In the weekend of January 28th through 31st, a total of 30 fishing teams on seagoing vessels registered for the Bonaire International Blue Marlin Tournament 2010, held in the waters around the beautiful island of Bonaire. Event Organizer Robur de Vries again offered a great tournament with authentic island style ambiance. The tournament was a catch and release event.
Among the big game fishermen there were two junior anglers from Curaçao, Willem Evertsz and Dirk van Vliet as "Team Bimini Twist," together with their friend, coach and fishing team captain, Jeff. In two days they raised a total of five blue marlin, winning the tournament with a total of 900 points. Both anglers had the time of their lives as they climbed the stage to be officially installed as the Winners of the Bonaire International Blue Marlin Tournament 2010.
For decades now, Marlin in the waters around the ABC Islands have been fearing the van Vliet family, as grandfather and very successful big game angler Dirk van Vliet Sr. tipped numerous titles, including a World Championship, accompanied by his son Robert van Vliet who also needs no introduction in the world of big game fishing. Robert van Vliet is a true champion and also record holder for more than 25 years with a blue marlin of 803 pounds. Both anglers' names appear on the famous belt at the International Game Fish Association museum in Florida, USA.
Now and again a new threat is posed for the blue marlin: Grandson Dirkje van Vliet has surfaced. A new generation tournament winner – suggesting that sports fishing might be in the genes.
