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Miamian, Alex Vazquez led team Fish Tales to an impressive victory at the Bahamas Billfish Championship’s first tournament of the 2012 season at Great Guana Cay, Abaco. Vazquez and teammate Joey Souto caught and released four blue marlin and a white marlin to earn 2,600 points for the win.
The BBC’s new format allows teams to fish three out of four days with a required ‘captain’s choice’ lay-day. Like most of the twenty-one boat fleet, Fish Tales took day one as their lay-day. Shortly after noon on day two, Vazquez released the team’s first blue marlin and Souto solidified the tournament lead by releasing the team’s second blue of the day shortly before three o’clock.
Fish Tales added to their lead on day three with another released blue marlin. However, on day three, all eyes were on Give It Away. BBC newcomers John and Anne Aramendia of Garden Ridge, Texas brought Give It Away within 300 points of the leader when Anne released a sailfish, white marlin and a blue marlin for a ‘grand slam.’ John added another blue and, at the end of day three, Give it Away had accrued 1,500 points to Fish Tales’ 1,800.
More importantly, in BBC tournaments, 700 ‘grand slam bonus’ points are awarded to a team catching a sailfish, white marlin (or spearfish) and blue marlin in one day during the tournament. At the conclusion of the tournament, the Grand Slam Bonus points are added to the team’s overall score for that tournament. This meant that the Hatteras 60, Fish Tales, needed more points on day four to avoid losing the lead.
But on day four, Barry Weshnak’s Miss Annie grabbed the spotlight releasing three blue marlin and edging Frank Rodriguez and Fa-La-Me out of third place because Miss Annie was the first to achieve 1,800 points. Meanwhile, Fish Tales added another blue and a white to finish with 2,600 points. Anne Aramendia released a sailfish adding another 100 points to Give It Away’s total.
The Guana Cay Championship win earned Alex Vazquez and team Fish Tales a Randy Rich designed trophy presented by tournament sponsors MarineMax and Hatteras Yachts. In addition, the Miami, Florida based Fish Tales received a $500 gift certificate from Treasure Coast Propellers and a custom set of teasers from Reel Tease and Chum Buoy. Capt. Chris Zielinski and the Fish Tales crew each received a Randy Rich designed trophy sponsored by Steve Lewis of the Lewis Marine Group.
To read the complete Guana Cay Championship press release click here.
To view pictures from the Guana Cay Championship click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.
To view and download a YouTube video/slide show from the Guana Cay Championship click here
To Register & Enter online click here.
Tournament Format Change for BBC 2012
Captain's Choice Lay Day - All teams will fish any three (3) out of the available four (4) fishing days (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday). Ribbons must be picked-up each fishing day between 6:00 am and 8:00 am from the Committee Boat.
Angling Rule Changes (Changes in bold)
Lines in the water at 8:00 am - Lines out of the water at 4:00 on all fishing days.
To qualify as a "released fish" the leader must be brought within the grasp of the mate or the end of the leader must be wound to the rod tip. A 'Billfish Release Affidavit' must be completed for each billfish released and presented to the Committee Boat between the hours of 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm on the same day the fish is caught. These hours can be extended if a team was fighting a fish and reported to the Committee Boat prior to "lines out of the water."
New Angling Rules
• Teams fishing the Bahamas Billfish Championship may not include any individual who has been paid to be a captain or crew, fish a rod, feed fish and/or bring a fish to the boat in the last three (3) years.
• All boats participating in the Bahamas Billfish Championship tournaments must have a valid Bahamas Fishing Permit with a Bahamas Fisheries sticker affixed thereto.
