7th ECBC Pays Out Over $1.29 Million!

2009-06-28T07:00:00.006-04:00

Destin, Fla. (June 24, 2009) – The 7th annual Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic (ECBC), which took place June 16-21 at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, remained the richest tournament on the Gulf Coast by handing out an incredible $1,292,000.00 in cash awards making this the fourth year in a row the tournament has paid out over a million dollars. In the process, a new tournament record was set in the Blue Marlin Division. Sixty-seven teams participated.

The call came into Tournament Headquarters at 7:30am Saturday morning. The 60-foot Hatteras Jasper Time was clearing the sea buoys with a fat 124-inch blue marlin onboard. Tournament director Shawna Meisner advised them to ice her down and bring her to the scales—the blue would be the first fish weighed when the scales opened at 4:00pm. The news spread like wildfire and a crowd was waiting anxiously as the fish was hoisted… and made 714.7-pounds! A new ECBC record was set and Jasper Time walked away with $325,203.75. Pretty amazing all by itself, but even more amazing when you know that it was angler Chip Temple’s first blue! This was also Capt. Tommy Braden’s second time to the scales—last year he brought in the third place marlin.

The 68-foot Viking A Work of Art, captained by Ron Woodruff, took 1st have their name inscribed on The Magnificent Blue Perpetual Trophy. Life is Good came in 2nd with two blue marlin released, and Reel Addiction took 3rd with a blue and a white.
The top dolphin, weighing in at 47.8 lbs., was caught by Brian Schwan fishing aboard You Never Know!, a 64-foot Viking captained by Joey Birbeck. Tommy Browning, Jr. fishing aboard the 67-foot Bertram Britney Jean with Capt. Danny Timms, weighed in a 72.6 lb. wahoo for first place in that division. The 60-foot Hatteras First Choice with Capt. Mike Roberto, took top tuna with a 171.1 lb. yellowfin.

Sherry Polk, fishing aboard Share-E, a 48-foot Viking with Capt. Eddie Savoy, was the Top Lady Angler. Shawn Clemons, Jr., fishing aboard the 60-foot Bertram Experts Only with Capt. Dale Gardner, was the Top Junior Angler.

Thirty-seven billfish were released including 15 blue marlin, 15 white marlin and seven sailfish. Overall, 87 gamefish were boated including 42 dolphin, 21 yellowfin & two blackfin tuna and 22 wahoo.You can view complete tournament results at www.fishecbc.com/Local/news/2009/articles/2009_Results.htm.

"Last year I said I couldn’t wait to see what this year brings, and I’m so excited that it brought us a new ECBC tournament record!" said Shawna Meisner, Tournament Director. "We’re also proud that we handed out over a million dollars in cash awards for the fourth year in a row. For such a young tournament that’s amazing. But of course the best part was seeing so many of our old friends back again this year, meeting new teams and the incredible support from our sponsors.”

The Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic at Sandestin donated over 5,000 pounds of weighed from this year's tournament to Harvest House, a local food bank. The tournament also supports The Billfish Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the conservation and enhancement of the billfish population worldwide, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast by donating cash funds raised through raffles, auctions and other activities.

The Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic at Sandestin was presented by Galati Yacht Sales and Viking Yachts.

For more information about the event, contact Tournament Director Shawna Meisner at 850-267-6168, or find information online at http://www.fishecbc.com/. For more information about Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, call 800-470-7389 or visit http://www.sandestin.com/.

Welcome to the ECBC!

2009-05-29T12:40:00.000-04:00

And welcome to our blog! I'm looking forward to hearing from you, and giving you updates about the tournament, which, by the way, is just 19 days away!
I thought a good way to start would be to give you some information about the event, which is in its 7th year. So here's some current and past information. Hope to see you in Sandestin!

CURRENT YEAR INFORMATION
dates: Tuesday, June 16 – Sunday, June 21, 2009
host facility: Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, Destin, Florida USA
contact: Shawna Meisner
phone: 866-505-4458, fax: 850-267-8178
email: shawnameisner@sandestin.com

website: http://www.fishecbc.com/
entry fee: $5,000 with lots of optional categories
target species: blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish, spearfish, tuna, dolphin, wahoo
affiliations: WBS, IGFA
charities: Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, The Billfish Foundation, Harvest House Food Bank

HISTORY
tournament started in: 2003
first year statistics: 45 teams, $329,625 cash awards
2008 statistics: 79 teams, 432 anglers, $1,536,850 cash awards
highest overall purse: $1,536,850.00 in 2008
highest purse paid to a single team: $437,158.00 in 2008 to Up To It for 1st Place Marlin (406.3 lbs.) & 1st Place Tuna (145.1 lbs.)
highest number of boats participating to date: 84 in 2007
other: circle hooks are required with live bait, perpetual trophy awarded to team with most released billfish, average number of teams receiving awards each year: 22

RECORD FISH
blue marlin (2006) — 692.6 lbs., Big Adventure, 60 ft. Bonner
Capt. James Waller from Orange Beach, Alabama USA

angler Sean McClellan from Jacksonville, Florida USA
dolphin (2006) — 53.1 lbs., Fly By, 74 ft. Viking
Capt. Marco Gaona from Elberta, Alabama USA

angler James Justice from Lawrenceville, Georgia USA
yellowfin tuna (2007) — 179.0 lbs., Up To It, 60 ft. Hatteras
Capt. Jeremy Miles from Fort Walton Beach, Florida USA

angler Dave Perry from Fort Walton Beach, Florida USA
wahoo (2005) — 95.3 lbs., Blue Heron, 50 ft. Hatteras
Capt. Scott Kettenring from Gulf Breeze, Florida USA

angler Candace Knowles from Gulf Breeze, Florida USA

ECBC Tournament News

7th ECBC Pays Out Over $1.29 Million!

Welcome to the ECBC!