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The Dominican Republic has a new addition to its tournament calendar, and judging by the results of its inaugural event, the Makaira Invitational is off to an impressive start. Held Oct. 22-25 at Marina Cap Cana, the invitation-only tournament attracted 27 boats competing for a $606,400 purse. Over three days of fishing, the fleet released 130 billfish, including 102 blue marlin, 25 sailfish and three white marlin. The action was consistent throughout the event, with Saturday producing a tournament-high 37 blue marlin releases.
Capt. Ryan Leary and the crew aboard Goose emerged as the inaugural champions, putting together an impressive performance highlighted by a quadruple release and an 1,800-point second day. The team finished with 13 billfish releases and 3,500 points, sweeping the top overall honors and claiming the release winner-take-all jackpot. Their total winnings reached $347,350, accounting for more than half the tournament’s purse.
Capt. Jesse Meerhoff and Irish Twin finished second with 10 releases and 2,600 points, earning $116,300. Capt. Bryan Williams Ramos guided Fresh Air to third place with eight releases and 2,200 points, adding the heaviest wahoo jackpot to bring the team’s winnings to $47,125. Other notable winners included Marlin Brando, which earned $39,312.50, including the heaviest dorado jackpot, and Trilo Bite, which collected $20,400 in daily release winnings.
Individual honors went to Chris Pakarinen of Goose, who claimed Top Angler with seven releases and 1,900 points. Stacey Georgia Parkerson aboard Trilo Bite earned Top Female Angler with three blue marlin releases, while Lucas Garcia of Fresh Air was named Top Junior Angler. Grace, led by Capt. Rhadames Bort, topped the Non-Sonar Division.
Beyond the fishing, organizers placed considerable emphasis on conservation, technology and the overall tournament experience. The release-only competition featured video-verified catches, while six satellite tags purchased through the International Game Fish Association were made available to participating teams. The event also introduced StrikeLive, a new tournament management and scoring platform providing real-time hookups, standings and projected payouts. Shoreside festivities, including a charity art exhibition and gala, complemented the competition.
“We didn’t set out to create just another fishing tournament,” said tournament director Connor Motsko. “We wanted to build something that could stand alongside the best events in the sport, both on the water and off it.”
With strong fishing, a substantial inaugural purse and an enthusiastic fleet, the Makaira Invitational has established a promising foundation in one of the Caribbean’s premier blue marlin destinations. For a first-year tournament, it’s certainly made its presence known.
