SENSATION stood to win $3.5 million
Ashley Bleau, owner of the billfishing boat SENSATION, has officially protested the results of the 2023 Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. Protesting puts all of the finishing positions, as well as the prize money, on hold until a decision has been reached on the protest.
The matter at stake is SENSATION’s disqualification, after bringing a 619.4-pound blue marlin to the scales. This was the biggest blue marlin weighed during the tournament, and the crew stood to win more than $3 million. But their catch was disqualified because the fish showed evidence of shark bites. Big Rock’s rules state that any blue marlin boated will be disqualified if it’s determined that it was bitten by a shark or other sea creature during the fight.
As SENSATION’s catch was disqualified, SUSHI, who was leading the tournament with a 484.4-pound blue marlin caught the day before, was declared the winner.
Although the rules clearly state that such bites will lead to disqualification, Bleau and SENSATION boat captain Greg McCoy said the rule isn’t enforced uniformly, pointed to other fish with much more damage to their bodies being declared winners in past Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournaments. However, the Big Rock states those fish in question were not bitten by sharks during the fight, but damaged as a result of loading the fish onboard, and of being beaten about by different parts of the boat during the ride in, as well as discoloring from diesel fumes. But McCoy said that at least in one instance, he noticed bite marks on a winning fish. Others contend those bite marks were either not bite marks at all, or were bite marks incurred after the catch was complete and the crew was attempting to load the fish into the boat.
Bleau has hired a law firm in Beaufort, NC, and said if his boat’s disqualification is not overturned, he will take the Big Rock to court.
In past years, other lawsuits for various reasons have been filed against the tournament, with mixed results. Most have been either dismissed or settled out of court for undisclosed amounts.
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