The Islamorada Fishing Club welcomed 46 anglers for the Islamorada Fishing Club Captain’s Cup Sailfish Tournament. Held on Jan. 14-15, a nail-biting competition saw 12 teams release a total of 68 sails.
The first hookup was four minutes after the committee boat called lines in the water. The sailfish were rising in packs, with 11 multiple hookups called in throughout the day. With only 18 minutes to go, Main One, Kalex, Skipjac, Killbox and Back in Business were all tied with eight releases, and the Back in Business was still fighting the second fish of a doubleheader. Back in Business’ Capt. Robert Collins called in the release of the second fish at 3:48 p.m., propelling the team to a first-place finish.
Anglers John Watson of Parkland, Matt McLean from Naples, along with Audrey Koocher and Brooks Gregory from Islamorada, took home the grand champion trophies sponsored by Caribee Boat Sales and Yamaha Outboards along with a $12,000 check.
Returning to the dock in second place with eight sailfish releases on time was Capt. Marty Lewis of Marathon, at the helm of Main One/Main Attraction. Baker Mitchell Plumbing and CBT Construction sponsored the team’s second-place awards; second-place anglers were Mark Busch from West Lake, Ohio; Mike Cangemi from Jupiter, Ben Zdan from Marathon and Islamorada resident Danny Lombardo.
Third-place trophies, sponsored by Regan Roth insurance and Travis Bennett DDS, were awarded to Capt. Alex Adler of Islamorada and his crew aboard Kalex. The team included Indiana anglers Chris and Sam Chastain and Allen Sutkowski and Nathan Burns, with eight sailfish releases on time.
The Islamorada Fishing Club Sailfish Tournament was the second leg of the annual three-event Florida Keys Gold Cup Championship series.
Festivities were held in the club’s temporary location while their new building is under construction. The Islamorada Fishing Clubs Captains Cup Dolphin tournament will be held June 26, 2025. More information is at www.theislamoradafishingclub.com.
