Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club’s inaugural USVI Billfish Shootout results

The catch and release of a blue marlin earned the team aboard the USVI-based charter boat, Double Header, the top prize of $5,000.00 in the inaugural and first annual Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club’s USVI Billfish Shootout in St. Thomas on Saturday.

Local teams from St. Thomas and St. John competed in this small boat tournament focused on one of the most prized sportfishing species – billfish.

Double Header reeled in and released their blue marlin on the South Drop.

Later, the team aboard Cutting Edge released a sailfish on the North Drop. Results of this U.S. Virgin Islands waters-only tournament prove the fertility of the territory’s fishing grounds.

“We wanted to compete in this tournament since there hasn’t been a billfish tournament for a while. Plus, the last few weeks we’ve seen marlin on every charter trip we’ve taken out,” says Capt. Glen Charlett, who helmed the 37’ Calypso, Double Header. “It was around 8 a.m. when we hooked up a doubleheader. One of our anglers, Eli James, was able to get one of them in. We were hoping for another.”