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The renowned Pirates Cove Billfish Tournament returned to Manteo, North Carolina, August 9–15, 2025, with 88 boats competing for a purse exceeding $1.26 million.
The week began with the celebrated Alice Kelly Memorial Ladies Only Billfish Tournament, which set the tone of camaraderie, competition, and community that defines this storied event. Team Catchy Ladies/Honey Hush, fishing aboard Country Girl captained by Charles Foreman, took home the first place prize on time with 700 points from seven white marlin releases. Mariah Gore, fishing aboard Bill Collector, landed a 26.2-pound dolphinfish to take first place in that category, while Stephanie Smith on team She-Nanigans took first place in the wahoo division with a 68.3-pounder.
When the main event began, the fishing action did not disappoint. Across four days, teams combined for 292 billfish releases—including 34 blue marlin, 191 white marlin, and 26 sailfish. Yet it was the three blue marlins that hit the scales that stole the show, culminating in a dramatic final day weigh-in.
Marsh Madness, a 65’ Island Boatworks captained by Shane Brafford, electrified the crowd with a monstrous 878-pound blue marlin, securing the tournament’s single largest payout of $537,872.50. Not to be overshadowed, Deep Color, a 48-foot Ocean led by Capt. Trey Goodson, answered with an 806.2-pound blue marlin of their own—propelling them to the top of the points standings and the overall championship title. The team finished with 2,012.4 points, edging out Marsh Madness’ 1,831 points to claim first place and a $156,387.50 payday.
Other top contenders included Catch 23, the 82-foot Bayliss captained by Stetson Turney, whose strong release performance earned them third overall with 1,500 points and the tournament’s second-highest payout of $192,073.75. Rounding out the top five were Drifter with 1,050 points and Waterman with 975 points, both delivering consistent release tallies throughout the week.
In addition to the two massive blue marlin from Deep Color and Marsh Madness, the third weighed blue marlin belonged to Play It By Ear, tipping the scales at 601.1 pounds on August 14.
From the high drama of the weigh-ins to the remarkable tally of releases, the 2025 Pirates Cove Billfish Tournament proved once again why it stands as one of the premier events in the big-game tournament circuit.
