CAPT. BRAD PHILIPPS

espite having released more than 35,000 billfish in his lengthy career — more than any other sport-fishing captain, past or present — Capt. Brad Philipps is just as excited about the next bite as any neophyte angler. He has received The Billfish Foundation’s Top Overall Release Captain award 16 times, with an equal number of Top Pacific Sailfish Captain honors. His best days include: 91 sailfish releases on conventional tackle; 73 releases for an individual angler; 51 releases for a single angler on fly; and 3,671 billfish releases in one season. He operates Guatemalan Billfishing Adventures with his wife Cindy, kids Darren and Lyndsey and a Staffordshire bull terrier named Rigby at his side. Philipps is just as comfortable at the helm, in the vast Pacific Ocean as he is on safari in his native South Africa. Because it is a deep-rooted sense of adventure that drives him to success — no matter the conditions or the odds.