Ducks Unlimited Band the Billfish Tournament 2007
Capt. Elson Myers and “Outer Limits,” a charter boat out of Pirates Cove, were the overall winners of the Ducks Unlimited Band the Billfish Tournament, held July 26-28 out of Morehead City.
On Friday, the first of two days of fishing, “Outer Limits” released two sails for a total of 300 points. Then on Saturday they once again released two sails, bringing their overall point total up to 600 points.
The Morehead-City, NC-based charter boat “Bill Collector” took second place with a total of 450 points. “Bill Collector” released one sail on Friday and two sails on Saturday.
“Hattitude,” also with 450 points, was the third place boat. They had one sail on Friday and two on Saturday.
The DU Band the Billfish event produced a total of 45 billfish releases over the weekend. Friday saw a total of 2 blues, 16 sails, and 1 white. Saturday produced 1 blue, 22 sails, and 3 whites.
The Top Greenwing award went to junior angler Edwin Walker fishing on the “Bill Collector.”
Tonya Kemmerling, fishing on the “Hattitude,” took the Top Lady award.
The tournament’s heaviest wahoo came from “Tailwalker.” They weighed in a 58.50 lb. wahoo. The second place 54.80 lb. wahoo came from “Marlin Fever,” and “Bill Collector” took third in this division with a 46.10 lb. wahoo.
“Duoble Luv” had the event’s largest dolphin, weighing in a 40.50 lb. fish. “Tuna Duck” weighed in a 40.15 lb. dolphin to take third, and “Run Off” came in third with a 24.80 lb. dolphin.
No tuna were weighed in over the weekend.
The annual “Band the Billfish” Tournament is held to raise funds to preserve, enhance, and maintain wetland habitats in North Carolina through DU’s Sound CARE program and in North America through Ducks Unlimited Inc.’s other conservation programs, to promote conservation and research of billfish, and to have a fun tournament of competition in conservation.
