Summer’s here, and that means big bucks for billfish.
Hundreds of captains and crew will grab fishing poles instead of shammys this summer, all looking to catch big fish and even bigger cash prizes. The United States offers a variety of fishing tournaments for anglers of any skill level, but the following competitions give sport fishermen a chance at some of the largest prize purses in the world.
Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic (MGCBC)
Biloxi, Mississippi
June 5-11, 2023
This tournament has hosted anglers from around the world for more than 25 years, with 2022’s tournament hosting 73 boats and 360 anglers, with a total prize purse of $1.36m. Blue and white marlin, sailfish, spearfish, tuna, dolphin and wahoo are the target species, with a limit of one blue marlin per day. Heaviest fish, catch and release, top lady and junior angler, and other optional entry awards comprise the award categories. Barry Carr, the angler who caught the Mississippi and Gulf of Mexico record-setting 1,054.6 pound blue marlin, was participating in this tournament when he caught the fish.
Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament
Morehead City, North Carolina
June 9-18, 2023
The 65th annual Big Rock tournament hopes to continue its history of blue marlin appearances and record-breaking prizes. Blue marlin, tuna, wahoo and dolphin are Big Rock’s target fish. The 2022 tournament hosted 266 boats with a record-breaking purse of more than $5.8 million. Last year’s tournament also saw an industry record of $3.4 million in prizes claimed by M/Y MERCENARIA.
Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic (ECBC)
Miramar Beach, Florida
June 22-26, 2023
The 2022 iteration of this tournament saw 84 boats and 559 anglers compete, with $1.9 million in cash prizes handed out. ECBC’s target species are blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish, spearfish, dolphin, wahoo, and yellowfin and bigeye tuna. ECBC is a “modified release” tournament, making blue marlin the only billfish that may be weighed after meeting the required 110” minimum length to be boated. More than 27 optional entry levels are available, giving plenty of options for anglers to win big.
