Tournaments

Top Gulf Coast Tournament Teams

A preview of the boats to watch in the upcoming Gulf of Mexico tournament swing

By Sam White

Updated: May 11, 2016

Top Gulf of Mexico Tournament Fishing teams for marlin and sailfish in 2016

They’re some of the best tournament teams fishing in the Gulf of Mexico this year. Who has what it takes to win big in 2016? Staff

Born2Run tournament fishing team Gulf of Mexico Hatteras 63GT

Born2Run Hatteras 63GT; Pensacola, Florida Last year, Dana Foster’s Born2Run placed second in the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic with a 575-pound blue marlin and finished third in the release divisions in both the Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic and the Blue Marlin Grand Championship. Capt. Myles Colley was TBF’s Top Tagging Captain for the Gulf of Mexico last year too, so they definitely know how to get it done when tournament season rolls around. Courtesy Blue Marlin Grand Championship

Conundrum tournament fishing team Gulf of Mexico Viking Yachts 61

Conundrum Viking 61; Orange Beach, Alabama Conundrum has had several winning seasons, most notably Top Release Team in the 2014 Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic and second-place Release Team in the 2013 and 2014 Orange Beach Billfish Classics, and 2011 Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic. Conundrum owner Dan Haeuser and his captain, Jimmy “Cricket” Crochet, fish hard and know how to win tournaments. Courtesy Blue Marlin Grand Championship

Cotton Patch tournament fishing team Gulf of Mexico Hatteras Yachts 60

Cotton Patch Hatteras 60; Orange Beach, Alabama Cotton Patch‘s Johnny Dorland and company won the 2015 Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic in grand style, setting the tournament record with an 899.6-pound blue marlin for angler Lance Hill. They won the 2014 Mobile Big Game Fishing Club Memorial Day Tournament and were the third-place release team in the 2014 Orange Beach Billfish Classic. Courtesy ECBC

Done Deal tournament fishing team Gulf of Mexico Viking Yachts 70

Done Deal Viking 70; Houma, Louisiana Capt. Jason Buck and Done Deal owner Jon Gonsoulin have proved to be a formidable team, winning the 2015 Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic (with Gonsoulin’s daughter, Katie, in the chair) as well as back-to-back Gulf Coast Triple Crown victories in 2012 and 2013. They continued their dominance in the western Gulf of Mexico in 2013 and 2014 by winning back-to-back Lone Star Shootouts in Texas. In 2012, they boated the largest blue marlin in the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic, and in 2013 they won the Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic. They are consistent and have the experience to do well this summer. Courtesy MGCBC

Legacy tournament fishing team Gulf of Mexico Viking Yachts 56

Legacy Viking 56; Houston, Texas George Gartner, Capt. Kevin Deerman and angler Richard Richardson set the Texas state record for blue marlin during the 2014 Bastante John Uhr Memorial with a 972.3-pound beast, which is the seventh-largest blue marlin weighed in the Gulf of Mexico. Legacy also placed third in the 2013 Bastante with a 561.8-pound blue and were the Top Boat in the Texas Division of the Houston Big Game Fishing Club in 2013, so they’re definitely a Lone Star standout. Courtesy Capt. Kevin Deerman

Reel Addiction tournament fishing team Gulf of Mexico Viking Yachts 56

Reel Addiction Viking 56; Pensacola, Florida Rocky Jones, Capt. Scooter Porto and lady angler Laurie McVay Jones represent a potent combination on the Gulf of Mexico tournament circuit aboard Reel Addiction. In 2015, the team won the Pensacola International Billfish Tournament with a 604.2-pound blue marlin and placed second in the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic with a 551-pounder. In 2013, the team placed third in the Blue Marlin Grand Championships with a 722.2-pound blue marlin, placed third in the release division of the 2013 Pensacola International Billfish Tournament and won the 2011 Pensacola International with a 478.8-pound blue marlin. Courtesy ECBC

Rehab tournament fishing team Gulf of Mexico Buddy Davis Boats 47

Rehab Buddy Davis 47; Freeport, Texas Rehab owner/angler Jasen Gast and Capt. Troy Day were crowned the Lone Star Shootout Champions in 2015 and also won the 2014 Texas Billfish Classic with a 687-pound blue marlin. The same year, they finished in third place in the Release Division of the Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic (with second- and third-place tunas in the same event) and third in the Texas Billfish Classic; they were also named the Top Private Boat in the Houston Big Game Fishing Club’s annual standings. In 2013, they had another top-three finish in the Lone Star Shootout as well. This team represents a serious threat out of Texas. Courtesy Lone Star Shootout

Relentless Pursuit tournament fishing team Gulf of Mexico Jim Smith Tournament Boats 95

Relentless Pursuit Jim Smith 95; New Orleans, Louisiana Whoever said that big boats can’t fish competitively hasn’t met Relentless Pursuit owner Dennis Pastentine. Along with Capt. Robbie Doggett, the team won the highly competitive 2015 Gulf Coast Triple Crown as well as the 2015 Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic (in both the big fish and Top Release Team categories) and Top Release Team in the 2015 Pensacola International Billfish Tournament. Don’t ever count them out. Courtesy Blue Marlin Grand Championship

Sea Mixer tournament fishing team Gulf of Mexico Spencer Yachts 66

Sea Mixer Spencer 66; Orange Beach, Alabama In 2014, the coveted Gulf Coast Triple Crown fell to Sea Mixer owner Ronald Davis and his captain, Devin Potts. That year, they won the Orange Beach Billfish Classic with a 528.8-pound blue marlin, won the Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic with a 708.5-pounder and placed third in the Blue Marlin Grand Championship. Don’t be surprised to see them out ahead of the pack again this season. Courtesy OBBC

You Never Know tournament fishing team Gulf of Mexico F&S Boats 72

You Never Know F&S 72; Baton Rouge, Louisiana Capt. Joey Birbeck and boat owner Thomas Turner return to the Gulf Coast tournament swing this year looking to build on their reputation as one of the most competitive teams in the region. In 2015, they placed third in the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic with a 517.2-pound blue marlin and were the Top Release Team in the Orange Beach Billfish Classic the same year. Birbeck and crew also won the 2014 Mobile Big Game Fishing Club’s Memorial Day Tournament with a 756-pound blue marlin. Courtesy Blue Marlin Grand Championship

More: Gulf of Mexico, Tournament Essentials, Tournaments

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