The South Carolina Governor’s Cup Billfishing Series celebrated its 20th season with its sights set squarely on the conservation of billfish species. The brainchild of former Gov. Carroll A. Campbell, the annual slate of five billfish tournaments has prospered due to the popularity of offshore fishing in the Palmetto State.
The crew of the Cerveza competed in three of the five tournaments, winning two of them, and finishing with 21 sailfish releases to win the points championship and the title as Outstanding Billfish Boat.
Cerveza, a 62-foor Paul Spencer sportfisher, is owned by Thomas Russell of Reston, Va. Its home port is Pirate’s Cove in Manteo, N.C., and its captain is Butch Davis of Ocean City, Md.
“We really like the billfishing off South Carolina in June and July, and we’ll definitely be back next year,” said Davis, who captained Cerveza to the 2008 Bahamas Billfish Challenge title.
For the second year in a row, the title of Outstanding Billfish Boat came down to the last day of fishing in the last tournament, making for some serious drama.
A few changes in leadership didn’t appear to change fishing fortunes. Graham Eubanks became the chairman of the Governor’s Cup Advisory Board, a group of private fishing enthusiasts from across the Palmetto State. Wallace Jenkins, a long-time marine biologist with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources took over as program coordinator, and Amy Whitaker-Dukes became the tournament director.
Jenkins and Dukes were honored with the SCDNR’s “Making a Difference Naturally Award” at a recent meeting of the Marine Advisory Committee for their hard work and commitment on behalf of the Governor’s Cup Series.
Some changes in fishing trends were noticable during the series. Blue marlin were somewhat scarce, yellowfin tuna were a no-show, and it was sailfish galore for the entire fleet, continuing an upwards trend.
In 2004, only 25 sailfish were caught and released during the series. In 2008, the number was 185. This upturn really began in 2005 and continues to build, with many fishermen pointing to warmer-than-usual water temperatures in Florida as a reason for the move northward of many, many sailfish. Over the same period of time, yellowfin tuna, a frequent visitor to weigh-ins, has all but disappeared from tournament fishing.
When Gov. Mark Sanford, no stranger to tournament weigh-ins, spoke at the awards ceremony. He said, “This series is a critical part of ensuring the health and future of our natural resources and coastal economy, because it promotes the management and preservation of our billfish stocks for future generations. It is my hope that South Carolina will continue showing leadership in marine fisheries conservation through catch and release billfishing.”
Conservation is paramount at the Governor’s Cup; this season, not a single blue marlin was weighed in, giving the tournament a 100-percent release rate on the 31 fish caught. Eight white marlin were also caught and released.
Given the sporting nature of this event it is important to recognize the many different anglers that competed and won awards:
Outstanding Billfish Boat: 1. Cerveza (Pirates Cove, N.C.); 2. Roulette (Beaufort) and (tie), Daymaker (Georgetown).
Blue Water Conservation Award: Summer Girl (Charleston), 27 dolphin tagged and released.
Outstanding Dolphin: Angler Jay Weaver, Daymaker, 77½ pounds (state record).
Outstanding Wahoo: Angler Dr. Rudy Robbe, Blessed Adventure, 82.8 pounds.
Outstanding Tuna: Angler Fred Bergen, Legal Holiday, 28.7 pounds.
Outstanding Youth Angler: 1. Matthew Russell, Cerveza, six sailfish released; 2. Thomas Garmany, Benchmark, six sailfish released; 3. Nicole Russell, Cerveza, five sailfish released.
Outstanding Female Angler: 1. Nicole Russell, Cerveza; five sailfish released; 2. Holly McAlhany, Syked Out, five sailfish released; 3. Kasey Dantzler, Dough Boy, one sailfish and one blue marlin released.
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