After a four-day weather delay, thirty-five teams were still able to participate in the 29th annual Orange Beach Billfish Classic. The delay brought calm seas and over $800,000 in prize money in a rare Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday tournament format.
After the noon flare start, fishing was slow on Monday afternoon, and only a handful of releases were reported. Tuesday saw more releases, and it looked like there would be no fish to weigh on Tuesday night until The Pointe, a 73′ Donzi from Destin, FL, reported they had boated a 110″ Blue Marlin late in the afternoon. The crew arrived at the weigh dock at The Wharf 30 minutes before the 10 PM closing time, and angler Shawn Guidry’s fish weighed 373.0, giving them the lead heading into the final day.
On Tuesday, tournament officials had also received word from A Work of Art, a 96′ Jim Smith from Orange Beach, that they would be bringing 110″ Bluefin Tuna to the scales on the final night. But then another call from Captain Jason Buck late Wednesday afternoon said they had just boated a matching 110″ Blue Marlin in addition to the trophy Bluefin. Briar Patch also checked in, reporting they had boated a 98″ Bluefin Tuna on the final day of fishing.
As the large crowd waited for A Work of Art to weigh their fish, OBBC catch and release video judges were busy verifying billfish releases. Last year’s Gulf Coast Triple Crown winner, Team Supreme, a 72′ Viking also from Destin, released four Blue Marlin and two White Marlin, giving them top Catch and Release honors. Miss Ma’am, a 70′ Viking from Orange Beach, released four Blue Marlin for a second-place finish, and another Destin boat, Briar Patch, a 68′ Viking who won the Catch and Release division in 2023, also had four Blue Marlin releases coming in third.
Tunas were a popular fish at scales, as Finnikki, a 47′ Freeman from Jacksonville, FL, weighed a 175.4 Yellowfin, good for third place behind the two Bluefins. Briar Patch’s trophy weighed 508.2 pounds for second place, while A Work of Art’s Bluefin was 724.8 pounds.
After celebrating their winning Bluefin, it was time to see if A Work Of Art would also win the tournament with the heaviest Blue Marlin. “What a special night,” said Captain Buck. “Where else could you ever have a chance to weigh in both a 110″ Bluefin and 110″ Blue Marlin?” to the roar of the crowd.
As the fish settled on the scale, Weighmaster Craig Martin revealed that A Work of Art would indeed claim the championship with a weight of 397.8 pounds good for a combined total winnings of $309,205.
Two Wahoo were weighed in, with Angel Share 2, a 65 Hatteras from Destin, being the heaviest at 40.4 pounds, followed by Miss Remy, a 68 Viking from Venice, LA, at 28.6 pounds.
The Orange Beach Billfish Classic is the world’s largest tournament donor to The Billfish Foundation and will return to The Wharf in Orange Beach in May 2025 for its 30th year of competition.
