Dallas, Texas – Sport Fishing Championship (SFC), the governing body of saltwater tournament fishing, announced the results for the Gulf Coast Masters Tournament. Team Quantified won the competition for the SFC, which was held in Orange Beach, Alabama.
In a very tight race to the podium, Team Qualified and Team Rebecca, both from Texas, went toe-to-toe in the Gulf of Mexico at the rescheduled Gulf Coast Masters Tournament. The weather was sporty, but the fishing was intense. In the end, Team Qualified took the lead with four white marlin and 16 sailfish released for the win, just ahead of Team Rebecca with six white marlin and 10 sailfish released. Gus Rantz on Team Just Lookin’ caught a 189.6-pound Yellowfin Tuna and a 33.6-pound Mahi Mahi, both new Championship Fish Leaders and in the running for $50,000 each.
The final results based on number of fish landed and species of fish:
- Team Qualified released four white marlin and 16 sailfish for a total of 1700 points
- Team Rebecca released six white marlin and 10 sailfish for a total of 1450 points
- Team Badonkadonk released two blue marlin for a total of 700 points
In total, 51 billfish were caught and released in Alabama this year with 37 sailfish, 10 white marlin and four blue marlin released, one by current SFC leader Team All In. To date, Team All In leads the SFC leaderboard with a total of 8500 points, followed by Rebecca with 7800. Team Quantified is in third with 6500.
SFC tournament points accrue based on a team’s placement in the final tournament standings, with the first-place team earning 3,500 points, the second-place team 3,000 points, and so forth. Placements in the tournament standings are determined from tournament-only points based on species of fish caught and released, with the highest consideration given to blue marlin, then white marlin and spearfish, and finally sailfish and swordfish.
The season’s next tournament kicks off on Thursday, June 22, in Sandestin, Florida, with the Emerald Coast Classic. The season’s events thereafter include: the South Jersey Yacht Sales Offshore Showdown in Cape May, New Jersey, July 6-8; the Oak Bluffs Bluewater Classic in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, July 12-15; the Tri-State Canyon Shootout in Block Island, Rhode Island, July 24-27; the Texas International Fishing Tournament in South Padre Island, Texas, August 4-6; the White Marlin Open in Ocean City, Maryland, August 7-11 and conclude with the San Juan International Billfish Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, August 23-25.
To learn more about the Sport Fishing Championship or view the full 2023 season schedule, visit www.sportfishingchampionship.com.
