They started singing the blues – a good thing when you’re in a big billfish tournament
Like so many other big-money, offshore fishing tournaments, the 11th hour often is the most exciting. That sure was the case Friday with the conclusion of the 42nd annual Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament out of Manteo and Oregon Inlet. The team on Catch 23 – owned by NBA Hall of Fame member Michael
Like so many other big-money, offshore fishing tournaments, the 11th hour often is the most exciting.
That sure was the case Friday with the conclusion of the 42nd annual Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament out of Manteo and Oregon Inlet.
The team on Catch 23 – owned by NBA Hall of Fame member Michael Jordan – led after Day 1, before it dropped to second then regained the lead.
But in the end, big blue marlin captured the spotlight – including a last-minute 806.2-pounder caught by David Rackley on the Deep Color.
That fish didn’t steal the show, however. That honor went to the 878-pounder caught by Bob Marsh on the Marsh Madness.
Catch 23 – which finished second in the White Marlin Open a week ago in Ocean City, Md. – fell to third.
Catch 23 did win a daily Calcutta, finished second in another and wound up as the second-place money winner on 1,500 points that was good for $192,073.
Deep Color took top honors with 2,012.4 points, but was third on winnings with $156,387.
The runner-up and top money winner went to Marsh Madness on 1,831 points that earned $537,872.
Winnings are based on the number or different levels teams can pay to enter.
Teams over the week totaled 292 fish – 34 blue marlin, 191 white marlin, 26 sailfish, 1 spearfish, 30 dolphin, 3 wahoo and 7 tuna (all yellowfin).
Winning trophies in the meat fish divisions were: Steve Ash on the Strokin’ with a 49.4 dolphin; Brandon Creech on the Big Trouble with a 49.3-pound wahoo; and Jordon Blount on Desperado with a 52.4-pound yellowfin tuna.
The team on Big Trouble captured the Lay Day Tournament for Charity with 225 points that earned $4,000. Only eight teams competed in the special event designed for teams that were sitting on the competition for a day.
Rackley was named the PCBT’s top overall angler, while Paige Bayliss on the Catch 23 was the top female angler and Ranson Perkinson on the Don’t Panic the top junior. All three received trophies.
Now it’s on to the north for the inaugural Rudee Inlet Ladies Open on Sunday, followed by the Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament the remainder of the week.
