Announcing TBF’s 2023 Tag & Release Awards Winners!
Interested in attending TBF’s International Tag & Release Awards Ceremony? Here’s everything you need to know!
A special thanks to our ceremony sponsors, King Sailfish Mounts and Costa Sunglasses, who together with Boaters List, Casa Vieja Lodge, Garmin Marine, IGFTO, and Yeti Coolers have made this night possible.
Click here to get your tickets!
- If you’d like to attend…
- Winners enter for FREE, but guests will need to purchase tickets here.
- If you’re a winner and plan on accepting your award, you must be a current member through February 2024. Reminder to email a photo and short bio to tag@billfish.org by January 31, 2024.
- Please RSVP for the event by January 31, 2024, by emailing us at tag@billfish.org
- If you’re a captain and would like to acknowledge a mate, email us the mate’s name by January 31, 2024 and ensure their membership is valid through February 2024.
- If you’d like to guarantee you sit with friends, consider purchasing a VIP table, otherwise seating is not assigned.
- Event information: 6:00 pm EST on Friday, February 16, 2024, in the Treetop Ballroom at Jungle Island in Miami. Remember traffic during the Miami Boat Show can be tough. Plan accordingly.
- Winners enter for FREE, but guests will need to purchase tickets here.
- If you cannot attend…
- Let us know regardless so we can mark it down. Still send us a photo and short bio to be acknowledged online!
- If you would like your trophy, email the preferred shipping address to tag@billfish.org. Recipients are responsible for shipping and handling fees.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us at tag@billfish.org.
2023 TBF Tag & Release Competition Winners!
With the 2023 competition officially complete, it’s now time for The Billfish Foundation to recognize the best of the billfishing world during the past year! The anglers, captains, and mates mentioned below have contributed crucial information related to billfish conservation. Since the inception of our Tag & Release Program in 1990, our database has grown to accrue nearly 280,000 tag and release records, becoming the largest private billfish tagging database in the world. In the last year alone, TBF has collected over 5,000 records!
This is only possible because of the efforts of all the conservation-minded captains, anglers, and mates across the globe. Their data helps to preserve the sport we love and provides us with an increased understanding of the needs for billfish management.
| We are pleased to announce the following winners of the international tagging competition: |
| Top Overall Tagging Angler: Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida |
| Top Overall Tagging Captain: Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina |
| Top Overall Tagging Lady Angler: Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida |
| Top Overall Tagging Youth Angler: Michael “Mitch” Mason Jr. – Victoria, Seychelles, Johan Millez – Mandelieu, France, & Camille Ondo – Libreville, Gabon & Ryan Reaux II – Lafayette, Louisiana- TIE |
| In the release category of the international competition, we had the following winners: |
| Top Overall Release Angler: Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida |
| Top Overall Release Captain: Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina |
| Top Overall Release Lady Angler: Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida |
| Top Overall Release Youth Angler: George Straub – Jupiter, Florida |
| Below are the top winners in each category of ocean, by species, and region. |
| Overall Winners |
| Top Overall Tagging Angler |
| Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida |
| Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida |
| Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida |
| Scott Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida |
| Jerry Reynolds – Macon, Georgia |
| Top Overall Tagging Captain |
| Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina |
| Sean Gallagher – Stuart, Florida |
| William Ochse – Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| Lance Hightower – Macon, Georgia |
| Perry Rosalie – La Digue, Seychelles |
| Top Overall Tagging Lady Angler |
| Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida |
| Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida |
| Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida |
| Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia |
| Martha Macnab – Balboa Island, California |
| Top Overall Tagging Youth Angler |
| Camille Ondo – Libreville, Gabon – TIE |
| Michael “Mitch” Mason Jr. – Victoria, Seychelles – TIE |
| Johan Millez – Mandelieu, France – TIE |
| Ryan Reaux II – Lafayette, Louisiana – TIE |
| Spencer Thorrington – Seychelles |
| Robert Hutchison – Winterville, North Carolina |
| Top Overall Release Angler |
| Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida |
| Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida |
| Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida |
| Bo Ingram – Greensboro, North Carolina |
| Scott Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida |
| Top Overall Release Captain |
| Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina |
| David Salazar – Miami, Florida |
| Dean Panos – Pembroke Pines, Florida |
| Sean Gallagher – Stuart, Florida |
| Stuart Simpson – La Lucia Ridge, South Africa |
| Top Overall Release Lady Angler |
| Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida |
| Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida |
| Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida |
| Meredith Huddle – New Bern, North Carolina |
| Shelby Callison – Jupiter, Florida |
| Top Overall Release Youth Angler |
| George Straub – Jupiter, Florida |
| Matthew Ringleb – Humble, Texas |
| Wyatt Bailey – Huntingtown, Maryland |
| Top Anglers – Tag Category |
| Top Tagging Angler – Atlantic |
| Blue Marlin |
| Casey Roohan, Cape May Court House, New Jersey |
| Page Robertson – Wilmington, North Carolina |
| Kanmair Kleinmoedig – Curacao, Lesser Antilles |
| Chris Cates – United States |
| Corey Inman – Loxahatchee, Florida |
| Sailfish |
| Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida |
| Danny Vaughan – Cutler Bay, Florida |
| Lucas Waddell – Pinecrest, Florida |
| Rafael Abohbot – Luanda, Angola |
| Fernando Duarte – Luanda, Angola |
| Spearfish |
| Keith Ashworth – Mallorca, Spain |
| Charlotte Bacon – Alcudia, Spain |
| Johan Millez – Mandelieu, France |
| Swordfish |
| Samuel Urbain – Sainte-Maxime, France |
| Shay Esbeck – Gallatin, Missouri |
| Noah Kolesha – Mount Pleasant, South Carolina |
| Coty Cheramie – Larose, Louisiana |
| Brad Belcher – Jupiter, Florida – TIE |
| Tracy Collins – Golden Meadow, Louisiana – TIE |
| White Marlin |
| Laurent Sahyoun – Mandelieu, France |
| Peter Cherasia – Rumson, New Jersey |
| Gene Sauers – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida |
| Alessandro Valente |
| George Robinson – West Palm Beach, Florida |
| Top Tagging Angler – Pacific |
| Blue Marlin |
| Chad Beaudry – Kailua Kona, Hawaii – TIE |
| Jerry Reynolds – Macon, Georgia – TIE |
| Patrick Nutt – Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia |
| Christian Hampl – Doral, Florida |
| Sailfish |
| Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida |
| Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida |
| Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida |
| Patrick Nutt – Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| Jerry Reynolds – Macon, Georgia |
| Spearfish |
| Chad Beaudry – Kailua Kona, Hawaii |
| Striped Marlin |
| Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida |
| Scott Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida |
| Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida |
| Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida |
| Kyle OConnor – Jupiter, Florida |
| Top Tagging Angler – Indian |
| Blue Marlin |
| Batian Craig – Nairobi, Kenya |
| Michael Mason – Victoria, Seychelles |
| Sebastien Savy – Victoria, Seychelles |
| Mickey Mason – Victoria, Seychelles |
| Jack Ogden – Yorkshire, England |
| Sailfish |
| Dwayne Devanny, Alyangula, Australia – TIE |
| Jeremy Barnett – Jingili, Australia – TIE |
| Grant Kussrow – Alyangula, Australia – TIE |
| Taro Tominaga – Brighton, Australia |
| Toots Trujillo – New Mexico, United States |
| Striped Marlin |
| Nick Kirkland – Sutton Coldfield, Great Britain |
| Top Tagging Captain – Atlantic |
| Blue Marlin |
| Watson Caviness – Wilmington, North Carolina |
| James Turner – Port Saint Lucie, Florida |
| Kolby Thorton – Orange Beach, Alabama |
| Scooter Porto – Gulf Breeze, Florida |
| Daniel Kubiak – Jupiter, Florida – TIE |
| Gordo Heldewier – Curucao – TIE |
| Sailfish |
| Tom Hinterschied – Pompano Beach, Florida |
| Patrick Humphrey – Palm City, Florida |
| Richard Peeples – Palmetto Bay, Florida |
| Shawn Albury – Tavernier, Florida |
| Marco Couto – Luanda, Angola |
| Spearfish |
| Vince Riera – Alcudia, Spain |
| Luca Bonfanti – Milano, Italy |
| Stephanie Millez – Mandelieu, France |
| Swordfish |
| Rudy Urbain – Sainte-Maxime, France |
| Jeffrey Wilson – Cut Off, Louisiana |
| Nicholas Froelich – Parrish, Florida |
| Brad Belcher – Jupiter, Florida |
| White Marlin |
| Marco Canu – Genova, Italy |
| Rich Barrett – Jupiter, Florida |
| Bill Davis – West Palm Beach, Florida |
| Geno Sauers – Savannah, Georgia |
| Steven Lake – Stuart, Florida |
| Top Tagging Captain – Pacific |
| Blue Marlin |
| Lance Hightower – Macon, Georgia |
| Tracy Epstein – Kailua Kona, Hawaii |
| William Ochse – Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| Jose Garcia Picon |
| Mike Dakil – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii |
| Sailfish |
| Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina |
| Sean Gallagher – Stuart, Florida |
| William Ochse – Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| Mike Sheeder – North Palm Beach, Florida |
| Lance Hightower – Macon, Georgia |
| Spearfish |
| Tracy Epstein – Kailua Kona, Hawaii |
| Robert Ellyn – Kailua Kona, Hawaii |
| Striped Marlin |
| Sean Gallagher – Stuart, Florida |
| Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina |
| Jerry Lanzerotti – Palm Beach, Florida |
| Tony Araiza – Cabo San Lucas, Mexico |
| Spencer Johnson – Corpus Christi, Texas |
| Top Tagging Captain – Indian |
| Black Marlin |
| Wes Jones – Exmouth, Western Australia |
| Perry Rosalie – La Digue, Seychelles |
| Darryn du Plessis – Victoria, Seychelles |
| Blue Marlin |
| Adam Ogden – Kenya |
| Darryn du Plessis – Victoria, Seychelles |
| Perry Rosalie – La Digue, Seychelles |
| Peter Darnborough – Watamu, Kenya |
| Sailfish |
| Perry Rosalie – La Digue, Seychelles |
| Bomber Farrell – Alyangula, Australia |
| Ryan Kleinschmidt – Alyangula, Australia |
| Darryn du Plessis – Victoria, Seychelles |
| Dwayne Devanny, Alyangula, Australia |
| Striped Marlin |
| Peter Darnborough – Watamu, Kenya |
| Mark Allen – Watamu, Kenya |
| Clare Carter King – Salalah, Oman |
| Top Anglers – Release Category |
| Top Release Angler – Atlantic |
| White Marlin |
| Ibrahim Elouafi – Casablanca, Morocco |
| Emuel Cloostermanse – Belgium |
| John Webb – London, England |
| Meredith Huddle – New Bern, North Carolina |
| Blue Marlin |
| Mark Milner – Tregaron, Wales |
| Harris Huddle – New Bern, North Carolina |
| Mark Faulkner – York, England |
| Jacques Van Niekerk – South Africa |
| Ron Kawaja |
| Sailfish |
| Danny Vaughan – Cutler Bay, Florida |
| Lucas Waddell – Pinecrest, Florida |
| Dave Seitz – Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| Shelby Callison – Jupiter, Florida |
| Michael Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida |
| Top Release Angler – Pacific |
| Blue Marlin |
| Christian Hampl – Doral, Florida |
| Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida |
| Scott Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida |
| Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida |
| Bo Ingram – Greensboro, North Carolina |
| Sailfish |
| Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida |
| Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida |
| Bo Ingram – Greensboro, North Carolina |
| Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida |
| Joe Frazer – Corpus Christi, Texas |
| Spearfish |
| Chad Beaudry – Kailua Kona, Hawaii |
| Black Marlin |
| Mark Davis – Malibu, California |
| Striped Marlin |
| Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida |
| Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida |
| Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida |
| Scott Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida |
| George Straub – Jupiter, Florida |
| Top Release Angler – Indian |
| Sailfish |
| Ben Knaggs – Exmouth, Australia |
| Blue Marlin |
| Batian Craig – Nairobi, Kenya – TIE |
| Michael Williams – TIE |
| Deb Foster – Exmouth, Western Australia |
| Anthony Pahl – Cowra, Australia |
| Black Marlin |
| Brett Dwyer – Seven Mile Beach, Great Cayman Island |
| Deb Foster – Exmouth, Western Australia |
| Swordfish |
| Ben Knaggs – Exmouth, Australia |
| Top Captains – Release Category |
| Top Release Captain – Atlantic |
| Blue Marlin |
| Stuart Simpson – La Lucia Ridge, South Africa |
| Brent Gaskill – Harkers Island, North Island |
| Manuel Viana – Lisbon, Portugal |
| Kolby Thorton – Orange Beach, Alabama |
| Kevin Deerman – Galveston, Texas |
| Sailfish |
| Dean Panos – Pembroke Pines, Florida |
| Doug Covin – Jupiter, Florida |
| Richard Peeples – Palmetto Bay, Florida |
| Brent Gaskill – Harkers Island, North Island |
| Roger Rodriguez – North Miami, Florida |
| White Marlin |
| Stuart Simpson – La Lucia Ridge, South Africa |
| Brent Gaskill – Harker’s Island, North Carolina |
| Topher Wightman |
| Top Release Captain – Pacific |
| Black Marlin |
| Jesse Hill – Burleigh Heads, Australia |
| Darren Hayden – Cairns, Australia |
| Striped Marlin |
| Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island – South Carolina |
| Sean Gallagher – Stuart, Florida |
| Robert Reed – Stuart, Florida |
| Casey Carter – Cabo San Lucas, Mexico |
| Jose Avila – Cabo San Lucas, Mexico |
| Blue Marlin |
| Sean Gallagher – Stuart, Florida |
| Jose Garcia Picon |
| Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island – South Carolina |
| David Salazar – Palmetto Bay, Florida |
| Spearfish |
| Tracy Epstein – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii |
| Sailfish |
| Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island – South Carolina |
| David Salazar – Palmetto Bay, Florida |
| Sean Gallagher – Stuart, Florida |
| Chris Van Leeuwen – Antigua, Lesser Antilles |
| John Galvin – Falmouth, Massachusetts |
| Top Release Captain – Indian |
| WES JONES ADAM OGDEN Darryn Du Plessis |
| Blue Marlin |
| Wes Jones – Exmouth, Western Australia |
| Adam Ogden – Kenya |
| Darryn du Plessis – Victoria, Seychelles |
| Sailfish |
| Wes Jones – Exmouth, Western Australia |
| Ash Pittard – Cable Beach, Western Australia |
| Darryn du Plessis – Victoria, Seychelles |
| Brendon Hawker – Exmouth, Western Australia |
| Striped Marlin |
| Wes Jones – Exmouth, Western Australia |
| Black Marlin |
| Wes Jones – Exmouth, Western Australia |
| Top Youth Anglers |
| Tag |
| 11 – 12 |
| Michael “Mitch” Mason Jr. – Victoria, Seychelles |
| Spencer Thorrington – Seychelles |
| 13 – 15 |
| Camille Ondo – Libreville, Gabon -TIE |
| Ryan Reaux II – Lafayette, Louisiana – TIE |
| 16 – 17 |
| Johan Millez – Mandelieu, France |
| Robert Hutchison – Winterville, North Carolina |
| Release |
| 11 – 12 |
| Wyatt Bailey – Huntingtown, Maryland |
| 13 – 15 |
| Matthew Ringleb – Humble, Texas |
| 16 – 17 |
| George Straub – Jupiter, Florida |
| Regional Competitions |
| Gulf of Mexico Marlin Tagging Competition |
| Top Tagging Angler |
| Ryan Reaux II – Lafayette, Louisiana |
| Keith Myers – Sunset, Louisiana |
| Top Tagging Captain |
| Scooter Porto – Gulf Breeze, Florida |
| Kolby Thorton – Orange Beach, Alabama |
| Top Tagging Angler, Blue Marlin |
| Ryan Reaux II – Lafayette, Louisiana |
| Top Tagging Angler, White Marlin |
| Keith Myers – Sunset, Louisiana |
| Top Tagging Captain, Blue Marlin |
| Kolby Thorton – Orange Beach, Alabama |
| Scooter Porto – Gulf Breeze, Florida |
| Top Tagging Captain, White Marlin |
| Scooter Porto – Gulf Breeze, Florida – TIE |
| Steven Lake – Stuart, Florida – TIE |
| South Florida Sailfish Circuit |
| Top Tagging Angler |
| Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida |
| Danny Vaughan – Cutler Bay, Florida |
| Top Tagging Captain |
| Tom Hinterschied (Charter) – Pompano Beach, Florida |
| – Runner Up: Patrick Humphrey (Charter) – Palm City, Florida |
| Richard Peeples (Private) – Palmetto Bay, Florida |
| – Runner Up: Michael Samuels (Private) – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida |
| Top Tagging Lady Angler |
| Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida |
| Megan Johnson – North Palm Beach, Florida |
| Top Release Angler |
| Danny Vaughan – Cutler Bay, Florida |
| Lucas Waddell – Pinecrest, Florida |
| Top Release Captain |
| Dean Panos (Charter) – Pembroke Pines, Florida |
| Doug Covin (Private) – Jupiter, Florida |
| – Runner Up: Richard Peeples (Private) – Palmetto Bay, Florida |
| Top Release Lady Angler |
| Shelby Callison – Jupiter, Florida |
| Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida |
| Hawaii Regional Competition |
| Top Tagging Angler |
| Chad Beaudry – Kailua Kona, Hawaii |
| Kathleen Wyatt – New Braunfels, Texas |
| Top Tagging Captain |
| Tracy Epstein – Kailua Kona, Hawaii |
| Mike Dakil – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii |
| Top Tagging Lady Angler |
| Kathleen Wyatt – New Braunfels, Texas |
