On February 13, 2015 The Billfish Foundation will honor conservation achievements at the 2015 Tag and Release Ceremony held at Miami’s Jungle Island Treetop Ballroom. The Tag and Release Ceremony sponsored by Bisbee’s Black and Blue recognized the 42 winners of the 2012 Tag and Release Competition and award winners received beautiful trophies sponsored by King Sailfish Mounts. All award winners in attendance received sunglasses courtesy of Costa and overall winners each received a lure from Bonze Lures.
TBF’s Overall Tagging Angler Winner for all species (any combination of blue marlin, black marlin, striped marlin, white marlin, sailfish and/or spearfish) included Juan Cruz Anon (Miami, Fla., USA). Kumie Saegusa (Nishiki, Yokohama, Japan) took the honors as the Top Overall Lady Tagging Angler. Tyler Sudbrink(Greensboro, NC, USA), a multi-year winner in his last year of youth category eligibility, won the Top Overall Youth Tagging Angler and repeating as Top Overall Tagging Captain was Fin Gaddy (Manteo, N.C., USA).
In the release division, taking the honors as both Top Overall Release Angler and Top Overall Release Lady Angler was Tiffany Sisolak (Kitty Hawk, NC, USA). Jacob Pearcy (Tuscon, Arizona, USA) won the Top Overall Release Youth Angler and Brad Philipps (Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala) repeated his title as the Top Overall Release Captain.
The 2013 competition began Nov.1, 2012 and will wrap up on Oct. 31, 2013. TBF members from more than 70 countries are invited to participate and ‘Tag Data Reports’ and ‘Release Notifications’ can be submitted to TBF using either the traditional hard copies or reported online at www.billfishtag.org. Separate categories currently exist for each the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans with additional categories being considered for the 2014 competition.
To be eligible to receive an award active TBF members must have tagged and/or released five or more of a species to qualify. In addition, TBF’s Youth Program was created in 2001 and recognizes the conservation ethics and achievements of young anglers. It includes a three fish minimum in three separate age groupings for both tag and release categories.
THE BILLFISH FOUNDATION’S 2012 TAG & RELEASE AWARD WINNERS
Top Tagging Anglers – Atlantic Ocean
Mike Brauser – Lighthouse Point, FL USA – Blue Marlin
Robert DeYoung – Lyndhurst, NJ USA – Sailfish
Richard Gudoian – Key Largo, FL USA – Swordfish
Sandra MacMillan* – Fort Lauderdale, FL USA – White Marlin
Peter Cherasia* – Rumson, NJ USA – White Marlin
Top Tagging Captains – Atlantic Ocean
Zak Conde – San Vicente, Cape Verde – Blue Marlin
Fin Gaddy – Manteo, NC USA – Sailfish
Sean O’Connor – Key Largo, FL USA – Swordfish
Fin Gaddy – Manteo, NC USA – White Marlin
Top Tagging Anglers – Pacific Ocean
David Richardson – Bangalow, NSW Australia –Black Marlin
Tsumura Yasuhisa* – Sumiyoshi, Osaka Japan – Blue Marlin
Kumie Saegusa* – Nishiku, Yokohama Japan – Blue Marlin
Juan Cruz Anon – Miami, FL USA – Sailfish
John Duvall – Kemah, TX USA – Striped Marlin
Top Tagging Captains – Pacific Ocean
Tim Richardson – Bangalow, NSW AU – Black Marlin
Yanagi Takaharu – Hyogo, Japan – Blue Marlin
Chris Sheeder – Miami, FL USA – Sailfish
Chuck Wigzell – Kailua-Kona, HI USA – Spearfish
Sean Holden – Newport Beach, CA USA – Striped Marlin
Top Tagging Captains – Indian Ocean
Bernard Vale – Coral Bay, Australia – Black Marlin
Ross Newton – Broome, Australia – Blue Marlin
Ross Newton – Broome, Australia – Sailfish
Pat Hemphill – Ukunda, Kenya – Striped Marlin
Top Youth Tagging Winners
Lillian Way – Houston, TX USA – Age 11-12
Shawn MacMullin – Key Largo, FL USA – Age 11-12 – Runner Up
Tyler Sudbrink – Greensboro, NC USA – Age 16-17
Overall Tagging Winners
Fin Gaddy – Manteo, NC USA – Overall Captain
Juan Cruz Anon – Miami, FL USA – Overall Angler
Kumie Saegusa – Nishiku, Yokohama Japan – Top Lady Angler
Tyler Sudbrink – Greensboro, NC USA – Top Youth Angler
Top Release Anglers – Atlantic Ocean
William Thomasson – Molino, FL USA – Blue Marlin
Gray Ingram – Jupiter, FL USA – Sailfish
Scott Cooper – Mobile, AL USA – Swordfish
Gray Ingram – Jupiter, FL USA – White Marlin
Top Release Captains – Atlantic Ocean
Marty Bates – San Vicente, Cape Verde – Blue Marlin
Fin Gaddy – Manteo, NC USA – Sailfish
Russel Craft – Mobile, AL USA – Swordfish
Fin Gaddy – Manteo, NC USA – White Marlin
Top Release Anglers – Pacific Ocean
Barry Alty – Gold Coast, QLD Australia – Black Marlin
Barry Alty – Gold Coast, QLD Australia – Blue Marlin
Tiffany Sisolak – Kitty Hawk, NC USA – Sailfish
John Rogers – Glendale, AZ USA – Striped Marlin
John Gregory – Keri Keri, New Zealand – Swordfish
Top Release Captains – Pacific Ocean
Chris Van Leeuwen* – Iztapa, Guatemala – Blue MarlinBrett Alty* – Gold Coast, QL Australia – Blue Marlin
Brett Alty – Gold Coast, QL Australia – Black Marlin
Brad Philipps – Iztapa, Guatemala – Sailfish
Jose Nunez – Chino Hills, CA USA – Striped Marlin
John Gregory – Keri Keri, New Zealand – Swordfish
Top Release Anglers – Indian Ocean
Anders Jonsson – Ystad, Sweden – Sailfish
Top Release Anglers – Indian Ocean
Simon Hemphill – Ukunda, Kenya – Sailfish
Top Youth Release Winners
Gregory Benn – Great Falls, VA USA – Age 13-15
Wesley Davis – Malibu, CA USA – Age 13-15 – Runner Up
Jacob Pearcy – Tucson, AZ USA – Age 16-17
Tyler Sudbrink – Greensboro, NC USA – Age 16-17 – Runner Up
Overall Release Winners
Brad Philipps – Iztapa, Guatemala – Overall Captain
Tiffany Sisolak – Kitty Hawk, NC USA- Overall Angler
Tiffany Sisolak – Kitty Hawk, NC USA- Overall Lady Angler
Jacob Pearcy – Tucson, AZ USA – Top Youth Angler
* Indicates a tie occurred
