The Marina at Marigot Bay and the five-star Discovery Hotel welcomed anglers from all over the Caribbean for the 18th St. Lucia International Billfish Tournament from September 11- 14th. Fishing vessels hailed from Trinidad, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Barbados, Jamaica and St. Lucia.
Whilst there was no record breaking catch to rival the current record of 707lbs, there was much excitement created after Antiguan fishing vessel Rum N Coke reportedly spent six hours struggling to try to land an 800lb blue marlin on the final day of the tournament.
On Saturday the 13th, Two Thou, the winning fishing vessel from Martinique, hooked a 700lb big blue on the Lay Day. All this serves as proof that St. Lucia’s waters are a fishing “hotspot” that lies in the migratory path of the blue marlin.
A Bikini fashion show and Lay-Day festivities on the Marigot Bay La Bas peninsula added to the fun and excitement for the anglers.
Two Thou, captained by Marc Maugee of Martinique, emerged as the Best Overall boat of the tournament with a total of 1,050 points for the most released blue marlin and won the grand prize of $5000 and entry to the IGFA Offshore World Championship. This guarantees them to be the boat to beat in the 2009 tournament.
With plans already underway for 2009, organizers are expecting a record-breaking tournament with bigger and better prizes. For highlights of the 2008 tournament and information on upcoming events visit our website at www.stluciabillfish.com or www.marigotbay.com.
Report submitted by the Marina at Marigot Bay
