What a week for billfishing in the Florida Keys! The energy at the docks was unmatched as we hosted the 35th annual Cheeca Lodge Presidential Sailfish Tournament. This wasn’t just any tournament; it served as the high-stakes third and final leg of the Florida Keys Gold Cup Championship, where the best in the fleet battled for the ultimate title.
Day 1: The Killbox and Kalex showdown
The tournament kicked off on Jan. 24 with a steady bite that quickly turned into a shootout. Team Lfish set the pace early with a flurry of releases from Josh Riddle, Todd Picariello and Blake Alexander. Kalex wasn’t far behind, however, putting on a clinic in the afternoon. Between 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m., the Kalex crew — led by Nathan Burns and Chris Chastain — seemed to have a permanent bend in the rod, stacking up releases to keep the pressure on the leaderboard. Salt Shaker and Killbox also made their presence known, staying within striking distance as the sun set on day 1.
Day 2: The afternoon frenzy
Day 2 brought even more drama as teams scrambled to secure their spot in the Gold Cup standings. Killbox came out swinging in the morning with Jose Boza and KC Spaulding clocking in multiple releases. As we hit the final hours, the intensity reached a fever pitch.
Salt Shaker went on an absolute tear in the late afternoon, with Brandon Mitchell, Arek Wojcik and Justin Matson calling in releases at 2:44, 2:47, 2:57 and 3:07 p.m. — a massive late-game surge. Not to be outdone, Big Calm stayed hot, with Ben Breier and Greg Dunning recording critical releases right before the call for lines-out.
Gold Cup Glory
With this being the final leg of the Gold Cup, every fish counted. The race between Killbox and Lfish has been a “dead heat” for the series title, and this weekend’s performance at Cheeca Lodge solidified their reputations as the top crews in the Keys. The sportsmanship and skill displayed across the 11-team fleet were world-class, proving once again why Islamorada is the sailfish capital of the world.
The tournament season is in full swing, and if this weekend was any indication, the sailfishing is only getting better. Congratulations to all the anglers and captains who made the 35th Presidential one for the history books.
