The Bermuda Big Game Classic celebrated its 25th anniversary with some heady action and a plethora of big fish that provided plenty of excitement and not just a little bit of heartbreak.

In terms of fish, the Blast and Classic each produced 113 billfish. The Classic boasted slightly more blue marlin and slightly fewer white marlin, but the former also had a sailfish and two spearfish, which made for additional variety if not points.

When the deed was done, it was Captain Kyle Liane’s Bree in top spot with an impressive 3,200 points from six blue marlin and two white marlin releases. Right behind was Juben with 2,600 points, followed by Pescaria in third place on 2,500 points.

Where the excitement really reined was in the largest blue marlin category. With a minimum eligible weight of 500 pounds, this was obviously going to mean large fish on the dock.

Just after noon on the first day, Gratitude boated a blue that tipped the scale at 524 pounds. Minutes later, the team OIHVA brought in a fish that went four pounds better at 528lb. So much for a knuckle-biting first day.

Day two was similar: Game Changer came to the weigh station with a fish just after midday that moved into the overall lead at 599 pounds. This set a new mark for the overall tournament largest fish and was uncontested on the day.

Things went wild on the final day when Iron Leader brought in a 615-pound blue marlin. That failed to last long, as Flyer arrived shortly thereafter with a 632-pounder. Things looked to have settled down as the balance of the tournament played out. But, just as the result seemed inevitable, Captain Brent Gaskill’s Builder’s Choice arrived at tournament headquarters to turn things on their head with a 650-pound blue that took top tournament honours.

It may come as a surprise to some observers that the fish do not get a rest between the various tournaments. What needs to be understood is that many of the foreign boats visiting here are consummate billfishers. Catching big marlin is what they are all about. Nice if the fish are numerous; better if they are super large; and nicer still if they happen to come in a tournament and snag part of the awards. But, win or lose, each day is a fishing day, and the boats will run offshore to seek their fortunes. They move around seasonally trying to follow the largest concentrations of billfish or the concentrations of the largest billfish.

Fortunately for the Bermuda fish, the billfish tournaments here come fast and furious. With the Bermuda Big-Game Classic consigned to the history books, the doyenne event, the Sea Horse Anglers Club Bermuda Billfish Tournament is under way. The oldest of the tournaments and the final leg of the Bermuda Triple Crown, this event can be the “make or break” for the boats taking part.

As it stood, going into the Sea Horse, there was a three-way tie between Pescaria, Bree and Fender Bender on 4,200 points. Not that the results will be necessarily limited to these boats. It is totally possible for any boat to come out of the pack, as it were, and surge into first place.

Plenty of scatter action is expected this weekend as the entire fleet will be looking to move into the winner’s circle in the Sea Horse and to improve their standing in the Triple Crown. As all these competitors know, it is never over until it is over. Things can change radically and a really big fish can change everything.

Leaving the billfish to sort themselves out, local fisherman Seth Gibbons made a memorable catch off Argus Tower this week with a fine 85.1-pound cubera snapper. This is a species that is not often seen here, although it is probably more common than it is thought to be. One of the largest of the snapper species, it can attain 100 pounds or more and is instantly recognisable at that size. It sports absolute fangs in the way of teeth and can be aggressive even against other fish. Where it gets really tricky is when the specimen is smaller, less than ten pounds. At that size, it is exceedingly difficult to separate them from grey snappers. The suspicion locally has to be that many of the big grey snappers caught by fisherman are actually small cuberas. The site of the old Argus Tower structure seems to attract the largest local specimens, as divers have reported seeing some in and among the wreckage that litters the bottom of the bank where the tower once stood.

The warm conditions at this time of the year are often a deterrent to local anglers who have no interest in billfish and are looking for some table fish. Trolling for wahoo is less productive at this juncture and there has been so much tuna that many are looking for a change. Moving somewhat shallower and chumming for snappers — either whitewaters in the channels or over the deeper reefs for yellowtails — might be just the solution for some productive Tight Lines!!!