June 9, 2020; Biloxi, Mississippi:
By Capt. Dave Lear
Tournament officials have announced some major changes for the 24th annual Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic. Boats will now be able to leave from any Gulf port. All entries, whether weighed fish or video proof of releases, will still have to be turned in at the Point Cadet Marina in Biloxi. Tournament officials made the concessions due to impacts from last weekend’s Tropical Storm Cristobal landfall. The storm surge washed over the docks, but utility plug-ins at the slips weren’t affected. Fuel is expected to be available by mid-week, but operations will have to be inspected first. That situation prompted the homeport departure changes.
“The harbormaster has inspected the utility pillars and they are all undamaged,” says Tournament Director Bobby Carter. “Other than some minor flooding, the slips are all in good shape. But we wanted to make sure as many teams could participate as possible, so we made the decision to allow them to leave from other locations besides Biloxi. The forecast for the rest of the week looks good and we’re expecting a very strong field of boats.”
“Registration will be held in the Golden Nugget ballroom as usual on Wednesday,” says Tournament Coordinator Bert Merritt. “The teams will have to maintain social distancing as part of the COVID-19 guidelines, but we’re going to add extra hours to accommodate everyone. We’re also going to have a display down at the docks with the Optional Entry categories to keep everyone informed. We’re trying to stay as normal as possible under the circumstances.”
Fishing will begin at 2 pm on Thursday, June 11. With the northerly track of Cristobal, the waters of the central Gulf were stirred up. Weed lines and other features that attract bait and game fish may have changed as a result. Forecasting services that depict color changes, chlorophyll, eddies, altimetry and other satellite features will be in big demand as crews map out game plans.
The contestants will be targeting larger blue marlin in the weight category. Eligible fish must measure at least 110 inches from the tip of the lower jaw to the fork of the tail. Fish that long typically weigh at least 500 pounds or more.
Smaller billfish, including white marlin and sailfish, are scored by points based on successful—and verifiable—releases. Teams present video clips of the releases to judges back on the docks. The highly competitive release division is worth possible triple-digit payouts to the top teams based on the number of optional cash entries.
Yellowfin tuna, dolphin and wahoo comprise the game fish categories. Those fish exceeding the 20-pound minimum are brought to the scales for weighing. The tuna bite has been especially good so far this season, and that trend should continue this week.
The weigh scales, located behind the host Golden Nugget Casino and Resort, will open at 3 p.m. on Friday, June 12 and remain open until 8 p.m. There will be areas for the public to watch while observing health guidelines. The scales will re-open on Saturday, June 13 at 3 p.m. and will close at 8 p.m., although all boats checked in beforehand will be allowed to weigh their catch. The bulk of the fleet typically opts to remain offshore until Saturday, unless they have a true qualifier. And in the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic, that likelihood is always a sure bet.
