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 [...]
Biloxi, Mississippi; June 13, 2022: By Capt. Dave Lear Owner/angler Nick Pratt, Capt. Chris Hood and the It Just Takes Time team swept the blue marlin divisions by weighing the only qualifier during the 2022 Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic, The 763.6-pound blue gave the team an unprecedented win for the third year in a [...]
Biloxi, Mississippi; June 11, 2022: By Capt. Dave Lear In the 26-year history of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic, no team has ever won back to back top boat honors. Until It Just Takes Time did it in 2020 and again in 2021. And when the trophies and checks are passed out at Sunday’s [...]
Biloxi, Mississippi; June 10, 2022 By Capt. Dave Lear The bite offshore is almost as hot as the temperatures on the hill. It is unofficially summer, after all, and the 73 boats competing in the 26th annual Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic are racking up the release points. As of late Saturday afternoon the collective [...]
June 9, 2022; Biloxi, Mississippi: By Capt. Dave Lear The 73 boats competing in the 2022 MGCBC have already punched through the showers peppering the coastline. The race is on deep into the Gulf of Mexico on a quest for fame and fortune. Each team is vying for the apex predator in the marine food [...]
June 8, 2022; Biloxi, Mississippi: By Capt. Dave Lear Look around the docks at the Port Cadet Marina in Biloxi and you won’t see the nautical equivalent of Prius, Volkswagen or even Tesla. The view instead features large gleaming blue-water battlewagons with massive diesel inboards or a stable of high-powered outboard ponies. Each is adorned with [...]
April 7, 2021, Biloxi, Mississippi: By Capt. Dave Lear To celebrate its silver 25th anniversary, the Classic is bringing back a popular change to the game fish division. Swordfish will be an eligible species, along with tuna, wahoo and dolphin. As an added bonus, the Classic will pay $250,000 to the last team to break [...]
Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic Raises the Blue Marlin Minimum Length to 110 Inches to Help Conserve Stocks September 10, 2018; Biloxi, Mississippi: In a proactive move to help conserve marlin populations and enhance the sport, the tournament committee for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic today announced it is raising the minimum length to [...]
After a pursuit lasting more than a decade, Team Reel Addiction finally topped the field of 117 boats to win the 2018 Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic. Angler Chase Pate of Pensacola, Florida, Capt. Scooter Porto, owners Rocky and Laurie Jones, and mates Zach Taylor, Seth Brennan and Nate Dennis boated a 796.9-pound blue marlin [...]
By Capt. Dave Lear June 9, 2018; Biloxi, Mississippi: It was the shortest fight among the four blue marlin weighed in this year’s Classic. But angler Chase Pate of Pensacola, Florida, Capt. Scooter Porto and the team on Reel Addiction made sure it was the sweetest. Pate took about 30 minutes to coax the wild [...]
