Zues Captures 2011 BBC Title

with Record Score   

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      Not only did team Zues win the 2011 Bahamas Billfish Championship - they scored a record number of points for any team winning the Series. The Fort Pierce, Florida based team amassed 12,000 points by releasing 13 blue marlin, 12 white marlin and 11 sailfish and finishing in first place or second place at four out of the five BBC tournaments. With the exception of one day during the Guana Cay Championship, Team Zues managed to release at least one billfish each tournament day; with fifteen fishing days in the five tournament Series, Zues released a total of 36 billfish fishing in the five tournament series.  

      When asked to comment on his team's performance, Sandy Smith of St. Cloud, Florida said, "I fished one leg of the 2010 BBC on a chartered boat and decided I wanted to win the Championship." Veteran captain, Glenn Cameron, known by Smith for 20 years, directed the team's fishing efforts. Coupled with Smith's focus and determination and Cameron's tournament experience, the team kept the pressure on throughout a tournament season that saw exceptional fishing.   

To read the complete press release, click here. 

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      Fishing the final leg of the Bahamas Billfish Championship in Treasure Cay, Don McKinney's team Double Dog accomplished a spectacular finale to the five tournament season by establishing a new Bahamas blue marlin record catching a blue marlin weighing 1,119 pounds (507 kg).  Angler David Albury of Man-O-War Cay, Bahamas fought the big blue for three hours seventeen minutes before being able to bring the fish to gaff on the 66 Hines Farley. In addition to the record blue, Double Dog released a blue marlin and two white marlin, racking up 2,119 points to win First Place at the Treasure Cay Championship. 

      Sponsors of the Championship's Treasure Cay leg were on hand to award the Randy Rich custom designed trophy to Don McKinney and team Double Dog. Sponsor representatives making the presentations were Jeff Creary of HMY Yachts and Lisa Verbit, John Domenico and Richard Grodin of Bank of America's US Trust and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Capt. Jason Parker and his crew were presented top crew awards by BBC sponsor Steve Lewis of the Lewis Marine Group.  

To read the complete press release, click here. 

To read the complete press release about the record blue marlin, click here.

Weigh-in picture of 1,119 lb record blue marlin 

• Guana Cay Championship            April 24th - 28th
• Cape Eleuthera Championship     May 8th - 12th
• Harbour Island Championship     May 22nd - 26th
• Marsh Harbour Championship     June 5th - 9th
• Treasure Cay Championship        June 19th - 23rd