Some of the best
sports fishermen in the world gathered May 26 to 28 at the Harbour Island
Marina and Yacht Club in the Bahamas, to prove their prowess and kick off the
2005 Bermuda Triangle Series (BTS).
Out of four teams participating, it was
Florida angler Richard Limegrover who released the lone blue marlin of the
event to win the tournament. Limegrover, fishing with pal Greg Talbott aboard
Talbott’s and partner Scott Adam’s 61-foot Garlington On Line released
at 4:55 p.m. during the first day of fishing. The other participants – Team
Rum Bum with angler/owner Luis Bacardi and Capt. Jim O’Neill, Team
A-Fin-Ity led by Davis Clapp with Capt. John Tierney, and Team Surveillance with Capt. Todd
Hendrickson – knew what they had to beat. But everyone, including Limegrover
and his On Line team members, continued fishless in spite of the small
fleet raising three blues and two whites over the next two days. Thus,
Limegrover kept his champion position and pocketed the coveted BTS angler
award: an Ed Pang-designed gold
hook shaped pendant inset with a sapphire, a gem that represents the Bahamas
leg of the BTS.
“The 2nd annual Harbour Island
Open was a first-class event even though the fishing was slow,” said tournament
director and founder, St. Thomas’ Jimmy Loveland. “Spirits were lively, the
food such as fresh fish and conch were delicious, the weather was beautiful,
waters calm, and the competition keen.”
Loveland adds, “Next year to hopefully out
smart the fish, we plan to return to Harbour Island, but this time we will
schedule the event as we do in St. Thomas – three days before the full moon.
The fishing dates will be June 8, 9, and 10.”
Team Rum Bum, champion of the
inaugural BTS, Team A-Fin-Ity and Team On Line head this month to
Hamilton, Bermuda, where they will fish the second leg of the BTS July 7 to 9.
Hoping to maintain their lead, Team On Line will charter the famous
40-foot Gamefisherman Challenger, helmed by the legendary Capt. Alan
Card.
“To win the series, teams must compete in
at least two of the events and one must be the USVI Open/Atlantic Blue Marlin
or "Boy Scout" Tournament in St. Thomas, August 16 to 20,” Loveland
says.
He adds, “We are now gaining momentum with
the series. A total of six teams are planning to converge on Bermuda and then
finally come to St. Thomas in August. We expect additional signups in Bermuda
due to the many visiting boats that will be in the area. The fishing in Bermuda
is expected to be good because the marlin have already started showing up there
as the waters are now warming up.”
Looking ahead, teams signed up for the 2006
BTS include Team On Line, Team A-Fin-Ity, Team South Paw, Team
Rum Bum, Team Topless and Team Somoya.
The BTS Series benefits the V.I. Council of
the Boy Scouts of America as well as similar organizations in the Bahamas and
Bermuda.
Now that the BTS is up and running,
Loveland is making plans for the next step of his dream. “We’re now at the
point where I can start to work on the filming. Hopefully, we can put together
a series that will bring the sport of big game fishing close-up and
personal to millions of television viewers.”
