THE ‘BOY SCOUT TOURNAMENT’ SET FOR AUGUST 21-25

[jackdaniels]

38TH ANNUAL USVI OPEN/ATLANTIC BLUE MARLIN TOURNAMENT, THE ‘BOY SCOUT TOURNAMENT’ SET FOR AUGUST 21-25



Forty-two-plus boats are revving up to fish the 38th annual USVI Open Atlantic Blue Marlin Tournament’s (ABMT), also known as the ‘Boy Scout Tournament’ for the organization the event benefits. Fishing will take place August 21, 22, 23 and 25, out of American Yacht Harbor on St. Thomas.



The docks are filling up with a veritable ‘Who’s Who’ of sports fishermen ready to compete in this ‘Super Bowl of Sports Fishing’. There’s Click Through, which just won the Bermuda Triple Crown in July. Bermuda Triangle Series teams are here aboard vessels such as Freedom and the brand new Uno Mas, as are Spanish Main Series contenders like Big OH, which just won the July Open Billfish Tournament, as well as Done Deal, Fa-La-Me, Peje and Gulf Rascal.



“We want to welcome our first time visitors from the Gulf,” says tournament director, Jimmy Loveland. “Some of these boats include Reel Worthless, Reel Addiction, CZ-Girl, Done Deal and Sea Angel. Once they get a taste of fishing in the Virgin Islands, we hope they’ll come back.”



There will even be some hot action in the Junior Angler category. Thirteen-year-old Tristan Lambert is registered to fish aboard Reel Tight.



Anglers, captains and crews will set their sights on catching and releasing the most blue marlin first.



For the first time, viewers can get in on the fun from anywhere in the world by entering the boat pool on line for the chance to win prizes. Visit: www.abmt.vi/pages/boatpool.htm to learn more.



“The fish are starting to line up on the North Drop blue marlin highway,” says Loveland.



Last year, a 34-boat fleet released a total of 159 blue marlin over four days of fishing.

Final registration will take place on Thursday August 19. The cut-off is at 4 p.m. and the number to call is (340) 714-4368.



The tournament Kick-Off Party, which will be held on Friday August 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club in Red Hook, will be the place where Pat Rybovich will debut and offer for sale her exquisite coffee table book, Rybovich. This four-year labor of love, which contains in-depth research and many photos, chronicles Rybovich’s family’s classic boat building in celebration of the company’s 90th anniversary. The book will be available for sale throughout the tournament at events such as the Full Moon Party at the Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas and at the Awards Ceremony.



On Saturday August 21, the first day of fishing will kick-off with the Blessing of the Fleet by Capt. Mike Latham, singing of the Star-Spangled Banner by Janet Reiter, and Boy Scout’s Color Guard’s Flag Raising Ceremony starting at 6:30 a.m., followed by lines in at 8:30 a.m.



The angling action continues Sunday, Monday and Wednesday – three days before and a day after the month’s full moon.



The public can catch the spirit of sport fishing by ‘doing the docks' or watching the big rigs come in around 6:30 p.m. and counting the number of marlin release flags flying from the outriggers. The more flags, the more marlin the boat released. Blue signals the catch was a blue marlin, while white flags denote a white marlin. Commemorative tournament T-shirts will be on sale each night of the event and there will be a cash bar and other festivities on the docks.



On Monday, enjoy Cheese Burgers in Paradise. The Boy Scouts invite visitors and locals alike to their cookout at Camp Wahoo, located by the tournament tent at the American Yacht Harbor Marina. The Caribbean Night Show starts at 8 p.m.



The ABMT’s final fishing action on Wednesday ends with the sport fishing fleet's swift Jim Smith ‘Race from the Edge’ at 4:30 p.m. The best place to watch this often photo finish is from the spit of land past the pool at the Sapphire Beach Resort. The Awards Ceremony takes place later in the evening along with the naming of the 2010 USVI Open/Atlantic Blue Marlin Top Angler, who pockets a $10,000 cash prize.



Started by Chuck Senf back in 1972 – and nicknamed The Boy Scout Tournament since a portion of the proceeds have always benefited the VI Council of the Boy Scouts of America, one of Senf’s favorite charities – the ABMT has evolved into the competitive saltwater sports fishing events in the world. It’s one of legs of the prestigious Bermuda Triangle Series and Spanish Main Series. This year, Senf’s grandson, Blain Tomlinson, is traveling from California to present his grandfather’s famous fishing jacket, a true piece of Virgin Islands fishing history, at the Awards Ceremony.



The ABMT is fished under International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) rules, and is overseen by a professional Board of Captains and well-qualified observers.



The tournament benefits the Virgin Islands Council of the Boy Scouts of America.



For more information, call: 1-888-2-FISHVI (1-888-234-7484), or 340-775-9500, or Fax: 340-779-8605, or visit www.abmt.vi

[eppefour]

CLICK THROUGH TOP BOAT DAY ONE IN 38TH ANNUAL USVI OPEN/ATLANTIC BLUE MARLIN TOURNAMENT



St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The North Drop lived up to its reputation as a blue marlin hot spot, with many leaders in the first day of fishing in the 38th Annual USVI Open/Atlantic Blue Marlin Tournament (ABMT) choosing to spend most of their day trolling these waters rather than farther east off of the British Virgin Island of Anegada.



“We were on the North Drop, saw four and released three,” says Rich Kirst, the observer aboard Click Through, a Wanchese 68 from Pensacola, Florida, owned by Keith English, who released one of the blue marlin. Click Through comes to the Virgin Islands fresh from winning the Bermuda Triple Crown in July.



In second place is Chach, the Louisiana-based Monterey 58, whose team also released three blue marlin, but lost out on top boat on time.



Rounding out the top three boats with two marlin releases is local charter boat, Black Pearl, a Bertram 38. New York-based angler, William Gettens released both blue marlin and landed in the top angler spot for the day.



Meanwhile, Mike Walsh on the Viking 61, De-Bait-Able, took second place in the angler category with the release of two blues and Amirita angler, Juan Anton, finished in third place with a pair of releases to his credit as well.



The big story of the day was the 5 hour and 40 minute fight aboard local charter boat, Mixed Bag, a Luhrs Express 45.



“The fish got foul hooked and this led to an epic battle,” says Capt. Rich Roberts.



Angler Trey Doyle, from Cullman, Alabama, had never fished in Virgin Islands waters before nor caught a blue marlin.



“We went out for two practice days before the tournament and didn’t catch a thing, so I wasn’t really expecting anything,” says Doyle, who was invited down to fish by friend Andy Graham, who has chartered Mixed Bag for the last two years.



One hour and five minutes into the fishing day, a blue marlin bit hard on the short line and Doyle grabbed the rod. He never saw the fish, although it nearly surfaced three times before Doyle finally got the leader to the rod top and the observer called it an official release.



“The mates talked me through it, kept encouraging me and kept giving me water and Gatorade so my muscles wouldn’t cramp up,” Doyle says. “At one point, I just wanted to cut the line and be done, but I also wanted to hang in there.”



When the blue marlin did surface just before the release, Capt. Roberts estimated it at around 700 pounds.



The monster fight just proved to whet Doyle’s appetite for blue marlin fishing.



“I’m already ready for tomorrow,” he says.



The bite definitely seems to be turning on and even boats that didn’t release a fish had a good day.



“We had eight bites and lost them all,” says Joe Dougherty, from Jupiter, Florida, aboard the Weaver 60, Sea Angel. “That’s more in one day than I’ve seen in other fishing destinations like the Bahamas and Florida.”



A total of 29 blue marlin were released by the forty-one boat fleet.



The angling action continues Sunday, Monday and Wednesday – three days before and a day after the month’s full moon.



For the first time, viewers can get in on the fun from anywhere in the world by entering the boat pool on line for the chance to win prizes. Visit: www.abmt.vi/pages/boatpool.htm to learn more.



The public can catch the spirit of sport fishing by ‘doing the docks' or watching the big rigs come in around 6:30 p.m. and counting the number of marlin release flags flying from the outriggers. The more flags, the more marlin the boat released. Blue signals the catch was a blue marlin, while white flags denote a white marlin. Commemorative tournament T-shirts will be on sale each night of the event and there will be a cash bar and other festivities on the docks.



On Monday, enjoy Cheese Burgers in Paradise. The Boy Scouts invite visitors and locals alike to their cookout at Camp Wahoo, located by the tournament tent at the American Yacht Harbor Marina. The Caribbean Night Show starts at 8 p.m.



The ABMT’s final fishing action on Wednesday ends with the sport fishing fleet's swift Jim Smith ‘Race from the Edge’ at 4:30 p.m. The best place to watch this often photo finish is from the spit of land past the pool at the Sapphire Beach Resort. The Awards Ceremony takes place later in the evening along with the naming of the 2010 USVI Open/Atlantic Blue Marlin Top Angler, who pockets a $10,000 cash prize.



Started by Chuck Senf back in 1972 – and nicknamed The Boy Scout Tournament since a portion of the proceeds have always benefited the VI Council of the Boy Scouts of America, one of Senf’s favorite charities – the ABMT has evolved into the competitive saltwater sports fishing events in the world. It’s one of legs of the prestigious Bermuda Triangle Series and Spanish Main Series. This year, Senf’s grandson, Blain Tomlinson, is traveling from California to present his grandfather’s famous fishing jacket, a true piece of Virgin Islands fishing history, at the Awards Ceremony.



The ABMT is fished under International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) rules, and is overseen by a professional Board of Captains and well-qualified observers.



The tournament benefits the Virgin Islands Council of the Boy Scouts of America.



For more information, call: 1-888-2-FISHVI (1-888-234-7484), or 340-775-9500, or Fax: 340-779-8605, or visit www.abmt.vi

[eppefour]

CHACH TOP BOAT AFTER SECOND DAY OF FISHING IN THE 38TH ANNUAL USVI OPEN/ATLANTIC BLUE MARLIN TOURNAMENT



St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The marlin bite seemed equal opportunity on this second day of fishing in the 38th Annual USVI Open/Atlantic Blue Marlin Tournament (ABMT). Sixteen boats that went fishless yesterday bounded onto the scoreboard with from one to four releases, while yesterday’s top two boats, Click Through and Black Pearl, went fishless today.



Chach, a Monterey 58, was one of the few boats to score both days and their consistency paid off in a total of five released blue marlin to take over the Top Boat lead.



“We headed up to Anegada the first day, saw three marlin and caught all three,” says angler/owner, Damon Chouest, from Louisiana. “Today, we went to the North Drop with the rest of the fleet. We released two mid-morning and then it was slow….until the last five minutes of fishing. A marlin came right up to the teaser and took about 50 yards of line. It was perfect. Then, he shook his head, out popped the hook and that was it, we lost him. We were so disappointed. That would have given us our sixth release and put us more securely in the lead.”



Chouest continues, “Don’t get me wrong, we’re pleased to be where we are. This is one of the hardest tournaments in the world because of the level of talent here. That’s why our plan for tomorrow is to focus on our consistency, technical execution and catching fish.”



Lady Brianna, a Viking 50, not only jumped on the scoreboard today, the Puerto Rican-based boat rocketed into second place in the boat category by releasing four blue marlin – two of them a double-header scored in the last hour of fishing.



“We started out today off Anegada and saw one fish that pulled the hook,” says Capt. Edgardo Torres. “After that, we decided to run 18 miles further offshore until we saw blue water. That did the trick. We set out the baits and caught our first fish four minutes later.”



Lady Brianna anglers released one more blue marlin and then fishing slowed. It wasn’t for long though, as Torres soon saw a fish come up to the right long rigger and was shortly peeling off line. Seconds later, another marlin bit on the left long and a double-header fight ensued.



“Everything happened so fast,” says Marielle Brandon, an avid lady angler originally from Puerto Rico who has taught science at St. Thomas’ Ivanna Eudora Kean High School for many years. “We were nervous that we wouldn’t catch them and overjoyed when we did.”



As a bonus, the Lady Brianna anglers also reeled in a 30-pound plus wahoo, which they served for dinner to celebrate being high boat for the day.



Click Through, Keith English’s Wanchese 68 went fishless today, but hung onto third best boat for the tournament by being the first to release three blue marlin.



In angler standings, Damon Chouest on Chach is in first place with three releases, Bill Gettens on Black Pearl is second with two releases, and Mike Walsh on De-Bait-Able is third, also with two releases.



A total of 64 blue marlin have been released in two days of fishing by the forty-one boat fleet.



The angling action continues Monday and concludes Wednesday, with a layday for the full moon.



For the first time, viewers can get in on the fun from anywhere in the world by entering the boat pool on line for the chance to win prizes. Visit: www.abmt.vi/pages/boatpool.htm to learn more.



The public can catch the spirit of sport fishing by ‘doing the docks' or watching the big rigs come in around 6:30 p.m. and counting the number of marlin release flags flying from the outriggers. The more flags, the more marlin the boat released. Blue signals the catch was a blue marlin, while white flags denote a white marlin. Commemorative tournament T-shirts will be on sale each night of the event and there will be a cash bar and other festivities on the docks.



On Monday, enjoy Cheese Burgers in Paradise. The Boy Scouts invite visitors and locals alike to their cookout at Camp Wahoo, located by the tournament tent at the American Yacht Harbor Marina. The Caribbean Night Show starts at 8 p.m.



The ABMT’s final fishing action on Wednesday ends with the sport fishing fleet's swift Jim Smith ‘Race from the Edge’ at 4:30 p.m. The best place to watch this often photo finish is from the spit of land past the pool at the Sapphire Beach Resort. The Awards Ceremony takes place later in the evening along with the naming of the 2010 USVI Open/Atlantic Blue Marlin Top Angler, who pockets a $10,000 cash prize.



Started by Chuck Senf back in 1972 – and nicknamed The Boy Scout Tournament since a portion of the proceeds have always benefited the VI Council of the Boy Scouts of America, one of Senf’s favorite charities – the ABMT has evolved into the competitive saltwater sports fishing events in the world. It’s one of legs of the prestigious Bermuda Triangle Series and Spanish Main Series. This year, Senf’s grandson, Blain Tomlinson, is traveling from California to present his grandfather’s famous fishing jacket, a true piece of Virgin Islands fishing history, at the Awards Ceremony.



The ABMT is fished under International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) rules, and is overseen by a professional Board of Captains and well-qualified observers.



The tournament benefits the Virgin Islands Council of the Boy Scouts of America.



For more information, call: 1-888-2-FISHVI (1-888-234-7484), or 340-775-9500, or Fax: 340-779-8605, or visit www.abmt.vi

[eppefour]

THERAPY JUMPS INTO TOP BOAT LEAD AFTER THIRD DAY OF FISHING IN THE 38TH ANNUAL USVI OPEN/ATLANTIC BLUE MARLIN TOURNAMENT



St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. A collective cheer echoed up and down the docks at American Yacht Harbor as Therapy backed into its slip on the third day of fishing in the 38th Annual USVI Open/Atlantic Blue Marlin Tournament (ABMT). The team aboard the Hatteras 68 not only won the day with the release of five blue marlin, but also launched into the tournament lead with eight blue marlin releases total.



“It was hot from the moment we put the lines in the water,” says Therapy owner/angler, George Lorton, from Tampa, Florida, who released three of today’s fish.



Therapy fished north of Anegada, but what really turned on their good luck, says Lorton, with a smile, “is the little dance we do in the cockpit followed by a swig of a special foul-tasting drink. We did it twice yesterday and three times today. Everybody better watch out because we have six bottles of our special drink left for the last day.”



After Therapy, Big OH, Gray Ingram’s Ricky Scarborough 63, out of Jupiter, Florida, is second in the boat standings with the release of six blue marlin. Chach, drops to third with five releases.



Another boat that had a good day was Sandman, a Spencer 63, with boatbuilder, Paul Spencer, of Spencer Yachts in North Carolina, fishing aboard as an angler.



“We had a great day,” says Spencer, a veteran charter boat captain turned boatbuilder who constructed seven of the multi-million dollar yachts fishing in this tournament. “I caught two of the three fish today.”



Spencer, who is fishing out of St. Thomas for the first time, adds, “It’s nice to get out on a boat, see the product and see how it works. After all, things change, technology changes and getting out fishing gets me thinking about new things or improvements.”



Click Through, the Wanchese 68 that earned top boat honors the first day, released two blues today and stayed near the front of the pack.



“We came down last year and fished about three months,” says owner/angler, Keith English, from Pensacola, Florida. “This year, we came straight here after winning the Bermuda Triple Crown in July, in order to fish this tournament.”



Looking ahead, says English, “We need to find another four to five fish for a legitimate shot at winning. To hopefully do that, we’re going out to scout around tomorrow on the lay day.”



In angler standings, Puerto Rico’s Carlos Garcia aboard his Cabo 40, Peje, is first with four blue marlin releases. Damon Chouest on Chach is in third with three releases, while Big OH’s Ingram is third also with three releases.



A total of 105 blue marlin have been released in three days of fishing by the forty-one boat fleet.



The angling action concludes Wednesday, after a layday Tuesday on the full moon.



The ABMT’s final fishing action on Wednesday ends with the sport fishing fleet's swift Jim Smith ‘Race from the Edge’ at 4:30 p.m. The best place to watch this often photo finish is from the spit of land past the pool at the Sapphire Beach Resort. The Awards Ceremony takes place later in the evening along with the naming of the 2010 USVI Open/Atlantic Blue Marlin Top Angler, who pockets a $10,000 cash prize.



For the first time, viewers can get in on the fun from anywhere in the world by entering the boat pool on line for the chance to win prizes. Visit: www.abmt.vi/pages/boatpool.htm to learn more.



Started by Chuck Senf back in 1972 – and nicknamed The Boy Scout Tournament since a portion of the proceeds have always benefited the VI Council of the Boy Scouts of America, one of Senf’s favorite charities – the ABMT has evolved into the competitive saltwater sports fishing events in the world. It’s one of legs of the prestigious Bermuda Triangle Series and Spanish Main Series. This year, Senf’s grandson, Blain Tomlinson, is traveling from California to present his grandfather’s famous fishing jacket, a true piece of Virgin Islands fishing history, at the Awards Ceremony.



The ABMT is fished under International Game Fishing Association (IGFA) rules, and is overseen by a professional Board of Captains and well-qualified observers.



The tournament benefits the Virgin Islands Council of the Boy Scouts of America.



For more information, call: 1-888-2-FISHVI (1-888-234-7484), or 340-775-9500, or Fax: 340-779-8605, or visit www.abmt.vi