The Billfish Foundation Awards 46 International Tag & Release winners

The Billfish Foundation

Awards 46 International

Tag & Release winners

Global billfish conservation competition

critical to scientific research; now in 23rd year

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. USA – Every time they fish on three oceans, anglers, captains and mates worldwide — the heart-and-soul of The Billfish Foundation’s (TBF) eminent conservation program committed to billfish tag and release — are supplying valuable data, critical to science.

Globally since 1990 these anglers have helped marine researchers in learning the migratory habits and more of the world’s billfish species.

On Feb. 16, 46 winners of TBF’s 22nd year-long competition will be presented their 2011 International Tag & Release Awards at Miami’s Jungle Island Treetop Ballroom. Sponsored by Bisbee’s Black & Blue the awards are presented by King Sailfish Mounts, and include TBF partners American Custom Yachts, Costa and Dockwise Yacht Transport.

TBF’s Overall Tagging Winners for all species (blue marlin, black marlin, striped marlin, white marlin, sailfish and spearfish) included Gray Ingram, Jupiter, Fla., USA, repeating his title as TBF’s Overall Male Angler; as did Betsy Crudele, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., USA, as the Overall Lady Angler. Stephen Gegenheimer, Corsicana, Texas, USA, won the Overall Youth Angler and Fin Gaddy, Manteo, N.C., USA, won the Overall Captain.

Ingram also received double honors repeating in the release category of the competition as the Overall Male Angler for all species. Lisa Everett, Nags Head, N.C., USA was the Overall Lady Angler; Tyler Sudbrink, Greensboro, N.C., USA, Overall Youth Angler and Brad Philipps, Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala, repeated his title as the Overall Captain.

TBF’s Dir. of Science and Policy Peter Chaibongsai, said each year TBF members from more than 70 countries are invited to participate. The latest annual competition ran from Nov. 1, 2010 to Oct. 31, 2011 with “tagging data reports” and “release notification cards” generated from the temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, where a majority of the world’s billfish inhabit.

To be eligible to receive an award active TBF members must have tagged and/or released five or more of a species to qualify. In addition, TBF’s Youth Program created in 2001, recognizes the conservation ethics and achievements of young anglers. It includes a three fish minimum in three age groupings for both tag and release categories.

For more on TBF’s annual Tag & Release program please visit http://www.bilfish.org or call 954-938-0150 for Peter Chaibongsai (ext. 107), Elliott Stark (ext. 101), Deborah Cummings (ext. 106) or Andrew Cox (ext. 100).

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The Billfish Foundation

Tag & Release Award Winners – 2011 year

Tag Category Winners

Top Tagging Anglers Atlantic BILLFISH

Sam Jennings – Juno Beach, Fla, USA Blue Marlin

Betsy Crudele – Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., USA Sailfish

Richard Gudoian – Key Largo, Fla., USA Swordfish

Victoria Roberts – Stevensville, Md., USA White Marlin

Top Tagging Captains Atlantic BILLFISH

Mike Lemon – Juno Beach, Fla., USA Blue Marlin

Fin Gaddy – Manteo, N.C., USA Sailfish

Sean O’Connor – Key Largo, Fla., USA Swordfish

Fin Gaddy – Manteo, N.C., USA White Marlin

Top Tag Anglers Pacific BILLFISH

John Richardson – Bellville, Texas, USA Black Marlin

Saegusa Kumie – Yohohama, Japan Blue Marlin

Gray Ingram – Greensboro, N.C., USA Sailfish

Suzanne Gustavson – Kona, Hawaii, USA Spearfish

Martha MacNab – Balboa Island, Calif., USA Striped Marlin

Top Tag Captains Pacific BILLFISH

Adolfo Grajales – Bellville, Texas, USA Black Marlin

Gene Vander Hoek – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA Blue Marlin

Jimmy Kitchell – Galveston, Texas, USA Sailfish

Gene Vander Hoek – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA Spearfish

Antonio Romero Castro – Cabo San Lucas, MEX Striped Marlin

Top Tag Anglers Indian BILLFISH

Terence Farrell – Alyangula, Australia (tied) Sailfish

Calvin Du Plessis –Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Top Tag Captains Indian BILLFISH

Bernard Vale – Coral Bay, AUS Black Marlin

Ross Newton – Broome, AUS Blue Marlin

Ross Newton — Broome, AUS (tied) Sailfish

Rolly Pierre — Seychelles

Top Youth Tagging winners

Bo Ingram – Greensboro, N.C., USA 9 –10 winner

Riley Rogers – Bakerfield, Calif., USA 11-12 winner

Bruce Marinis – Broome, AUS 13 –15 winner

Luke Motta – Lighthouse Point, Fla., USA runner-up

Wesley Davis – Malibu, Calif., USA runner-up

Stephen Gegenheimer – Corsicana, Texas, USA 16-17 winner

Tyler Sudbrink – Greensboro, NC runner-up

Overall Tagging Winners for all species

Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Fla., USA Overall Angler

Fin Gaddy – Manteo, N.C., USA Overall Captain

Betsy Crudele – Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., USA Overall Lady Angler

Stephen Gegenheimer – Corsicana, Texas, USA Overall Youth Angler

Release Category Winners

Top Release Anglers Atlantic BILLFISH

Andy Fanter — Great Bend, Kansas, USA (tied) Blue Marlin

Tim Twiddy — Glasgow, U.K.

Paul Legnard – Arnold, Md., USA Sailfish

Scott Cooper – Mobile, Ala., USA Swordfish

Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Fla., USA White Marlin

Top Release Captains Atlantic BILLFISH

Zak Conde – Cape Verde Blue Marlin

Fin Gaddy – Manteo, N.C., USA Sailfish

Russell Craft – Mobile, Ala., USA Swordfish

Ronnie Fields – Lake Park, Fla., USA White Marlin

Top Release Anglers Pacific BILLFISH

Barry Alty – Gold Coast, Australia Black Marlin

Gary Carter – Duluth, Ga., USA Blue Marlin

Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Fla., USA Sailfish

Wayne Short – Cornith, Texas, USA Striped Marlin

Jim Gigger – Keri Keri, New Zealand Swordfish

Top Release Captains Pacific BILLFISH

Wade Richardson – Bellville, Texas, USA Black Marlin

Brad Philipps – Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala Blue Marlin

Brad Philipps – Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala Sailfish

Julio Castro – Cabo San Lucas, MEX Striped Marlin

John Gregory – Keri Keri, New Zealand Swordfish

Top Release Anglers Indian BILLFISH

Henry Riggs-Miller – Seychelles Sailfish

Top Release Captains Indian BILLFISH

Rolly Pierre – Seychelles Sailfish

Top Youth Release Anglers

Olivia Ingram – Greensboro, N.C., USA 13-15 winner

Wes Davis – Malibu, Calif., USA Runner-up

Tyler Sudbrink – Greensboro, N.C., USA 16-17 winner

Overall Release Winners for all species

Gray Ingram – Greensboro, N.C., USA Overall Angler

Brad Philipps – Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala Overall Captain

Lisa Everett – Nags Head, N.C., USA Overall Lady Angler

Tyler Sudbrink – Greensboro, N.C., USA Overall Youth Angler