Team Picara wins first tournament of Sport Fishing Championship Season in the Dominican Republic
by Sport Fishing Championship 1 May 16:18 UTC
Team Picara wins first tournament of Sport Fishing Championship Season in the Dominican Republic © Sport Fishing Championship
Sport Fishing Championship (SFC), the governing body of saltwater tournament fishing, announced the results for the Club Nautico Santo Domingo (CNSD) White Marlin Tournament which aired live over three days on CBS Sports Network.
Team Picara won the competition, which kicked off the 2023 SFC season and was held at Cabeza de Toro off the coast of Punta Cana.
As a qualifying event for the SFC season, scores from this tournament count toward teams' regular season point totals, with blue marlin counting for 350 points (first catch for 450 points), white marlin and spearfish for 125 points, and sailfish and swordfish for 75 points. The final results and current standings, based on number of fish landed and species of fish:
- Team Picara, with a total of 1600 points and 11 billfish releases
- Team San Elias with a total of 1350 points and nine billfish releases
- Team Angela, with a total of 1075 points and nine billfish releases
Team Picara landed the first blue marlin of the tournament, netting them an extra 100 points, and landed back-to-back sailfish in the afternoon on day three to widen their lead before taking home the win.
"We're happy, we worked hard for this," said Team Picara Captain Jose Garcia. "We worked all day, and the days before that, so we're tired but we're happy. It's a great tournament and it was a great event, and we will be back next year."
"Congratulations to Team Picara on their win in Punta Cana," said Mark Neifeld, CEO and commissioner of SFC. "The top of the leaderboard was a tight race all weekend long and the increase in billfish releases from last year showcases how great the Dominican Republic fishery is! It was a great kickoff to our 2023 season and we're excited for next week's event in Louisiana."
In total, 117 billfish were caught and released in Punta Cana this year, comprised of 102 white marlin, six blue marlin and nine sailfish and constituting a jump over last year's total of 109.
Next week, the season's second tournament will kick off on Thursday, May 4, from Hurricane Hole Marina in Grand Isle, Louisiana for the Louisiana Gulf Coast Billfish Classic.
The season's events thereafter include: the Salt Life Bluewater Tournament in St. Augustine, Florida, May 10-13; Gulf Coast Masters in Orange Beach, Alabama, May 22-28; Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic in Biloxi, Mississippi, June 5-11; Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic in Sandestin, Florida, June 21-25; South Jersey Yacht Sales Offshore Showdown in Cape May, New Jersey, July 5-8; Oak Bluffs Bluewater Classic in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, July 11-16; Tri-State Canyon Shootout in Block Island, Rhode Island, July 23-27; Texas International Fishing Tournament in South Padre Island, Texas, August 3-6; and conclude with the San Juan International Billfish Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, August 23-26.
To learn more about the Sport Fishing Championship or view the full 2023 season schedule, visit sportfishingchampionship.com.