The Billfish Foundation’s 2021 Tag & Release Awards Ceremony took place on February 12th on Facebook Live. Like our 2020 Gala, the Awards Ceremony was virtual due to COVID-19. While we missed seeing all of our award winners in person, we loved the opportunity to engage with our less local constituents who would not normally be able to attend the ceremony, but logged in to enjoy the online festivities with us.

The Awards Ceremony kicked off with a weeklong online raffle wherein participants could purchase items from TBF’s online shop, shop.billfish.org, to earn raffle tickets. The winner took home a YETI Hopper M30, Costa del Mar Broadbill Sunglasses, and a TBF x Helly Hansen Tag Flag Jacket! The following week, the week leading up to the Ceremony, featured an online auction. Hopefuls cast their bids on gear, art, trips, and more from YETI, Garmin, Costa, Pelagic, Fathom Offshore, the list goes on!

The festivities commenced on February 12th on Facebook Live, when TBF broadcasted its first ever Virtual Tag & Release Awards Ceremony. The Ceremony recognized the winners of this year’s Tag & Release Competition and included fun extras, like trivia questions and an official Ceremony cocktail. It also included a special renaming of the Top Tagging Angler Pacific Striped Marlin Award to the Jack Duvall Top Tagging Angler for Pacific Striped Marlin in honor of recently deceased, longtime Chairman of TBF’s Board of Directors, Jack Duvall.

Thank you so much to our Tag & Release Awards Ceremony Sponsors: King Sailfish Mounts, Dekit, Viking Service Center, Costa del Mar Sunglasses, and Floy Tag. Thank you also to our Tag & Release Program Sponsors: YETI, Garmin, Costa del Mar Sunglasses, King Sailfish Mounts, Casa Vieja Lodge, and the International Game Fish Tournament Observers. Without these sponsors, the Tag & Release Program and Tag & Release Awards Ceremony would not be able to thrive as it does now. If you missed the event, you can find it on TBF’s Facebook page or on our Youtube Channel.

To stay up-to-date on all things billfish, become a member, donate, visit our online shop, and follow us on social media, @TheBillfishFoundation.