60 Boats
The Classic kicked off its first tournament. All white marlin and sailfish were only to be tagged and released. The blue marlin’s legal limit was set at 92”, five inches above federal guidelines. The purse was $300,000. Eight blue marlin were brought to the scales. David Pippin on the boat “Miss Orleans” weighed in a 917.4 lb. blue marlin that had to be disqualified by the tournament due to large prop slashes in the fish. Shannon Faulkner, an 18 year old fishing on his grandfather’s boat. “Never Content,” took top honors and $130,000 with his 631.8 lb. blue marlin. There were 6 blue marlin and 2 white marlin tagged and released.
Blue Marlin
First
Never Content – Shannon Faulkner- 631.8 lbs
Second
Game Plan – Bobby Nicholson – 325.4 lbs
Third
Cat-N-Round – Michael Sullivan – 289.1 lbs
Tuna
First
Bud Man – Carmen Still – 185.9 lbs
Second
Never Rest – Jim Holmes – 166.9 lbs
Third
Leezer Time – Doug Newman – 164.0 lbs
Dolphin
First
Tempruss – Joe Ballow – 51.0 lbs
Second
Color Me Gone – Ted Taylor – 49.2 lbs
Third
Waste’n Away II – Raymond Heck – 44.3 lbs
Wahoo
First
Color Me Gone – Ted Taylor – 71.0 lbs
Second
Pamella Lynn – John Nicholas – 68.2 lbs
Third
Pamella Lynn – Mike Hixon – 60.1 lbs