados), fourth: Southern Cross (T&T)

Top Grenadian boat: Crazy Baldhead
Top Martinique boat: Big Swordfish

The SIBT committee would like to thank all the participating boats and anglers for supporting the event, and to thank all their sponsors and especially Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Island Water World, Moody Marlin Tackle Co and Carib Beer for making this competition possible.

Gary Clifford
SIBT Committee 1/2/10

***THIS WAS THE FIRST FISHING QUALIFYING EVENT FOR THE CARIBBEAN WATERMAN CHALLENGE 2010! LOOK OUT FOR THE OFFICIAL RESULTS OF THE CARIBBEAN WATERMAN CHALLENGE 2009 COMING SOON!