April 4, 2016; Biloxi, Mississippi: By Capt. Dave Lear It won’t be long now. The Gulf thermometer is creeping steadily upward. The Loop Current is doing its thing, shoving and pushing eddies and rips. Bait is massing and on cue brawny marlin, chunky tuna and electric dolphin and wahoo are rocketing into the mix. The [...]
June 8, 2015; Biloxi, Mississippi: By Capt. Dave Lear Eighteen-year-old Katie Gonsoulin and her team aboard Done Deal were the big winners of the 2015 Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic after weighing the largest blue marlin, a 587.3-pounder, late Saturday evening. The crew took home a check for $236,050 after the Sunday morning awards ceremony [...]
June 7, 2015; Biloxi, Mississippi: By Capt. Dave Lear Two times is the now the charm. For the second year in a row, the top blue marlin in the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic was captured by a lady angler. Eighteen-year-old Katie Gonsoulin of Houma, Louisiana, outlasted a 587.3-pound blue marlin after a fight lasting [...]
June 6, 2015; Biloxi, Mississippi: By Capt. Dave Lear With only hours of fishing remaining in the 2015 Mississippi Gulf Coast Blue Marlin Classic, anticipation grows by the minute. Reports of a strong bite Thursday afternoon and throughout the day Friday show a tally of 20 billfish released so far. Five boats have boated blue [...]
April 30, 2013; Biloxi, Mississippi: By Capt. Dave Lear Long before the fleet of sport-fishing yachts motor offshore in search of winning fish, the docks at Biloxi’s Point Cadet Marina are a flurry of activity. Reels are spooled, drags tested, hooks sharpened and provisions loaded aboard. Amid the hustle and bustle a hard-working crew delivers [...]
June 8, 2014; Biloxi, Mississippi: By Capt. Dave Lear Three big blue marlin dominated the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic leaderboard this week as the 2014 event drew to a close. But in the end, it was the first one weighed that earned the biggest share of the $1.1 million in prize money. Angler Deb [...]
June 7, 2014; Biloxi, Mississippi: By Capt. Dave Lear Patience, a 52 Hatteras based in Orange Beach, Alabama, was aptly named. The boat rocked gently in its slip for a few hours Saturday before the scales officially opened at the 2014 Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic at 3 p.m. But curiosity finally won out and [...]
June 6, 2014; Biloxi, Mississippi: By Capt. Dave Lear An honest angler will admit that luck is a factor in landing a truly big fish. But when more $1 million in total prize money is on the line you’d better have skill as well. Both came into play today as 106-pound Deb Hebert whipped a [...]
June 6, 2014; Biloxi, Mississippi: By Capt. Dave Lear When the thousands of spectators gather this afternoon to watch a big blue marlin being weighed most won’t realize all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. But a million-dollar tournament like the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic is no small undertaking and dozens [...]
June 5, 2014; Biloxi, Mississippi: By Capt. Dave Lear Against a backdrop of bluebird skies and steamy summer temperatures the fleet of 53 sportfishers motored away from the Point Cadet Marina this morning and into the aqua blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Their quest? Powerful blue marlin and other game fish that are [...]
