Tattler - Day 4
This is it the final day; the casuarinas were talking a little wind WSW10 knts as the boats headed out for the final time. With everything so close, except for high point boat, there was excitement in the air, especially as it seems the big tuna, along with the shearwaters turned up late in the day yesterday. David Fingland seemed a little slow this morning, getting down to SPBC around 6.15 or was it just the bantering with Danny Fox atRosemont about who was going to kick ass on the rod today. Hope you had a gas mask for the ride to Somerset Danny!
Albatross had already long gone and Playmate was just heading out with SHAC as the photographer arrived, and only just captured 2DW leaving. Everybody was keen to get going, even though they can't leave gunpoint till 7.30. We shall see those winning fish on the dock this evening and hear the tales of the ones that got away, which could have won the tournament.
This was the weather on land around lunchtime but luckily it blew threw by the time the boats came home and apparently it missed them all day.
The discussion on the dock was how many fish would we have today especially as the first 2 boats arrived around 4.20, almost an hour earlier than yesterday.
Overproof and Reel Addiction came in together but Foxy & The Stiff Rods - Bobby as the 3rd angler again - chose to release all there fish today - 14 blackfin. Danny caught 8 of them, making him high rod for the day. The team was 3rd for the day.
On the other hand Three Reel Anglers decided to keep all 6 fish they caught, 2 wahoo for each angler. One of the wahoo tipped the scale at 12.9lb caught by David and the biggest was only 25.9lb caught Scott. Unfortunately enough to beat out the Stiff Rods, they came in 4th for the day. We still wanted a team shot of the Stiff Rods but nobody notice until all the pictures were being taken that they had the wrong name. This got everybody going and the Three Reels wanted to know if they could claim their points too.
The right sign was found and Wayne decided to turn it backwards before we the official team shot.
Overproof was 3rd for the day and Reel Addiction was 4th.
Albatross with the Goombay Hookers came home next with 7 fish to weigh; finally the rack looked like these guys had been fishing all day. They may not have been big fish but Wayne's 30.4lb wahoo was the largest fish for the day. When told he was to have his picture taken with it, he was skeptical as there were still 3 teams to come back but he agreed.
He also a 27.7lb wahoo (the next largest) and an 18.1 blackfin tuna. This catch makes him 3rd place angler for the day and the team 2nd.
It was great to have Colin back and what we didn't realize was Jamie has also fished a couple of times before in the 90's. We hope you will come back next year.
Maybe we need to give teams points for Shearwaters as they seem to take more bait than the fish.
Now it was time to relax and wait for the three other teams to arrive.
Adrian Lynch did a great job of helping to weigh fish, thanks for your help. Ken Henneberger also did a great job as weigh master. Now you have to choose if fishing or weighing is better.
Sinclair decided to take Mega Bucks to the South dock, I think he wanted to keep everybody guess and his team was BAC. Sure enough they called for the wheelbarrow. The fish weren't huge, David and Mark each caught a wahoo weighing 26.9lb and 26.3lb. Eric crossed his fingers weighing his fish as the cuda tipped the scale at 12.1lb and the wahoo weren't much better at 12.9lb and 17.7lb, With their 15 catches they were top team for the day and Mega Bucks top boat.
Trying to figure out the final standing can be tough as Steven opted to be inside again away from everybody. Thanks for a great job again, you make the results look like an easy thing.
Reel Hot and Playmate came in together and everybody wanted to know what they had caught. Two DW Squared on Reel Hot caught 5 fish with Neil and Dean both catching 2 wahoo. Again the weigh was close on one 12.5lb. All the others were the low 20's. They came in 5th for the day.
And so that just left one team to weigh in for the tournament - SHAC. They were so desperate for fish that they brought 4 bonita to be weighted, just incase they made it, unfortunately not! So all they could weigh was one 15.8lb wahoo and 5 releases. They were last for the day.
Although this also made Playmate last his overall points still kept him as the High Point Boat for the tournament. Congratulations to Kevin and his mate Chris Burgess, you do your dad proud.
So that concludes the tournament. It was great to have so many new anglers and a new Capt Nick New, trick shot. Alan Carlton had only been off shore a couple of times before as well done.
A total of 125 blackfin were released along with 20 yellowfin. 38 wahoo were caught, 4 yellowfin tuna, 3 barracuda, 2 blackfin, 2 almaco jack, 1 skip jack and 1 dolphin.
We would like to thank everybody for their help on the dock and all our sponsors - PricewaterhouseCoopers, Aspen Insurance Ltd, Appleby, Bermuda Air Conditioning, Sticks and Stones, The Market Place, Gosling's, Butterfield & Vallis, Fly bridge Tackle, Island Glass, Southern Cross Cable Network, Bank of Butterfield and finally Crisson Jewelers.
We look forward to welcoming you all next year for our 46th tournament.
What you though we weren't going to tell you who the winners are?
You already know that Playmate was top boat, Reel Addiction was in 2nd Overproof in 3rd, Albatross V in 4th, Mega Bucks 5th and Reel Hot in last.
First time in the tournament and he takes top honours. Congratulations to Eric Hershberg fishing for BAC. He caught 23 fish for a total of 3,641 points.
He was asked if he could shave now that the tournament was over. We'll see he how he cleans up at the prize presentation dinner. Danny Fox was definitely chasing him and was only 81 points behind for second. He only caught 13 fish but those 2 large wahoo on the first day helped to keep him up there. Another newbie Mark Henneberger took the third spot.
So the top team is BERMUDA ANGLERS CLUB!
Two DW Squared 2nd, Goombay Hooker 3rd, Foxy & The Stiff Rods 4th, Sea Horse Anglers Club 5th and Three Reelers Anglers last.
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