Fishing conditions proved favorable as the second leg of the Quest for the Crest Sailfish Series kicked off in late February. Sixty of the sport’s elite teams joined the three-inlet challenge, competing for their share of a $640,400 purse while also raising funds for The Billfish Foundation along the way. In addition to the substantial tournament purse, a Billfish Foundation-sponsored satellite tag was also awarded in the name of the tournament champions, contributing to the foundation’s ongoing research efforts.
As the kickoff of the 21st annual Sailfish Challenge drew nearer, it was clear that a hot bite was indeed happening, although a shift in conditions just before the start had teams wondering if it would hold up or not. The action on Day One answered all questions and surpassed any previous Quest series tournament, with a record-breaking 379 sailfish releases. The top five teams went fish-for-fish all day. With a late afternoon push, Capt. Andrew team surged ahead with 16 releases for the charter boat out of Sailfish Marina. In second was Capt. Jim Puller and the team with 14 sailfish, while with perineal front-runner Capt. John Dudas at the helm, landed in third. In fact, third-, fourth- and fifth places all had 14 releases each. Day Two was certain to be a nail-biter.