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The Masters Tournament, a prestigious event rooted in the vision of John Rybovich over six decades ago, continues to challenge anglers in a unique test of old-school angling skill that emphasizes angler ability over mechanical advantage. Specifically, once a fish is hooked, boats are required to go dead in the water. Backing down on a sailfish is a disqualification and boat assist has only been recently added to the rules to take advantage of the exceptional marlin fishing in Costa Rica.
This year’s competition hosted 16 teams in Costa Rica’s renowned Los Sueños waters, following a stretch of exceptional fishing during the first leg of the Triple Crown series. From the start, the fishing was outstanding. By the final day, anglers had released 499 sailfish, one striped marlin, and eight blue marlin, collectively amassing over 30,000 points. Viking Yachts CEO Pat Healey delivered an impressive performance, earning high angler honors with numerous fast releases, including several under two minutes. Ohana, captained by Luke Hickney, secured the top boat title for the day with 19 releases between Healey and freshman angler Andrew Dean.
The second day maintained the high-energy pace, with radio control recording 186 sailfish and two blue marlin releases. Notable performances included John Temple’s 10 sailfish releases and Stephan Pfiefer’s remarkable 10-second fight, which netted him 100 points thanks to the newly implemented rule that rewards anglers based on the shortness of the fight time. Chris Lazzara emerged as the top angler of the day with 755 points, while Fish Tank, led by Captain Ben Horning, claimed the top boat title with 19 releases.
The final day of competition determined the tournament’s top performers, with several anglers and teams delivering impressive results. Shon Craig claimed the Pete Boinis Award for the fastest fight time in the tournament, landing a fish in just nine seconds. Tommy Hancock secured the Most Fish Released title, with a total of 22 successful catches. Trey Wills had a standout performance, winning Top Angler of the Day with a score of 632.5 points. Wills and Keith Beaty contributed 13 fish to Team Galati, helping them secure Top Boat of the Day.
Team Galati, led by Captain Tony Carrizosa, dominated the overall standings, finishing with 46 total releases to win Top Boat Overall, earning Carrizosa the title of High Boat Captain. Pura Vida, captained by Rudy Arguedas, claimed Second Place Boat Overall with 44 releases, while Captain Andy Helms and his team secured Third Place Boat Overall with 43 total releases, including 10 on the final day.
During the awards presentation, Chairman Lach Cheatham recognized the tournament’s top anglers. Burton Gray, from Springfield, Virginia, finished with 1,425 points to win Third Place Angler, along with the High Point Freshman Award, one of the tournament’s most difficult honors, as it can only be won in an angler’s first Masters competition. Tommy Hancock, hailing from Isle of Palms, South Carolina, translated his 22 releases into 1,505 points, earning him Second Place Angler.
The 2025 Master Angler title went to Alex Stavola of Jupiter, Florida. He made his move on Day Two, adding 720 points to his Day One total of 500. On the final day, he maintained momentum with fast fight times, including two releases under one minute and several under three, bringing his total score to 1,720 points. With his victory, Stavola joined the Leader Wire Club, an elite group established in 1963 that includes only tournament winners. He was presented with the gold leader wire tie tack, a symbol of his achievement and place in Masters history.
