Image: Mayte wins Leading Boat at 58th Global Billfish Tournament.

Photo Credit: Mark Smestad

San Juan, Puerto Rico. The data are impressive! Even however fishing was reduce brief by one day at Club Nautico de San Juan’s 58th Annual Worldwide Billfish Tournament (IBT) because of to Tropical Storm Maria, the 185 anglers from twelve countries fishing aboard 51 boats released 84 blue marlin – fifteen a lot more blue marlin releases than previous year’s tournament in a entire 4 days of fishing.

“The flip-out of anglers, boats and fish was extraordinary this year,” says Frankie Mirandés, chairman of the 58th IBT.

Mayte won the Leading Boat trophy with 6 blue marlin releases.

“We released two blue marlin the 1st day, one particular the 2nd and 3 right now,” says Puerto Rico’s Jose Cestero, operator and 1 of four anglers aboard the sixty-foot Hatteras. “The previous fifteen minutes of the tournament were difficult. Then as quickly as we knew we won, we began leaping up and down and turned up the new music.”

Peje and Sea Born finished second and third, respectively, every single with five blue marlin releases, Peje possessing arrived at their 5 very first.

The Leading Angler trophy went to Juan B. Soto Balbas who introduced four blue marlin.

“I’m really delighted. I’ve fished this tournament for twenty many years and in no way won,” states Puerto Rico’s Balbas, who fished on the 52-foot Hatteras, Bimba. “Luck, understanding how to combat a marlin, to have endurance and not shed your neat, is the solution to my achievement.”

Puerto Rico’s Hector Rodriguez Blazquez completed as the second very best angler, even though Scotland’s Trevor Somny ended 3rd. Each guys launched three blue marlin, with Blazquez releasing his very first.

Somny also won Best Global Angler.

“We will be again subsequent year,” says Somny, who fished with his potential son-in-regulation, Malcolm MacDonald.

Australian anglers, Eric Visser and Tim Gillingham, every launched two blue marlin and completed second and third, respectively, in the global angler standings.

Puerto Rico’s Stephanie Lebron, angling aboard the 54-foot Bertram, Tati-Way, earned Greatest Feminine with the release of 1 blue marlin.

“I caught it in the morning of the initial day of the tournament,” states Lebron, an knowledgeable angler who won the top lady prize in the Cangrejos Yacht Club Billfish Tournament in 2009 and Scrub Island Tournament in the British Virgin Islands in 2010. “I only fish these a few tournaments, but I fish usually all through the calendar year. I actually take pleasure in it.”

The IBT is a well-orchestrated fishing levels of competition that boasts nightly events, a spectacular boat parade, particular Females Program, a Shoot-Out start off previous the renowned El Morro Castle, honorary jet fly-more than welcoming the fleet again to shore and a tournament finale Gala Awards Banquet.

New this year, the IBT served at the kick off tournament for the International Sport Fishing Association (IGFA) calendar year-lengthy Great Marlin Race. Angling groups sponsored ten pop-up archival satellite tags valued at $ 4000 and positioned these in launched Atlantic blue marlin throughout the tournament. The tags are created to ‘pop-off’ the marlin 4 months after becoming placed, float to the surface, and supply scientists with a prosperity of knowledge contained in the tags and picked up through ARGOS satellites. The IBT-put tag that surfaces furthest from wherever it was deployed will win the race, earning that angler a cost-free entry into the 2012 IBT and recognition by IGFA. This is just one particular way the world’s longest continually-held billfish tournament is undertaking even more to market billfish conservation.

IGFA Conservation Director, Jason Schratwieser, who co-directs the Wonderful Marlin Race with Stanford University’s, Dr. Randy Kuchevar, states, “Seven tags ended up put in marlin for the duration of the tournament and I have no doubt the avid anglers here in Puerto Rico will area the remaining a few in the subsequent week. This system is the perfect option to marry angler passion and science.”

Club Nautico de San Juan obtained a particular honor from The Billfish Basis (TBF), explains Elliot Stark, science and coverage specialist. “We came down to present the Club with a plaque for TBF’s 25th Anniversary. The Club played an integral position in the founding of the basis back again in 1986.”

“Expect the tradition to proceed subsequent calendar year,” invites Mirandés, who arms more than the reins to Miguel Donato, who will chair the 59th IBT.

The IBT is a qualifier for the prestigious Rolex/IGFA Offshore Championship that normally requires place every single Might.

Check out www.nauticodesanjuan.com for complete final results, thrilling video clips, pictures, Facebook back links and Twitter feeds.

Virginia de los Reyes, Media Contact
Tel. (787) 409-8465
Club Náutico (787) 722-0177
virginiadelosre@yahoo.com
virginiadelosreyes@pharmaconpr.com

Carol Bareuther, Media Assistant