West Palm Beach – Wild weather, a tight finish and a tournament-record tuna highlighted the West Palm Beach Fishing Club’s (WPBFC) 78th annual Silver Sailfish Derby.
The world’s longest-running sailfish tournament hosted 34 boats and anglers from all over the country for the Jan. 8-9 tournament out of Sailfish Marina on Singer Island, Fla. Extremely rough Atlantic seas tested the fleet on the first day and then improved significantly on the second day. However, the sailfish bite tapered off along with the decreasing winds.
A total of 128 sails were released the first day of fishing when the waves were running 8 to 12 feet. On the final day 78 sails were released for a tournament total of exactly 200 releases.
“Despite the challenging conditions, the derby fleet was able to capitalize on the passing cold front and post some strong numbers. The catch average this year was a little over three sailfish per boat day, double the derby’s historical average,” said WPBFC Scientific Advisor John Jolley.
Team Wrenegade, captained by Jim Garner, took top boat honors with 13 releases overall on time. The Palm Beach-based Wrenegade was on pins and needles the final day as they held off a late run by last year’s Derby champions, team Miss Annie, captained by Randy Yates. Miss Annie also tallied 13 releases, finishing second overall on time. Team ProPayroll, an open center console, captained by Jamie Ralph placed third overall with 12 releases and also earned the trophy for Top Small Boat. Team Absolut Joy, captained by Matt Rabenstine, ended up fourth overall on time with 10 releases.
The Top individual angler was Alex Delatour, of Berkeley, Cali., fishing aboard the Permitted, captained by Greg Bogdan. Delatour released 10 sailfish to claim the coveted Mrs. Henry Rea Trophy, one of the crown jewels in the world of competitive billfishing dating back to the first derby in 1935. Susan McCart, of Sarasota, Fla., posted five releases to successfully defend her Top Lady Angler title. The award is presented in memory of the late Rosemarie Hampp, who was an accomplished derby angler in the 1950s.
Tournament spectators crowded the Sailfish Marina dock the final day as word spread about a big fish. Angler Scott Robins, of Miami Beach, Fla., fishing aboard the team Weez In The Keys, captained by Chris Zielinski, had landed a large yellowfin tuna. Robins’ tuna weighed in at 138.8 pounds, shattering the existing Silver Sailfish Derby weight record, a 59.3-pound wahoo caught in 2012.
“I’ve had the opportunity to fish in a lot of places around the world and have had some pretty memorable catches, but this is without question one of my top five highlights,” said Robins, who fought the fish for an hour and a half on 20-pound-class tackle. The spectacular catch earned Robins the Grand Champion Weight Fish Award and the Derby’s Louis S. Boski Trophy for the Most Outstanding Catch.
For more information on the venerable WPBFC and the Silver Sailfish Derby, visit www.westpalmbeachfishingclub.org.