The first leg of the ongoing Scrub Island Billfish Series got under way over the weekend as more than a dozen teams of sportfishers chased giant marlin and competed for their share of a record $247,500 prize purse.
Over the course of three days, 14 sportfishing boats hailing from as far away as Delaware faced off at the North Drop in the Virgin Islands.
All told, they caught and released 50 marlin and two sailfish during the first leg from Friday through Sunday, and organisers are predicting that the second leg from Tuesday through today will end with even greater success.
Of the 16 yearly tournaments organised around the world by Marlin Magazine, Scrub Island’s competition isn’t the biggest, but it remains a favourite of many anglers, according to tournament Interim Director Connor Motsko.
Some boats, like Juben and Marlin Darlin, returned to the VI this year after competing in previous years.
“This is such an incredible event and such an incredible place,” Mr. Motsko told the Beacon on Tuesday. “It’s awesome.”
Growing prize pool
Fourteen teams started in the first leg, but only 12 made it to the end after two boats dropped out.
The leg’s total purse of $247,500 exceeded last year’s prize pool and underscored the event’s growth, organisers said.
This year was also Mr. Motsko’s first time leading the event after he replaced Jen Dudas as head of Marlin Magazine’s fishing tournaments in the Atlantic region.
“It’s amazing fisheries; it’s just incredible,” Mr. Motsko said. “These guys are so happy to be here and just so excited to be fishing such a beautiful place.”
Last year, a Puerto Rican team aboard Doña Lucy swept the first leg, winning $104,466.67 of the available $157,600 payout.
This year, LUNÁTICO, out of Palm Beach, Florida, received the lion’s share of the nearly quarter-million-dollar purse, claiming $144,375.
“I know there’s some big fish out there,” Mr. Motsko told the Beacon. “Anywhere from 250 to 650 pounds. … The North Drop is such a special place to fish, and these guys love coming down here and competing. The vibe of the islands makes this an unbelievable place to fish.”
Mr. Motsko said organisers were particularly pleased this year with the assistance of the BVI Tourist Board.
“We’re super, super glad to have [the BVITB] intertwined with us with this tournament, promoting the British Virgin Islands and pushing it out to Marlin’s entire network,” he said. “Whether it’s through, print, digital media, more tournaments, people see this stuff worldwide.”
BVITB Director Clive McCoy said the tournament series is an opportunity to showcase the territory’s natural resources.
“The BVI has always promoted sportfishing as an important niche market, and through our agencies we have worked to re-establish the BVI as the location of the world-famous North Drop,” Mr. McCoy told the Beacon. “Sponsorship and support of the tournament is a great way to positively expose our spectacular fishing grounds and reiterate that the BVI is the location of the North Drop.”
The director said the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sustainable Development sponsored the event with a financial contribution, and the BVITB provided support with logistics, branding and marketing.
He did not say how much money the ministry provided, and the ministry did not immediately respond to a request for the number.
Growing reputation
Besides the action on the water, the event has also grown into a social and tourism showcase.
Registration and evening gatherings — from the kick-off dinner at Scrub Island’s Grand Patio to the check-ins held in the Columbus Ballroom — drew anglers, families and resort guests together throughout the weekend and into this week.
‘Biggest, best’
Kat Haack, the tournament’s sponsorship fulfillment director, emphasised organisers’ effort to make the event memorable for every participant.
“We have 14 boats, and I think we’re going to have maybe 16 for the next leg, but we want to make it very special and give them a lot of attention,” she told the Beacon. “This is our biggest, best attendance so far.”
Mr. Motsko said he aims to build on that momentum while leveraging new sponsorships to expand the tournament’s reach.
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