Tournament Report: NCDU Band the Billfish
The North Carolina Ducks Unlimited held its 34th annual Band the Billfish tournament from Thursday, July 21, to Sunday, July 24. This year, 24 boats set out to compete in a hunt for the largest wahoo, mahi, and tuna, while also competing in a non-kill billfish division based upon a points format. The event was hosted in Morehead City at the famous Big Rock Landing.
The billfish category of the tournament was won by Weldors Ark. Weldors Ark took first place with a final total of 550 points: 400 points for the release of a blue marlin, on top of 150 points for a sailfish that was also released after the blue marlin around noon on Saturday.
Owner of Weldors Ark, John Roberts, was on the reel for the blue marlin that, according to their best guess, was a 200 lb. fish.
After turning the healthy fish loose, they stayed around the Big Rock trolling for more bites when what they thought was a tuna or albacore struck a skirted bait. With Jacob Crow on the rod, he brought in a fish that turned out to be a mature and healthy sailfish that was released and ultimately put them ahead of all the other teams in points.
Second place in the billfish division went to Marlin Fever. Marlin Fever generated 400 points with their blue marlin release and was tied with Watertight, but the tie was broken by gamefish division points. In the gamefish division, Marlin Fever accrued an additional 59.7 points.
Finishing in third place in the billfish division was Watertight. Watertight took home third with their final score of 406.4 points, coming from a blue marlin release and gamefish points.
All in all, four blue marlin were released, along with three sailfish, during the span of the four day tournament.
In the gamefish category of the tournament, Blue Print took home first place in the wahoo category with their 23.9 lb. fish, and Ava D finished in second place with a 20.9 lb. wahoo.
Within the mahi division, Weldors Ark won with their 12.5 lb. fish, and second place went to Due South for a 7.6 lb. mahi.
Finally, Marlin Fever earned first place in the tuna category after weighing in their 54.7 lb. fish.
The Edward Jones outboard division was captured by Ali Kat for a 6 lb. mahi.
The Lady Angler title went to Louise Smith, fishing aboard Whitecaps. She won with a release of a blue marlin.
This year’s Greenwing Youth Angler was Cooper Howell, fishing aboard Marlin Fever, who won with a release of a blue marlin.
Teams faced some pretty harsh conditions throughout the tournament, with not a single vessel fishing the first two days of the tournament due to the combination of rough seas and high winds. Bites were very few and far between for the anglers of this year’s tournament, but the 24 boats competing managed to shave out some decent fish for the leaderboard, all things considered.
According to owner and angler of Weldors Ark, John Roberts, “Fishing the first two days was out the question. Winds were blowing over 20 mph out of the southwest, and it was just rough. Luckily, Saturday and Sunday cleared up enough to allow some good fishing for us and all the other boats.”
The North Carolina Band the Billfish Tournament has generated over one million dollars to maintain and sustain a variety of Ducks Unlimited projects within North Carolina and in the breeding grounds of various waterfowl species. These proceeds have been crucial in preserving the 735,248 acres within the Atlantic Flyway.
Weldors Ark took the title in the Billfish Division of the 2022 DU Band the Billfish by releasing a blue marlin and a sailfish (550 point total). They also weighed in the event’s largest mahi at 12.5 lbs.
