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The 2025 Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic (ECBC), held June 19–23 out of Sandestin, Florida, once again proved why it’s among the most anticipated big-game tournaments on the Gulf Coast. With a total purse of $1.85 million and 78 teams competing over three days, the fleet delivered impressive results—boating five blue marlin and releasing 86 billfish in total, alongside dozens of high-quality gamefish.
The tournament’s defining moment came late Saturday afternoon, when All-In Southern Charm backed into the scales with a 654.6-pound blue marlin. Angler Ron Davis sealed the win aboard the 62-foot Viking with Capt. Landon Bell at the helm, earning the team Top Blue Marlin, Top Overall Angler, and sweeping all six blue marlin jackpots for a total payout of $522,045.
Second place in the blue marlin category went to Devotion, a Viking 60 run by Capt. Jason Hallmark. Angler Nathan Bearden’s 640.4-pound blue, caught just before lines out, earned the team more than $238,000. Rounding out the category was A Work of Art, a 96-foot Jim Smith, whose 604.4-pound fish earned them over $206,000 in combined payouts.
The release division saw another dominant performance from Team Supreme, fishing aboard a Viking 72 with Capt. Chase Lake. The team released five billfish for 2,175 points, earning First Place Release Team, Top Release Angler for Alex Krake, and all six release jackpots for a payout of $174,345.
Other notable teams included Devotion, which also placed second in the release division and won Top Crew honors with 2,640.4 points. Nikki Bella placed third in releases and won Top Junior Angler (gamefish) for Ethan Cruz.
In the gamefish categories, Mae won Top Dolphin with a 50.5-pound fish, Squid Row claimed Top Wahoo at 54.9 pounds, and Knot Done Yet led the tuna division with a 181.4-pound yellowfin, earning a combined $122,700 in prize money.
In total, 91 billfish were caught—86 released and five weighed—resulting in a 94.5% release rate. An additional 51 gamefish were brought to the scales, including 25 yellowfin tuna, 14 wahoo, and 12 dolphin.
