Biloxi, Mississippi; June 12, 2023:
By Dir. Bert Merritt
Owner/angler Chris Hatcher, Capt. Dennis Bennett and the crew of Salt Shaker won the highly contested blue marlin division by weighing the largest of seven blues during the 2023 Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic. The 723.7 pound blue gave the team the hotly contested win after watching four other blues tip the scales in the 500 pound plus range. As a result, Salt Shaker, a 58 Viking based in Destin, Florida, takes home a payout of $293,093 for the blue marlin tournament award and most of the first place blue marlin optional entry categories. The total prize purse for this year’s event was $5.34 million.
Salt Shaker was a return winner to the awards stage after picking up a check at the 2022 Classic for some 3rd place optionals in Catch and Release.
Reel Fire, a 76 Viking with Capt. Joe Moran at the helm, had an impressive showing with a 3rd place blue marlin to complement their 1st place tuna. Angler Nate Neams battled the 580 pounder to the boat which along with 3rd place tournament money took down the $10,000 optional pot for blue marlin. As if a 580 pound blue is not enough fun, angler William Duke bowed up and whipped a large yellowfin tuna, which topped the leaderboard at a whopping 203.90 pounds. With tournament and optional entries, the team earned a very handsome payout of $281,217.
Owner Gregg Trenor’s boat, All In Fishing, a 62 Viking out of Orange Beach, Alabama, with Capt. Blake Bridges at the helm, once again demonstrated they are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to catching blue marlin. This time, it was the release division, where they took top honors for Catch and Release and swept all 1st place Catch and Release optional entry pots. Their four verified released blue marlins, worth a total of 2,800 points, garnered them a payday of $199,320.
The last of the six figure checks went to Badonkadonk, with Capt. James Stanley at the helm and angler Chris Hargroder on the reel. Their blue marlin looked like the winner for a while sitting nicely at 605.90 pounds before being topped later in the evening. Still, an impressive fish which brought an impressive payout at $109,939 for the 2nd place overall blue marlin and optionals.
If anyone doubts that we’ve come a long way towards competitive awards for releasing fish, the next two largest checks went to Catch and Release teams. Rebecaa, with Capt. Clinton Clark captured 2nd place overall release when they released three blues and a sail to make a nice check for $99,911. Then we had Team Supreme, with a substitute captain due to Chase Lake’s new baby boy coming right after the start. The team spotted everyone a half day of fishing as they returned to Point Cadet, waited for a new captain and went back out and captured 3rd place release with three blue marlin. They were rewarded with a check for $66,607.
Ramble On boated the first place Dolphin at 38.60 pounds. David Durden was the angler and Capt. Shannon Allman runs the 67 Billy Holton. That catch was worth $58,965.
Bimini Babe, a 74 Viking (Capt. Robert Jones) picked up the winning wahoo with angler Lee Weidner bringing to the scales a 64.30 pounder.
Other boats earning checks include It Just Takes Time (Capt. Chris Hood), Rising Sons (Capt. Toby Berthelot), Big Wood (Capt. Christoper Smith), Briar Patch (Capt. Corey Hurst), Houdini (Capt. Shane O’Brien), Nikki Bella (Capt. Mark Blanton), Quantified (Capt. Justin Drummond), Geauxtime (Capt. Zach Vallee), Fabricator (Capt. Bryan Moore), Sunrise (Capt. Mark Raffield), Code Blue (Capt. Thad Lake), Sugar Shaker (Capt. Haydn Rivere), It Don’t Matta (Capt. Read Nichols), Slick Nickle (Capt. Ron Woodruff), and Fab Family Fun (Capt. Jon Hopkins).
Mackenzie Davis, fishing aboard Southern Charm, earned Top Lady Angler honors after releasing two blue marlin. Eleven-year-old Tate Yancey (Miss Ma’am) and thirteen-year-old Tucker Wade (Bandito) were named the Top Junior Anglers.
A total of 80 boats and 380 anglers competed in the 2023 MGCBC. The fleet caught 57 blue marlin, nineteen white marlin and six sailfish. Seven blue marlin were weighed. In the game fish categories, 17 yellowfin tuna were weighed, along with ten dolphin and thirteen wahoo.
The 28th annual Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic will be held June 3-9, 2024, at the host Golden Nugget Casino, Biloxi.
