Pirate’s Cove Marlin Tournament Results

The Alice Kelly Memorial Ladies Only Billfish Tournament is in the books

Following two days of competition on the water, the Alice Kelly Memorial Ladies Only Billfish Tournament has concluded with a victor. The Catchy Ladies team claimed the top spot on Monday with 700 points, earning them the Billfish Jackpot prize of $54,000. While the Honey Hush team also scored 700 points, the Catchy Ladies were declared the winners based on the time of their catch.

The tournament, which was based out of Pirate’s Cove Marina in Manteo, featured 268 teams and a total prize pool of $119,000. Over the two-day period, participants caught and released a total of 284 fish, including 8 blue marlin, 237 white marlin, 4 sailfish, 30 dolphin, and 5 wahoo.

Another significant prize went to Marian Gore on the Bill Collector, who caught a 26.2-pound dolphin, earning her the division’s jackpot and $65,000. Stephanie Stone, a member of the She-nanigans team, won the wahoo division with a 68.3-pound catch. No tuna were weighed during the event.

Jessica Scales from the Tail Gunner was named the top lady angler, and Mary-Ann Ash on the Strokin’ was recognized as the top junior lady angler.

Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament

The final moments of large-scale offshore fishing tournaments are often the most thrilling. This was certainly the case on Friday at the 42nd annual Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament, held in Manteo and Oregon Inlet.

The team aboard Catch 23, owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan, initially led on the first day, then fell to second, only to reclaim the lead. However, the spotlight ultimately shone on a pair of massive blue marlin. A last-minute catch by David Rackley on the Deep Color weighed in at an impressive 806.2 pounds, but it was outshone by the even larger 878-pound marlin caught by Bob Marsh on the Marsh Madness.

Catch 23, which had just secured a second-place finish at the White Marlin Open, ultimately placed third in this tournament. Despite this, the team’s total winnings were substantial, earning $192,073 for their 1,500 points, thanks to a daily Calcutta win and a second-place finish in another.

The top-earning team was Marsh Madness, which took home $537,872 with 1,831 points, securing the runner-up position.

The Deep Color team finished in first place with 2,012.4 points, earning $156,387. The differences in prize money are determined by the various entry levels teams can participate in.

A total of 292 fish were caught throughout the week: 34 blue marlin, 191 white marlin, 26 sailfish, 1 spearfish, 30 dolphin, 3 wahoo, and 7 yellowfin tuna.

In the meat fish categories, Steve Ash on the Strokin’ won with a 49.4-pound dolphin. Brandon Creech on the Big Trouble took home the prize for a 49.3-pound wahoo, and Jordon Blount on Desperado won for a 52.4-pound yellowfin tuna. The Big Trouble team also won the Lay Day Tournament for Charity, earning $4,000 for their 225 points in a special event that only featured eight teams.

Individual trophies were awarded to David Rackley (Deep Color) as the top overall angler, Paige Bayliss (Catch 23) as the top female angler, and Ranson Perkinson (Don’t Panic) as the top junior angler.

The focus now shifts north for the inaugural Rudee Inlet Ladies Open, followed by the Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament.