Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club’s inaugural USVI Billfish Shootout results
The catch and release of a blue marlin earned the team aboard the USVI-based charter boat, Double Header, the top prize of $5,000.00 in the inaugural and first annual Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club’s USVI Billfish Shootout in St. Thomas on Saturday.
2025-09-08 12:56:23 - VI News Staff
Local teams from St. Thomas and St. John competed in this small boat tournament focused on one of the most prized sportfishing species – billfish.
Double Header reeled in and released their blue marlin on the South Drop.
Later, the team aboard Cutting Edge released a sailfish on the North Drop. Results of this U.S. Virgin Islands waters-only tournament prove the fertility of the territory’s fishing grounds.
“We wanted to compete in this tournament since there hasn’t been a billfish tournament for a while. Plus, the last few weeks we’ve seen marlin on every charter trip we’ve taken out,” says Capt. Glen Charlett, who helmed the 37’ Calypso, Double Header. “It was around 8 a.m. when we hooked up a doubleheader. One of our anglers, Eli James, was able to get one of them in. We were hoping for another.”