The Spice Island Billfish Tournament is one of the southern Caribbean’s premier tournaments. This year’s event was held January 21 to 25, 2017, and hosted by the Grenada Yacht Club in St. Georges, Grenada. Participating boats from across the region attended, including teams from the islands of Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Martinique, among others. This is the second year that the event has been 100 percent catch-and-release for billfish as well.
This year’s Spice Island Billfish Tournament was won by Hard Play II, based in Trinidad and Tobago. The team racked up nine billfish releases: four blue marlin and five sailfish, for 4,200 points. Reelin’ & Dealin’, another boat from Trinidad and Tobago, had six releases (two blue marlin and four sailfish) to place second with 2,700 points. In third was De Reel Viking from Barbados with four releases, three blue marlin and one sailfish, and 2,400 points. David Sheridan from Hard Play II was the event’s top angler with two blues and three sails, and Silvie Rolles was the top lady angler with one blue marlin released on Destiny. Isaiah Aleong-Baksh was the top junior with three sailfish and one white marlin on Pair-a-Dice. Anthony Laurence landed the largest yellowfin tuna at 145 pounds on Cocobel. Max Maugee caught the largest wahoo of the tournament at 36 pounds on Two Thou, while Robert Miller landed a 37-pound mahimahi to win that category on ZuZu.
Enjoy a photo gallery from the awards and around the docks at this annual event.
