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Tournament Update for the Bahamas Billfish Championship | |
| Bimini Championship
Schedule of Events |
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| Bimini
Championship Sponsors |
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| Central Abaco Championship
Schedule of Events |
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 Greetings!
Our new BBC e-Update allows us to bring you the latest news about the BBC tournaments. Here you will find results of the tournaments and information about the upcoming tournaments and our schedule of events.
I look forward to seeing many of you very soon!
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The 2009 Bimini Championship
Some Helpful Reminders & Information
As we go to press with this issue (or as we email this issue) of BBC e-Update, twenty-six boats have registered and paid to fish the Bimini Championship, April 14th through 17th at the new Bimini Bay Resort & Marina on North Bimini. This first leg of the 2009 Bahamas Billfish Championship is hosted by long-time BBC sponsors John Bull and Gulfstream International Airlines and will mark the BBC's return to Bimini after a fourteen year absence. The Bimini Championship will be unique experience for some and a sentimental journey for others. In either case, Bimini is a great place to start the 2009 BBC season. During registration, all participating teams will receive BBC T-shirts, caps and visors as well as special coupons from John Bull whose Bimini Bay store is in Fisherman's Village. This will also be your chance to enter the John Bull raffle for a gift basket of assorted items from the John Bull store. |
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Avoiding a Digital Dilemma
By Jennifer Dudas
The Bahamas Billfish Championship pioneered the use of time and date stamped digital images to validate the release affidavits in awarding points for released spearfish, sailfish, white marlin and blue marlin. This season marks the sixth year that the BBC has awarded points based upon the matching of the affidavit and the digital image.
 At the conclusion of the 2008 Series, the BBC Steering Committee added language to the BBC Angling Rules to reinforce the importance of the digital image as the official release time. "The 'Billfish Release Affidavit' must be accompanied by a time and date-stamped digital image of the fish (still image or video) that clearly shows the billfish species reported and the colored ribbon for that day. The billfish must be photographed within thirty (30) feet (leader length) from the boat. The digital image verifies the Affidavit; therefore, no points will be awarded if the species shown in the digital image does not match the species reported on the Affidavit. The time stamp of the digital image is the official release time and must be within (plus or minus) ten (10) minutes of the time reported by radio to the Committee Boat."
For those that are fishing their first BBC tournament and as a reminder for the veterans, here are some important things to remember about taking digital images of your releases.
Make sure your camera has a time and date stamp function. Then make sure you know how to use your camera. Practice taking pictures; practice setting the date; know how to check the images on the screen.
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ROFFS Seasonal Forecast April Update
By Mitchel A Roffer, Ph.D.
We have been monitoring the conditions over the Caribbean Sea focusing on the Bahamas. There has been a substantial amount of cloud interference, but we have been able to follow the conditions using infrared imagery (sea surface temperature) and ocean color (chlorophyll + colorized dissolved organic material). In the enhanced ocean color image provided, (click on image to enlarge) the Bahamas blue marlin water is colorized in purple. This is a NASA ocean color image derived from satellite data from March 27th and 29th, 2009. Since March 21, 2009 we have observed a considerable change in the ocean conditions.
There are several eddies controlling the motion in the water over this area. One clockwise rotating eddy, east of this analysis area (centered near 74°20'W  & 75°30'N) is pulling the Bahamas blue marlin water from the area east of Cat Island toward Eleuthera. There is another clockwise eddy centered near 75°30'W & 26°30'N that is pulling this water in two directions: more northward toward Abaco but also eastward away from Abaco.
However, a much larger and apparently stronger counter clockwise rotating eddy which had been north of Abaco, moved northwestward (now centered near 77°45'W & 28°45'N) and pulled the blue marlin water to Abaco. Thus, presently, there are excellent conditions east of Abaco with the blue marlin water widespread over this area with sea surface temperature of 76°F. The Gulf Stream water along the eastern side of Abaco has a sea surface temperature of 77°F. We have been receiving excellent fishing reports of blue marlin, tuna and wahoo between San Salvador, Cat Island, and Eleuthera. We anticipate an improvement of marlin action off Abaco.
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Looking Ahead - Central Abaco
The Fun Doesn't Stop Until You Want It To!
Tournament sponsors MarineMax and Hatteras have teamed with Treasure Cay Resort and the BBC to bring you an action packed Central Abaco Championship April 28th through May 1st. This is the only BBC tournament of the season that has a Lay Day and it is shaping-up to be a busy Lay Day.
To show their appreciation of your business during this down economy, Treasure Cay Marina is offering discounts on dockage for all BBC tournament participants. In addition, Marina Manager Mike Sawyer has special dockage packages for long term dockage that will be offered to BBC boats right through the summer.These special rates cannot be combined with any other discounts. Call the Treasure Cay marina directly for your BEST rates (242-365-8250).
The ever popular 'Hatteras Hangover Clinic' will be open for business from 6:00 AM to 7:30 AM Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday ... not Lay Day (Friday). Various 'remedies' are available and include coffee, juices and Danish pastries. Of course there will be aspirin, Alka Seltzer, TUMS and the like as well!
Treasure Cay Resort will host a BBC Golf Tournament on Lay Day at the Treasure Cay Golf Course. Rendezvous at the Tipsy Seagull at 8:00 AM for transportation to the Golf Course. Treasure Cay general manager Patrick Fetsch has arranged special greens fees and cart rentals. The tournament will be a 'Captain's Choice' format with prizes presented by Treasure Cay during Saturday's awards dinner at the Spinnaker Restaurant. Sign-up for the golf tournament during registration on Tuesday, April 28th.
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