By Capt. Dave Lear, pcbgt.com
The action was again slow on the final day of the 41st annual Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament, yet it was not without some high-seas drama. As expected, a couple boats added to their tallies, but in the end Pelican would retain its top lead. Sweet Spot, last year’s winner, released the only fish it encountered, a white marlin, ending up with 900 points overall, 100 shy of Pelican.
“We were up around the 300s in green water. We saw lots of bait and it was slick calm. The majority of the fleet was up there,” says Capt. Chris Kubik, Sweet Spot’s skipper. “This is always some of the toughest competition. The Oregon Inlet fleet is the best there is, in my opinion. They know the water, they fish everyday and they’re always on ‘em, especially Arch [Capt. Arch Bracher, Pelican’s captain].”
Sweet Spot was competing in the Omni sonar division. The 360-degree sonar paints very detailed images of bait and targeted fish. Contestants opted which category to fish in during tournament registration.
“All our bites but one came off the sonar,” Kubik added. “When fishing is slow, it gives you an advantage. But it depends on how much attention you pay to the screen. Growing up fishing, we were always looking around, using binoculars. Now you need a couple Advil at the end of the day from eye strain staring at the screen.”
Capt. Steve Richardson has been competing in the PCBT for 15 years. He was running Short Rigger this year. The boat scored a white marlin release on Friday.
“We were up around the 150 line with about 20 other boats,” he said. “There was not a lot of anything. We caught that white on a naked ballyhoo, missed a sailfish and weighed a 32-pound wahoo. The fishing sucked this year. A lot of boats never caught a fish. There have been better years, for sure. But there have been worse ones, too.”
A total of 23 billfish were released on Friday, including three blue marlin, four sailfish and 16 white marlin. Historically, the PCBT is a white marlin-dominant event.
Wall Hanger was the top Omni boat on Friday, with three billfish releases, good for 300 points. Stacy Allen also boated a 27.4-pound dolphin to jump into first place in that division. Brian Allen runs the 57 Spencer. Secotan, another 57 Spencer run by Capt. Dan Spencer, released a blue to take second in the day’s Omni standings.
In the non-Omni division, Rigged Up, a 54 Omie Tillet (Capt. Charles Haywood), scored 300 points for three billfish releases. Sunday Funday, a 58 Jarrett Bay run by Capt. Randy Runyon, released a blue for the other daily winner.
The 41st annual Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament awards ceremony was held later Friday evening.
Team Pelican kept a close eye on Friday’s leaderboard, but in the end the score held up to earn top-boat honors in the 41st annual Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament. Capt. Arch Bracher is the skipper of the 56 Paul Mann based at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center. Pelican scooped up seven billfish overall, worth 1,000 points and an overall payout of $275,893. The boat won top boat, first fish Day 3, Omni Daily, Overall Points and Winner Take All Jackpots. There were 84 boats (251 anglers) competing for $1.263 million in prize money for the week.
Pelican fielded a family team consisting of Emily, Grant, John R. and Wyatt Bailey, joined by Rob Readmond. Pat Bracher and Jake Worthington are the mates. Wyatt Bailey was named the Top Junior Angler for the event after releasing two billfish.
Sweet Spot, last year’s winner, came up just shy of a repeat championship (five releases/950 points). The 62 Spencer based in Wando, SC, earned 2nd place top boat and Omni points, top Blue Marlin release and Omni daily and jackpot. Those standings won Capt. Chris Kubik and the team a payout of $225,380. The boat co-owner, Holly McAlhany, was named the Top Lady Angler with four billfish releases.
Taking third-place honors overall and multiple Omni categories was Viking 82, the factory boat from New Gretna, NJ. Capt. Sean Dooley runs the new sportfisher. Viking 82 released five billfish worth 800 points to win $152,920 in prize money.
Re-Leased, a 61 Jamie Chadwick home ported in Morehead City, was named fourth-place boat overall. The team also had five releases (800 points) and won an Omni daily and jackpot prizes. Joe Segrave was named the Top Overall Angler after releasing two blue marlin. Re-Leased is taking home $61,550 for its efforts. Desperado (NC), a 56 Taylor Harrison with Capt. Gray Blount on the flying bridge, was named the fifth-place overall boat after scoring 800 points (five releases).
Rigged Up, a 54 Omie Tillett based at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, was the top money winner in the non-Omni categories. Rigged Up (Capt. Charles Haywood) scored five billfish releases to take first in Overall Points and Winner Take All, along with dailies. The team won $126,841.
Sniper, a 58 Paul Mann run by Capt. Chris Raiford, won second place overall with three fish and Day 2 Dailies. The team pocketed $53,316 for its 450 points. Widespread, a 52 Crown Marine with Capt. Jay Watson at the helm, earned third place overall honors and $11,900 for four fish worth 400 points.
Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament has multiple categories for teams to earn payouts. Other winners for this year’s event included All In (58 Blackwell/Capt. Daniel Caison), Annie O (60 Guthrie/Capt. Nate Newlin), Qualifier (57 Paul Mann/Capt. Fin Gaddy), Marsh Madness (65 Island Boat Works/Capt. Shane Brafford), No Quarter (36 Jarrett Bay/Capt. Tim Cobb), Goombay (62 Weaver Boat Works/Capt. Brian Peele), Secotan (57 Spencer/Capt. Dan Spencer), Short Rigger (61 Billy Holton/Capt. Steve Richardson), Sunday Funday, (58 Jarrett Bay/Capt. Randy Runyan) and Watertight (57 Jarrett Bay/Capt. Zack Gallaher).
Wall Hanger had a productive week, despite the slower bite. In addition to two Omni prizes for Day 4, Stacy Allen captured the top dolphin at 27.4 pounds and Braxton Allen scored the top tuna at 62.1 pounds. Wall Hanger, a 57 Spencer, is run by Capt. Brian Allen. The team earned a payout of $106,317 for its tally. Jason Wordsworth, fishing aboard J&B (55 Wanchese/Capt. Alan Murray), wound in the heaviest wahoo at 55.6 pounds to win $22,383.
“I’d like to thank all our teams for fishing with us again this year,” says Tournament Director Heather Maxwell. “Fishing was tough, but we appreciate y’all, our wonderful sponsors and all our volunteers. We look forward to seeing everyone again next August 11-15 for our 42nd year of the Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament.”
