Another summer billfishing season off South Carolina has come and gone, and we now find ourselves in an exceptionally strange situation.
We’d typically be preparing for an awards reception to celebrate all of the winners of the South Carolina Governor’s Cup Billfishing Series. But this year, there is no winner.
Due to concerns over COVID-19, only one tournament occurred this summer.
Local and visiting boats competed in the Carolina Billfish Classic in June, expecting to continue on with other Gov Cup events later in the season.
The remaining tournaments were instead cancelled and the Series suddenly shrank away to a single event.
While we are all incredibly disappointed by this unprecedented outcome, we have tremendous respect for those who had to make these challenging decisions.
It’s never easy to call off an event planned over the course of an entire calendar year, especially one that is steeped in local traditions and nostalgia.
The excitement leading up to next year’s billfishing season will surely result in an even bigger and better Series in 2021
Tournaments are like that. They are milestones in the life of a fishing community, markers of great trials and victories.
As a result, the decisions to cancel were not taken lightly.
Although this year did not go as planned, we are so grateful to all of our generous and understanding sponsors and participants.
You make the Series possible year after year.
The excitement leading up to next year’s billfishing season will surely result in an even bigger and better Series in 2021.
We will see the highly anticipated return of the Megadock Billfishing Tournament, which will again bring the Series back to a total of five legs.
We look forward to seeing everybody next summer, ready to wrangle fired up blue marlin, sailfish, white marlin, spearfish, dolphin, tuna, and wahoo!
– Cameron Rhodes, is the social media coordinator and photographer for the South Carolina Governor’s Cup Billfishing Series and is a proud member of Charleston’s billfishing community. *All Photo’s for this article are courtesy of Cameron Rhodes/SC Governor’s Cup
Leave a Comment Below
You may also be interested in reading Charleston Offshore Fishing: Triggerfish
