Captain Billy Black Takes Warriors to Sea

2015 Bonito Blast first place winner Deitz Devant with his 20-pound bonito. PHOTO CREDIT: WWOFSF.
2015 Bonito Blast first place winner Deitz Devant with his 20-pound bonito. PHOTO CREDIT: WWOFSF.

4th Annual Treasure Coast Bonito Blast to Benefit Wounded Warriors of South Florida

This August 20th, the Treasure Coast Bonito Blast (TCBB) will be fishing not only for our Florida veterans, but also with them, thanks to the efforts of Capt. Billy Black and Mike Durkee, veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq and executive director for Wounded Warriors of South Florida (WWOSF). Together they will bring veterans on board to compete for the largest bonito and $2,500 prize money.

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This year’s Bonito Blast tournament artwork by artist Carey Chen.

WWOSF (www.wwofsf.org) is a Florida nonprofit veteran’s organization and not affiliated with other similar organizations.  Working closely with the Veterans Association, they screen for eligible post 9/11 veterans in financial crisis. In 2015, they proudly donated approximately 90-percent of their funds to veterans and their families.

In only three years, the TCBB has become one of the largest fishing tournaments on the Treasure Coast, donating over $100,000 to WWOFSF.

According to Mike Durkee, “The Bonito Blast has helped us to support hundreds of deserving veterans.”

True to its goal, giving everyone in the community a chance to come together and fish for our veterans, entry fee remains $100 per boat. The fee includes four people ($25 for each additional person) and dinner for two nights. Junior anglers under 12, fish for free. There will be two calcutta’s, largest dolphin and largest edible bottom fish.

Anglers will also have chance to compete on Real Radio’s Love Doctors, 94.3 and The Wave 97.2 for a free entry to the Bonito Blast. Lucky winners will fish with Dano and Eric Hunter as they battle each other for the biggest catch.

Weigh in will be at the Twisted Tuna, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Captain’s meeting, August 19, 7 p.m., and the awards party, on August 20 and beginning at 5 p.m., will be held at Manatee Island Bar and Grill, Port Salerno Florida. This year’s event will include live bands, dinner, the drawing for a fully wrapped EZ-GO Golf Cart, and numerous items included in a silent and live auction conducted by Palm City Auction. All styles men’s and women’s T-shirts for the 4th annual Treasure Coast Bonito Blast, with new exclusive design by Carey Chen, will be available.

For more information, visit TreasureCoastBonitoBlast.com, or call (508) 221-2871 or (772) 634-2962, or email TCBonitoBlast@gmail.com.

Jim Garrity, Scott Levin and Rob Stephan, took these three junior anglers out in last year’s tournament to target snapper. Ryder MacCarthy holds the winning bottom feeding fish, a 13.1-pound mutton snapper. PHOTO CREDIT: WWOFSF.
Jim Garrity, Scott Levin and Rob Stephan, took these three junior anglers out in last year’s tournament to target snapper. Ryder MacCarthy holds the winning bottom feeding fish, a 13.1-pound mutton snapper. PHOTO CREDIT: WWOFSF.

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