The second leg of the California Billfish Series is ready to begin as some of the most skilled sportfishing captains and crews assemble back at Santa Catalina Island in Avalon for the Tenth Annual Riviera Zane Grey Invitational Billfish Tournament. The best of the professionals from the Avalon Billfish Classic along with many new faces will set out at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow, September 15, from in front of the Avalon Harbor in search of the most and biggest striped marlin to be found in the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Teams will compete both for points based on fish that are successfully released while fishing during the three days, and also awarded points for fish that are weighed that meet tournament minimum sizes. The minimum length for fish to be brought to the scales is 84 inches from the fork of the tail to the tip of the lower jaw while there is also a minimum weight of 165 pounds. Points are accrued for the single largest striped marlin weighed by a given boat during the tournament, though more than one fish may be weighed at the discretion of the crew. All crews must use non-offset circle hooks to ensure the best possible chance for healthy release of all fish that are caught.

The Zane Grey Invitational is held off the coast of Catalina Island where the famous author helped shape the pursuit of gamefish in a sporting manner. It honors one of the most famous and influential sportfishermen to ever take up the rod and reel, and a man that helped develop many of the same ethics and ideals that continue to guide the sport to this day. By promoting conservation as a chief concern of all participants it follows in the tradition that Zane Grey and many other founding fathers established over 100 years previously.

This is the second event in as many weeks held on the small but historically imperative island of Catalina and the boats will scour the same waters where the first striped marlin were ever caught using sporting tackle. The fleet of boats will leave behind Avalon Harbor and the tournament control vessel, “Pacific Provider”, heading out in all directions to what they believe to be the most fertile fishing grounds.The tournament will be held each day from Monday thru Wednesday with a possible extra day on Thursday if by some remote chance the boats come up empty handed on the first three days. As has become tradition in the ten years of the tournament, there will be a shotgun start with all of the participants lining up and going full throttle into the day. Live coverage will be found here at www.catalinatournaments.com and tournament information and standings will be updated so that anyone interested can keep up to the minute with what happens on the water. There are 14 boats registered to fish with a total purse of over $120,000, not including the daily pools which up the ante and reward depending on the optional entries for each boat.

The third and final leg of the California Billfish Series to be held on Catalina Island this year will take place next week on September 22 and 23 when the 16th Annual Catalina Classic takes off.

3rd Yamaha Contender Avalon Billfish Classic Marlin Tournament Final Results

By Bryan Rose

Professional Division

First Place - Bad Company: 9 releases - $11,750

Second Place - Gambler: 7 releases - $5,875

Third Place – Ruckus: 5 releases - $1,985

Daily Pool Winner - Bad Company - $17,900 (day 1 and 2)

Amateur Division

First Place - Aly Cat: 3 releases - $4,314

Second Place - Quality Time: 1 release - $2,517

Third Place - Exta Sea: 1 release - $719

Daily Pool Winner – Aly Cat - $3,400 (day 1 and 2)

The second day of the Yamaha Contender Avalon Billfish Classic Marlin Tournament started out on a slow note after another exciting shotgun start. After the first three hours only one boat had gotten a confirmed release, that being the “Aly Cat” who put up the first release from the “No Fear” amateur division left vacant after day 1. The “Quality Time” repeated the feat next with the second billfish released for the day at 10:19.

It was at about 10:30 that things blew wide open with the “Ruckus” pulling a marlin release that kicked off some hot action. The hot hand in the morning was the “Gambler” who got their first fish of the day at 10:35 after releasing two on Monday. They equaled their day one total soon after by releasing a second marlin at 10:51, and followed up with another at 11:40. This left them surging for the overall lead in the pro division but the day 1 daily prize winners Team Bad Company weren’t going down without a hard fight.

The “Bad Company” got their first fish to pull back into a tie on points, losing only by time with a billfish that was released at 11:27. They pulled off a second release within minutes when they let loose a fish at 11:30. This vaulted them back into the top spot, with the “Gambler” right at their heels. The “Gambler” answered back quickly by releasing the fish at 11:40 to draw back even in the number of releases for each boat. Another five minutes passed before the “Gambler” was back on the radio calling in their sixth fish of the event to retake the lead at 11:45, and just over half of the fishing day gone.

After the battle back and forth between the “Gambler” and the “Bad Company”, it was time for some fresh faces to get in on the action. The first to join the party was the “Pacific Edge” who put the screws to a billfish and got the release at 11:47. Next up was the “Reel Time” who put a clean release up at 12:09 for their second of the tournament. The “Ruckus” followed up just after noon with their second release of the day at 12:15. “Bad Company” meanwhile was still on the hunt and they pulled another fish at 12:17 to draw back even on the number of fish caught while the “Gambler” held the lead on time.

The “Pacific Edge” grabbed a marlin at 12:17, with the call coming in just 30 seconds after the “Bad Company” released their fish. The amateurs got back in the game after that, with the “Exta Sea” putting up a release at 12:41. “Aly Cat” still held the amateur division lead with their first fish of the day, but added a little insurance in the form of a second marlin which they released at 12:58. The “Reel Nice and Easy” added their name to the expanding list of successful crews at 1:17 with a clean release before things turned back into the “Bad Company” vs. “Gambler” show.

The first boat to their seventh marlin release was the “Bad Company” who got their points at 1:39. The “Gambler” answered right back at 1:51, with their seventh fish of the tournament and fifth of the day. The “Reel Nice and Easy” got their second release of the day at 2:28 as they got dialed in on the fish while the “Reel Time” repeated the feat at 2:46 with their second release on the day. The “Bad Dog II” was on a fish from just after 1:00, finally getting the clean release at 3:20. It was then back to the “Bad Company” as they added their eighth release of the tournament at 2:47 and drew even with the “Gambler” for the day.

At 3:17 the “Bad Company” released their ninth fish of the tournament and sealed the win, sweeping both the jackpot and both daily prizes to take all of the money in the pro division. The “Ruckus” added their fifth release of the tournament and third of the day at 3:19. “Aly Cat” also sealed up a win in the last hour with a final release at 3:36, their third of the day. This left “Aly Cat” to take the money in the amateur division, winning both the jackpot and the daily prize from both days. The last fish of the day went to the “Reel Time” who was hooked up at lines out and released their third marlin of the event at 4:01 to finish off the 2008 Yamaha Contender Avalon Billfish Classic Billfish Tournament.

The top catching crew in the pro division was Team Bad Company with 9 releases for the tournament. The Gambler fell just short with 7 releases in the tournament, “Ruckus” pulled 5 releases and “Reel Time”, “Reel Nice and Easy”, and “Pacific Edge” all ended up with 4 releases and the “Knot for Rent” had two. For the “No Fear” amateur division it was the “Aly Cat” that took the most points on three releases, while the “Quality Time”, “Bad Dog II” and “Exta Sea” contributed one release each.

Prize money for the Professional Division is $11,750, going to first place “Bad Company”, $5,875 for the “Gambler”, and $1,958 for third place ”Ruckus”. On the “No Fear” Amateur Division, “Aly Cat” takes home $4,314 for first, “Quality Time” takes $2,517 for second, and “Exta Sea” gets $719 for third place. Team Bad Company also gets the daily pools for both days, totaling $17,900 while in the amateur division “Aly Cat” gets $3,400 in daily prize money.