Thursday, November 19, 2015

The 34th Annual Balboa Angling Club’s Master Angler Billfish Tournament


The 34th Annual Balboa Angling Club’s Master Angler Billfish Tournament, the most prestigious and oldest marlin tournament on the west coast, was held September 11th and 12th in 100+ degree hot weather!  
The Kick-Off Party and Captain’s Meeting was standing room only on September 9th at The Tee Room in Newport Beach.  Since 129 Marlin were caught and tagged/or released by BAC members or on BAC boats BEFORE the MABT even started, the atmosphere was electric and the anglers were ready to go!  
The fishing started on Friday at 6:30 am with the first fish hooking up two minutes later!  Sadly, that fish was lost, but by the 11:00 am roll call, 8 marlin had been caught and released!  Boats were fishing mainly in the northern section of the area in Grid 10 and 11 near Santa Cruz and Anacapa Islands; some boats were even flying Kites like in the old Zane Grey days!  
The BAC once again teamed up with the IGFA (International Game Fish Association) and had 9 Great Marlin Race satellite tags purchased and assigned to boats in this year’s MABT.  Two tags were deployed:  one by Black Fin, fishing for the Dana Angling Club, and one by Magellan, fishing for the Tuna Club of Avalon.  You can track their paths by visiting the IGFA-IGMR website at https://www.igfa.org/Conserve/Balboa%20USA%202015%20Race.  
Overall, it was light line marlin fishing at its finest, a great success for the Balboa Angling Club, and the anglers are ready to come back in 2016!  

Here are the results of the 2015 Master Angler Billfish Tournament:
Clubs = 7              Boats = 41           Anglers = 170
82 Hook Ups                       54 Releases
Total Fish   1st Day           34 Released
                     2nd Day           20 Released


High Club
1st            Dana Angling – Team 1                1950 pts.
2nd          Tuna Club of Avalon – Team 1  1620 pts.
3rd           Light Tackle Marlin Club               1140 pts.

High Boat
1st            Black Fin                                             1080 pts.
2nd          Kelsey Lee                                        720 pts.
3rd           Good Karma                                     720 pts.

High Angler
1st            Shane Hurt                                       1080 pts.
2nd          David Herrera                                  660 pts.
3rd           Greg Stotesbury                             450 pts.
4th           Barry Brightenburg                        450 pts.
5th           Bob Petrina                                      420 pts.
6th           Larry Coots, Jr.                                360 pts.
7th           Don Butts                                          360 pts.
8th           Erik Landesfeind                             360 pts.
9th           Don Goodwin                                  360 pts.
10th         Bobby Leinau                                   360 pts.

Tuna Division
                    The Tuna won this year.

       Bob and Sally Kurz Perpetual Circle Hook Award
Chase Offield, Calen Offield, Sawyer Jones, Hunter Heatly
Kelsey Lee

2014 MABT IGMR
1st Place              Team Andreya
Fishing for Balboa Angling Club

2nd Place             Jock Albright
Fishing for Tuna Club of Avalon

3rd Place              Team Hooked
Fishing for Dana Angling Club






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THIS STORY WAS WRITTEN BY THE BALBOA ANGLING CLUB

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