The Fishing Event

The Fishing Event 2007

May 18 – 21, 2007
Port de Plaisance, St. Maarten

Are you BIG enough? They certainly were in St. Maarten this week! Fourteen sport fishing yachts arrived at the Princess Port de Plaisance Hotel and Casino in Simpson Bay for this year’s ‘The Fishing Event’ with US$ 100.000 cash prizes. Participating islands include Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, Antigua, Martinique, St. Barthelemy and St. Maarten. These boats range from 36 feet to 74 feet in length and comprise some of the best angling teams in their respected area.

The Fishing Event Foundation is the organizer of the unique event in the Caribbean. President of the Fishing Event Foundation – Sport Fishing Division, Bertrand Lacotte, owner of “Limited Edition”, is a sports fisherman well-known between Saint Maarten and Trinidad & Tobago. The 2007 committee includes Francois Anton, President of the tournament,Yves Pelisson, Director of the tournament and several associated member representatives from various Caribbean islands.

Platinum sponsor Sailfish Marlin Company. Gold sponsors Contender, Roussel Marine Group, F.W. Vlaun & Son, Windward Islands Bank Ltd., Yamaha, Ocean Xperts, Perrier-Jouet, Cartier, Nagico, Bertram and Antilles Television. Silver sponsors Poe-ma Insurance, GFA Insurance, La Cave de Marigot, US Import Export, La Guinguette and Princess Port de Plaisance Hotel and Casino.

This event started with the captains briefing inside the Princess Casino at the Rock House Café. All participants, guests and sponsors were welcomed with gifts and an open bar. Champagne welcome was sponsored by Perrier-Jouet, Grey House vodka was sponsored by Antillian Liquors. Just outside the reception doors of the Princess Port de Plaisance Hotel, you encounter two brand new luxury vehicles (Chevrolet Avalanche and Tahoe) provided by F.W. Vlaun and Chevrolet. Le Guinguette graciously provided the tournament with their facility for its VIP Village. The VIP Village caters for the registration, daily open bar, layday brunch, seminars, posting of the daily results and photos. Catering for the layday brunch Boucherie Concordia.

Each morning all boats waited just inside the Simpson Bay lagoon for the 6:30 am rising of the bridge. Upon leaving the lagoon, all the boats lined up just off the shoreline to wait for the daily bimini start countdown. From the start, all the vessels make their way to the famous “Marlin Boulevard” where they may begin fishing at 8:00 am until 4:00 pm.

Special guest, Mr. Peter Wright, joins the tournament this year giving an open forum seminar to all participants on the lay day. Mr. Wright is well known in the international fishing community and holds many world records. Topics range from setting lures, bait, rigging lines, fighting marlin, harness and fighting chair etiquette. With his well known expertise and popularity, the “Wright Man Lottery” was born for a chance to have him aboard one of the fishing boats daily. Proceeds in the amount of US$5000, made from the “The Wright Man Lottery”, will be donated directly to the International Game Fishing Association (IGFA). Lottery winner for day 1 was Follow Me 3, day 2 was Black Magic and day 3 was Oli-T.

Day 1 had some nice action even with the windy and rough sea conditions. 35 strikes included 14 hook-ups, 4 marlin lost and 10 blue marlin releases. Two fish released today, one from Sea Wish of Puerto Rico and one from Papasan of Trinidad, were estimated over 450 lbs. The vessel, Papasan of Trinidad took the US$5000 prize for boat of the day, having 2 blue marlin releases.

Fourteen anglers took part in the daily angler bet at US$100 each. Mick Liney on Rum ‘N’ Coke from Antigua took the $700 first place for his blue marlin release. Jefferson Greaux of Wha’ppen from St. Barts received $420 for second and Christopher Pearson of Brave Heart from St. Lucia received $280 for third.

Day 2 brought better weather conditions which, in turn, brought much better fishing for all participants. 30 strikes included 20 hook-ups, 3 marlin lost and 14 blue marlin releases. The boat of the day prize of US$5000 goes to Follow Me 3 of St. Martin with 3 blue marlin releases for the day. Follow Me 3 is owned by this year’s tournament President, Francois Anton.

Five anglers took part in the daily anglers bet at US$100 each. Jimmy Jack on Brave Heart of St. Lucia took the first place prize of US$250 with the first blue marlin release of the day. Ruth Liney, the only registered female angler, on Rum N Coke of Antigua won $150 for second place and Mike Kopec on Follow Me 3 from St Martin won $100 for third place.

The third and final day of the 2007 tournament had the anglers fighting for position. At the end of day two, Follow Me 3 was in the lead with three releases and 8 boats were closing in with two releases each. The clear blue sky, winds about 12 knots and not too rough sea made perfect conditions to land the BIG one! Oli-T of St.Maarten landed the first blue marlin of the tournament in the morning of the final fishing day, weighing in at 452 pounds.
The boat of the day prize of US$5000 goes to Black Pearl of St. Barthélemy with 3 blue marlin releases for the day.

Nine anglers took part in the daily anglers bet at US$100 each. Jimmy Jack on Brave Heart of St. Lucia took the first place prize of US$450 with the first blue marlin release of the day. Ruth Liney, the only registered female angler, on Rum N Coke of Antigua won $270 for second place and Mike Kopec on Follow Me 3 from St Maarten won $180 for third place.