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Texas Legends Billfish Tournament August 7-10, 2008 |
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Port Aransas, Texas and departure from the Texas port of your choice
Sponsored By MarineMax Hatteras
2007 Results August 9-12, 2007 Total Prize Money 0ver $482,000 Top Boats Top Brass Tournament Champion Pass it On 2nd Place Mattiduke 3rd Place El Cazador 4th Place
Top Captain & Mates Top Brass
Boat Pool Winners Top Brass 1 Blue Marlin, 3 White Marlin 850 points
Pass it On
2 Blue Marlin
Mattiduke
2 Blue Marlin
El Cazador
2 Blue Marlin
Horizontal Relief
2 Blue Marlin
Diversify 2 Blue Marlin
Double Trouble 1 Blue Marlin
Seay Goddess 1 Blue Marlin
Akela 1 Blue Marlin
Fish
Pools Largest
Tuna -
Awesome
66.5
lbs. Largest
Wahoo -
Mattiduke 48
lb
Largest
Dolphin -
Madera 44.5
lbs. Largest Swordfish - Double Trouble 45 lbs.
Crew
Captain’s
Pool -
Top Brass Mate’s
Pool -
Top Brass 1st Billfish Released
- Captain/Mate – Mate’s Award - Largest Blue Runner – Reel Attitude
Billfish Caught Boats Blue Marlin White Marlin Sailfish Swordfish 47 31 10 12 4 Largest Blue Marlin - Incommunicado 405 lbs. This is only the 3rd Blue Marlin weighed in the 9 years of the tournament's history. The fish was fought for 6 1/2 hours and came up dead. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Letter to the Tournament: To Bobby Byrd and John Cochrane in regards to the "Texas Legends" My name is Robert Veselka, I fished on the "Bottom Dollar" with Joe Frazer in the 2007 Texas Legends Billfish Tournament this past weekend. I wanted to compliment your group that put the tournament together. I fished the Poco Bueno for 26 years in a row on the "Satisfaction" with Edwin Hawn and on the "Ventura" with Dale Schrader; fortunate enough to be on the boat when we won first place in 1993 and second place in 1994. I then went to Bermuda in 2004 and 2005 fishing the July tournaments for the Bermuda Triple Crown. Of all of the tournaments I have been to in my 30 years experience, I found the Texas Legends was the most professional presented tournament I have been to. My compliments to your group. RMV. With the format you have, I feel you have the potential to become "the" tournament to fish on the Texas coast, with the largest payout within a year or two. I will be 76 in two weeks and am probably the oldest regular offshore fisherman around since Bill Hart passed away. However, I do know the difference between a regular fishing tournament and a "GREAT" tournament and this year's Texas Legends was just that. Robert Veselka Portland, Texas August 13, 2007 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ We would like to welcome all participants to the 2007 Texas Legends Billfish Tournament, August 9-12th. Last year’s event was a huge success with over $282,000 in prize money awarded. The Port Aransas location is ideal for this bluewater event with boats fishing the entire Texas coast. Last year’s champion was Robin Parsley’s Rock-N-Robin, taking top honors and the prestigious Bob Byrd Memorial Trophy to keep for one year. The Texas Big Game Fisherman’s Roll Call was introduced as a tribute to those who have passed on in our sport. Last year we also established a “Hall of Fame” to include not only Texans who have contributed greatly to big game fishing, but to all segments of saltwater fishing. This recognition is long overdue for Texas fishermen and we consider it a privilege to celebrate the lives of those who have excelled in saltwater fishing. This year we have added the Capt. Bill Hart Memorial Captain’s Trophy in honor of Capt. Bill who died earlier this year. He was one of the most respected and beloved members of our community. This tournament is unique in that once you are registered you may leave from any Texas port. The weigh-in and memorial dinner party will be in Port Aransas on August 11th. The winners will be awarded on Sunday morning at the Awards Brunch. We have pioneered the concept of a video release format with points awarded for blue marlin, white marlin and sailfish. The Port Aransas weigh-in and awards allows fishermen easy access to the nearby rocks and rigs that this area is famous for. The tournament has grown every year and this year should be no exception. We hope you enjoy this year’s event as we honor old friends, catch some great fish and celebrate our big game fishing heritage. Good Fishing, Bobby Byrd and Capt. John Cochrane
The Texas Legends Billfish Tournament, was originally called Bob Byrd Memorial Marlin Tournament that we started in honor of Bobby’s dad, Bob Byrd, Sr. However, in 2006 we decided to change the name and dedicate it to all Texas fishermen, past and present, who have made a difference in big game fishing. The top boat of the tournament will continue to receive the prestigious Bob Byrd Trophy to keep for one year. Our Tournament
encourages the release of Blue Marlin under 400 lbs.
100% of all boat pools paid out to
winners. Also... $50,000
to
the entrant breaking Texas Blue
Marlin State Record during the tournament. $15,000
to
the entrant breaking Texas
Last Year's Results 2006 Results Total Prize Money 0ver $282,000 Top Boats Rock-N-Robin Tournament Champion Akela 2nd Place Ms. Diane 3rd Place Blue Eagle 4th Place
Top Captain & Mates Rock-N-Robin Capt. Jason Pruns Monty Thomas Perry Hallmark
Boat Pool Winners Rock-N-Robin 2 Blue Marlin, 1 White Marlin 950 points Akela
2 Blue Marlin
Ms. Diane
1
Blue Marlin
Blue
Eagle
1 Blue Marlin Lady Adele 1 Blue Marlin, 2 Sailfish 600 pooints Smooth
Finish 1 Blue Marlin Sea Goddess 1
Blue Marlin
Fish
Pools Largest
Tuna - Smooth
Finish
83.2
lbs. Largest
Wahoo - Caliente 56.4
lbs. Largest
Dolphin - Clean
Sweep 32
lbs. Largest Swordfish - Caliente 61.7 lbs.
Crew
Captain’s
Pool - Rock-N-Robin Mate’s
Pool - Rock-N-Robin 1st Billfish Released
- Captain/Mate – Hydrocarbon Mate’s Award - Largest Blue Runner – Hot Rod
Billfish Caught Boats Blue Marlin White Marlin Sailfish Swordfish 36 20 5 8 3
2005 Boogieman
- 2005 Overall Champion / Bob Byrd Trophy
MarineMax Hatteras ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2008
Official
Rules and Information -Entry is $1000 per boat, plus $1,000 to the Mandatory Boat Pool. If paid before August 1st, Entry Fee is $850 (15% discount) .
After
August 1, 2008 all pools must be paid in cash or checks payable to cash.
Final entry deadline is 7:00 pm, August 7, 2008, at the Captain’s Party in Port Aransas and -Boats may register by mail or in person at Tournament Headquarters:
Tops-N-Towers
2321 Nasa Road One, Seabrook, Texas
77586 -
281-474-4000 -Cancellations on or before August 1st receive full refund of Entry Fee & Boat Pool money. Cancellations after August 1st and prior to 7:00 pm on August 7th will receive refund of Boat Pool money only. No cancellations accepted after 7:00 pm August 7th, 2008. No Exceptions. Please verify your vessel's condition before the cancellation deadline.
-Final
Registration and Captains Party will be from 3:00 pm until 7:00 pm, Thursday, August 7th
in Port Aransas, Texas
and you may also register until 5:30
pm at Tops-N-Towers in Seabrook, TX Attendance
is not mandatory.
However, you must arrange to pick up your tournament bag before
departure, so you will have the required wireman’s shirts for video
release. Boats
may leave from any Texas Port
–
Please notify Tournament Headquarters if you are leaving from a port
other than Port Aransas, Texas. Make sure you understand all rules and
pick up your tournament bag before departure. Bags will be available
after August 7th. Boats must make their own arrangements
for dockage in their respective ports including Port Aransas.
Our Early Departure Time, anytime after 5 pm on August 7th, allows
an unhurried
trip offshore during daylight hours for safety and practicality.
Weigh
Station
– Port Aransas, Texas. All boats submitting videotapes or weighing fish
must return to Port Aransas by 6:00
pm on August 9, 2008.
Boats must be inside the Port Aransas Municipal Harbor Breakwater.
Boats waiting in line to weigh fish inside the harbor at 6pm will be
considered on time and able to weigh fish. No exceptions. This
year’s participants will enjoy three special events. The
Captain’s Party, Memorial Dinner Party and the Awards Brunch. All registered boats will receive 6
wristbands for admission to all events along with
dinner and drink tickets,
T-shirts, hats, tournament bag and other gifts and information.
Other prizes will be awarded. Make
sure you pick up your bag before departure. Special Wireman’s shirts
included are required for each day of fishing. Schedule
of Events
Thursday, August 7th 3-7 pm - Final Registration and Captains Party in Port Aransas, TX. The Pelican Club (Upstairs - Next to Fisherman's Wharf) ***Final
Chance for Entries*** 5:30 pm - Regtistration Closes at Tops-N-Towers in Seabrook, TX 7 pm - Registration Closes in Port Aransas,TX
5 pm - Boats may depart
anytime after 5 pm from all ports. Friday, August 8th
12:01 am - Fishing Begins- use
your GPS for correct time 7-11 midnight - Weigh Station On Call - call in 2 hours before arrival if weighing fish. To weigh-in from 7-11 pm call John Cochrane 409-739-4817 3-6 pm - Weigh Station Open 6 pm - Weigh Station Closed 8 pm - Memorial Dinner Party and Texas Saltwater Fishing Hall of Fame - Big Game Awards Virginia's Restaurant Sunday, August 10th 10
-11 am
- Awards Brunch for all participants
Tournament
Rules -By entering this tournament, participants agree to abide by all rules and decisions. All committee decisions are final Contestants are boats.
There may not be any substitution of boats, pooling of catch or transfer
of catch from one boat to another.
-All boats must be registered and all fees paid before leaving
their respective ports. A committee boat will be stationed in each port
to supervise boats leaving on Thursday, Aug 7th. Boats may
depart anytime after 5pm.
-All boats are required to return to Port Aransas, Texas to weigh
any fish or submit release tapes, regardless of departure port.
-Fishing time starts at 12:01 am on August 8, 2008 and ends at 6
pm
August 9, 2008 at the close of the weigh station. Stop fishing
in time to make the 6 pm deadline if you boat or release a fish.
Boats must be inside the breakwater at Port Aransas Municipal Harbor (not
jetties) at 6 pm. Boats waiting in line to weigh fish inside the Port
Aransas Harbor at 6 pm will be considered on time and able to weigh
fish. No exceptions. All times are GPS times (Universal Time) Use
your GPS for correct time.
- Contestants will contact a committee boat on VHF Channel 68 or
SSB Channel 2638, immediately after boating or releasing an eligible
billfish. It is
not necessary to call in hook-ups, only catch or release information. It
is also not necessary
to
call in tuna, wahoo or dolphin. For released billfish the committee boat
will also record the time of release. Be
sure the committee boat gets your information.
-Have another boat relay the information if no contact can be
made with a committee boat. Boats failing to report a catch may be
disqualified. At tournament time, cell and satellite phone numbers will
also be available to report catch in case of no contact with a committee
boat. Due to the expense, please only use these numbers as a last
resort.
-Highest score determines the winner(s). In the case of a tie,
length prevails. On released billfish, if the score is tied, the boat
catching the most blue marlin releases wins. If still tied, the boat
with the earliest release time wins. If there is a tie between boats
with weighed fish and released fish, the boat with the most weighed
points wins. - All boats are required to have a video camera to verify release of billfish. NO EXCEPTIONS. Releases should be confirmed by nearby boats, if possible, and reported to a committee boat. Jungle Rules! There are no angling rules other than the fish must be caught on an IGFA conventional rod and reel and boated by hand or gaff. Anyone may handle the fishing rod. No shooting, explosives, entangling devices, nets, longlines or other non-sporting devices may be used.
-Fish must be weighed in edible condition. This rule will be
strictly enforced. Remember to take plenty of ice and insulated fish
bags. All fish must remain in the weigh master’s possession until the
end of the tournament or until released by weigh master.
-Boats weighing fish will be responsible for those fish after
weigh- in. This includes Blue Marlin -No mutilated or frozen fish accepted!
-A boat may fish as many lines as desired. -All fish must be caught in accordance with State and Federal Laws. -A weather committee comprised of the tournament committee and selected registered participants may decide to postpone the tournament in case of bad weather. Sunday, August 10th may be used as a weather day, if necessary. One day fishing constitutes the tournament. If the tournament is cancelled due to weather, entry fees will be refunded less tournament expenses.
- Regardless
of weather, the captain/owner of each vessel is responsible for
decisions made regarding the safety of their vessel.
-Conduct:
the committee will consider unsportsman-like conduct as grounds for
disqualification. Contestants are responsible for their crew’s
actions. Committee decisions are final.
-Protests:
all
protests must be submitted to the weigh master, in writing, before 6 pm
August 9, 2008. A $500 cash deposit must be included with the protest.
Deposit returned only if protest is upheld. The Tournament Committee
will resolve all disputes and their decision is final.
-Polygraph:
all participants agree to submit to a polygraph test, if requested by
the Tournament Committee. Failure to submit to such an exam will result
in the disqualification of the contestant, at the discretion of the
Tournament Committee Scoring Our
Tournament promotes the release of Billfish! -This point system is designed to promote releasing all Blue Marlin under 400 lbs. All White Marlin and Sailfish must be released. Blue Marlin are the only billfish eligible for weigh-in and must be at least 101” in short length - the Lower tip of the jaw to the fork of the tail. Swordfish are not scored in the billfish pools. A
Blue Marlin release counts the same as bringing a 400 lb blue to the
dock! Point
System
Blue Marlin Weighed-in
1
point per pound
Blue Marlin Released
400
points
White Marlin Released
150
points
Sailfish Released
100
points
Bonus points:
Blue Marlin 500 lbs. and over.
1 point per pound
+300 points
-Highest score determines the winner(s). In the case of a tie,
length prevails. On released fish, if the score is tied, the boat
catching the most blue marlin releases wins. If still tied, the boat
with the earliest release time wins. If there is a tie between boats
with weighed fish and released fish, the boat with the most weighed
points wins. Entry Fee and Boat Pools
-Entry Fee and Mandatory Boat pool must be at Tournament
Headquarters on or before August 1, 2008 to qualify for 15% discounted
entry fee - $850. After
August 1st entry fee is $1,000 and all entries/pools must be paid in cash or checks payable
to cash. Final entry deadline is 7:00 pm August 7th
2008 in Port Aransas, Texas, or 5:30 pm at Tops-N-Towers in Seabrook,
Texas. Entry Fee $1000 15% Discount Entry Fee before Aug. 1st $850 Mandatory Pool $1,000 Optional Pools $1,500 $2,500 $5,000 Optional - Winner Take All Pool $10,000
A
portion of your Entry Fee goes toward the establishment of the
Texas
Saltwater Fishing Hall of Fame
-All Boat
Pools use an aggregate point system.
The boat with the most points wins. All boat pools will pay up to 4 places except the $10,000 pool which is winner take all.* Number of Places 4 3 2 1 1st Place 50% 50% 65% 100% 2nd Place 25% 30% 35% 3rd Place 15% 20% 4th Place 10% *The particulars regarding the $10,000 pool have not been finalized at this time. Optional
Captain's Pool
$200 - most billfish points Optional
Mate's Pool $100 - most billfish points Optional
Fish Pools: Heaviest Fish Wins (25
lb. Minimum weight (Federal minimums apply also!) Yellowfin
Tuna Pools
$250 / $500 Wahoo
Pools $250
/ $500 Dolphin Pools $250 / $500 / $1,000 Swordfish
Pool
$500 100% of all pools paid out to winners
Trophies
and Additional Prizes! Tournament Champion receives the perpetual Bob Byrd Memorial Trophy to keep for one year, a rod and reel, the tournament champion pennant and a commemorative Step Box by Nautical Woodcrafts.
Top Four Places receive trophies Top Captain receives the Capt. Bill Hart Memorial Trophy Top Mate receives trophy
Fish Pool Awards The largest fish in each pool receives a custom fish art from Tops-N-Towers The Largest Yellowfin Tuna The Largest Wahoo The Largest Dolphin The Largest Swordfish Captains only-
$250 to the
captain releasing the 1st blue marlin! NEW!
Mates only- $250 to the mate releasing the 1st blue marlin! NEW! Crew only- $100 to the biggest blue runner weighed! (Please – No Boat
Owners – This is for your crew!)
BONUS
PRIZE MONEY
$50,000 to
the entrant breaking the Texas Blue
Marlin State Record during the tournament.
$15,000 to
the entrant breaking the Texas *If the state record in one category is broken more than once in
the tournament, only the largest fish
in that category will win the bonus prize money. The
qualifying entrant must adhere to all Tournament Rules, Federal Law and
Texas Parks & Wildlife Regulations as the record keeping authority.
TP&W must certify the fish as the new state record prior to claims
consideration. Video Release All boats are required to have a video camera to verify release of billfish. NO EXCEPTIONS -Releases
should be confirmed by nearby boats, if possible, and must be reported to a
committee boat
-Only releases verified by video camera earn points.
-Each boat is responsible for it’s own video equipment
-It’s a good idea to film with more
than one camera in case of equipment failure. -After a catch, pan the cockpit. Confirming no other lines in the water.
Each release video
must show the following:
Angler fighting the fish showing the Wireman’s shirt of the
day. Entire fight is not necessary.
Clear identification of species
Wireman with leader in hand AND wearing the wireman’s shirt
of the day during wiring and release Wiring and release of fish showing hook removal or cutting of leader with the fish swimming away, followed
by an immediate and complete pan of the cockpit.
The camera should not stop during wiring, release and complete
pan of cockpit. If the wireman has the leader in hand and the hook pulls, the fish still qualifies if all other rules are satisfied. If
the fish is only identifiable as a billfish, it will score 100 points. More
is Better!
The more video we
see, the easier it is for us to verify you have met all of the video
release requirements! Tournament
Directors: Bobby
Byrd and John Cochrane Tournament
Committee: Hefner Appling, Allan Legge, Charlie Shiro, Kirk Elliott, Ty Brawley, Jim Glandt, Kevin Deerman Tournament Staff Janice Byrd, Ann Marie Cochrane, Tami Domasco, Deana Duke, Aly Fox. Kathy May
For More Information
Call: Registration
Headquarters: Tops-N-Towers 281-474-4000
Captain's Party and Final Registration - Thursday, Aug. 7th Weigh-in and Dinner - Saturday, Aug. 9th Awards Brunch - Sunday, Aug. 10th Port Aransas, Texas and departure from the Texas port of your choice!
MarineMax Hatteras
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