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The big-game tournament season is just that, seasonal. To start the year, South Florida is in the limelight through March, when the action shifts to the Bahamas through May. From there, the calendar begins to split as tournaments along the Gulf Coast and eastern seaboard fire up, reaching a peak with the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament in early June.
But by late June and throughout July, all eyes shift to a small island nation in the middle of the Atlantic: Bermuda.
In addition to the infamous triangle, high socks and pastels, Bermuda is a renowned destination for big blue marlin, a reputation it has proven time and time again. The largest blue marlin in recent years was produced here—a 1,268-pounder in 2024 that local boat UnWined had to tow to the scales because it would not fit aboard. That catch was only the latest chapter in Bermuda’s deep big-fish lore.
Pair the chance to land a fish of a lifetime with the island’s natural beauty, friendly people and unmistakable European luxury and charm, and all the ingredients are in place for a world-class gathering of big-game anglers.
That is exactly what the Bermuda Triple Crown has represented for the past 26 years.
I landed in Bermuda on July 1, several days before the series kicked off with the Bermuda Billfish Blast. This is my third year working the BTC with Marlin, and I can undoubtedly say it is a highlight of my work year. From the moment I boarded the plane in Palm Beach, the energy was already there. Raccoon-eyed crew members in their team shirts greeted one another, caught up and shared predictions for the week ahead.
The level of competition in Bermuda is second to none. Some of the best teams—and nicest boats—in tournament fishing make Bermuda their home for the month of July. That concentration of high-quality, professional teams is what makes the Triple Crown so special, and 2026’s opening event immediately delivered on the promise.
The 2026 Bermuda Billfish Blast opened the series with 47 teams, a $1.29 million purse, an electric July 4 atmosphere, and the kind of weighed-blue-marlin drama that quickly made the first leg one of the summer’s most memorable events.
Plane Simple, captained by Jimmy Werling, claimed the overall title with 3,200 points and earned $324,533.33. The team edged defending 2025 Bermuda Triple Crown champion Builder’s Choice, led by Capt. Brent Gaskill, by just 200 points. Builder’s Choice finished second with 3,000 points and collected $218,156.67.
Juben, no stranger to the global tournament circuit, rounded out the podium in third with 2,100 points, earning $53,260.
The week’s main storyline, however, unfolded on Day One as the tournament overlapped with the Blue Marlin World Cup. Bermuda fielded 50 teams in the worldwide event, many of which were also fishing the Blast, and the island quickly became the center of the billfishing world.
Bree brought a 617-pound blue marlin to the scales early in the day, setting a strong early benchmark for both events. Later that afternoon, Swish raised the bar with an impressive 653-pound blue, moving into the lead at the Blast. When the final call for lines out was made at the end of the Blast, Swish claimed top blue marlin honors and earned $395,225 for their Day One blue marlin, which also finished second in the Blue Marlin World Cup on time.
Miss Ma’am added the third qualifying blue marlin, weighing a 532-pounder on Day Two during an impressive first showing in Bermuda. The team finished fifth overall with 2,032 points, several blue marlin releases and $138,770 in winnings. Bree landed in 10th with 1,617 points and earned $98,505, bolstered by its World Cup-qualifying 617-pound blue.
With all the excitement of July 4 behind them, it was easy to forget there were still two days of fishing remaining. Plane Simple took full advantage. The team won the Day Two daily, then added two blue marlin and a white marlin on Day Three to finish with 3,200 points. The performance continued a hot stretch for Werling and the Plane Simple crew, who are coming off a major win at the Custom vs. Production Shootout in the Bahamas in May.
Builder’s Choice opened the event by winning the Day One daily and remained in contention until the final hours of the tournament. A late Day Three blue marlin release pulled Gaskill’s team to 3,000 points, but it was not quite enough to overtake Plane Simple.
Other notable payouts included $31,875 for TOP IT OFF, whose angler Stone Dupree won the winner-take-all heaviest tuna category with an impressive 172.9-pound yellowfin, and $31,025 for Bobojo, where Hershel Martin weighed the tournament’s heaviest wahoo at 43.3 pounds.
With the Blast complete, attention now shifts to the Bermuda Triple Crown’s marquee event, the Bermuda Big Game Classic—historically the series’ largest, highest-participation and highest-payout tournament. Before that, however, teams will take part in the inaugural Taittinger & Tails Ladies-Only Shootout on July 8, moved up one day because of weather and expected to draw a solid fleet in it’s first running.
The added lady’s event is one of several improvements introduced this year under new BTC tournament director Michelle Gaylord. Although new to the title, Gaylord has long been involved with the BTC and other top-tier tournaments around the world, and that experience is noticeable across the board, from event programming and participant communication to the overall flow of the series.
If the Billfish Blast was any indication, Bermuda is in for an exceptional July. And the series is only getting started. So stay tuned as some of the best professional teams in the world battle it out in this famed Atlantic fishery.
The Bermuda Billfish Blast tournament is sponsored by many industry-leading companies including:
Marlin, Bermuda Tourism Authority, Goslings, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Caterpillar, Gregory Poole Marine, Pantropic Power, Foley Inc., Ring Power, PW Marine, Miles Market, The Waterfront Group, Garmin, Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, Butterfield & Vallis, Yeti, Costa, Spar Yard Marine Solutions, Dassault Falcon Jet, Release Marine, Spyderco, AFTCO, Island Construction Services, ICS Tires, Florida Detroit Diesel-Allison, Atlantic Detroit Diesel-Allison, Turtlebox Audio, Alexseal, OluKai, Airmar, VanMark Jewelry Designers, Coastal Carolina Cutting Boards, Island Glass, Rego-Sotheby’s International Realty, Sig Sauer, Icom America, City of Hamilton, RUBIS Energy Bermuda, XTRATUF, Bluefin USA, Alutecnos, Marine Trophies, BermudAir, Conch Republic Apparel, Gozney Pizza Ovens, Big T Lures, Alexandra Mosher Studio Jewellery, Ladies Love Pink, Ahmani’s Cookie Company, Constellation Kitchen, Dining Bermuda.
