May 2022 Tag & Release Competition Update

Can you believe we are already halfway through our annual competition?!?! Listed below are current standings for top captains and anglers in each category for The Billfish Foundation’s Tag & Release Competition. These standings are only reflective of the data processed as of May 1st, 2022. If a category is missing, it’s because there haven’t been enough fish to qualify as of yet. The competition will continue to run through October 31, 2022, and TBF will accept all entries up until November 15, 2022. Please note that anyone can participate for free but you are only eligible to receive an award if you are an active member of The Billfish Foundation.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at tag@billfish.org.

To purchase tagging equipment and other TBF items (international shipping has reopened!), visit our online shop.

Here are the leaders of the international tagging competition so far this year:

• Top Overall Tagging Angler: Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia
• Top Overall Tagging Captain: Mike Sheeder – North Palm Beach, Florida
• Top Overall Tagging Lady Angler: Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia
• Top Overall Tagging Youth Angler: Lula Segrave – North Carolina

In the release category of the international competition, we have the following leaders:

• Top Overall Release Angler: Peter Myers – Fort Lauderdale, FL 
• Top Overall Release Captain: Dean Panos – Pembrooke Pines, Florida
• Top Overall Release Lady Angler: Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Overall Winners Standings:

Top Overall Tagging Angler:

1. Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia
2. Lula Segrave – North Carolina
3. Jerry Reynolds – Macon, Georgia
4. Tom Paul – West Palm Beach, Florida
5. Kevin Kirkland – Silsbee, Texas

Top Overall Tagging Captain:

1. Mike Sheeder – North Palm Beach, Florida
2. Lance Hightower –Macon, Georgia
3. Watson Caviness – Wilmington, North Carolina
4. Sean Dooley
5. Darryn Du Plessis – Victoria, South Carolina

Top Overall Tagging Lady Angler:

1. Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia
2. Lula Segrave – North Carolina
3. Martha Macnab – Balboa Island, California
4. Geri Christman – Fair Oaks, California
5. Shelby Callison – Riviera Beach, Florida

Top Overall Tagging Youth Angler:

1. Lula Segrave – North Carolina
2. Mitch De Speville Mason – Victoria, Seychelles 
3. Carlota Varela – Luanda, Angola
4. Rafael Abohbot – Luanda, Angola

Top Overall Release Angler:

1. Peter Myers – Fort Lauderdale, FL 
2. Lacey Hagler – North Palm Beach, FL
3. Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
4. Kanmair Kleinmoedig – Curacao 
5. Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida

Top Overall Release Captain:

1. Dean Panos – Pembrooke Pines, Florida
2. Jesse Hill – Burleigh Heads, Australia
3. Mike Sheeder – North Palm Beach, Florida
4. Mike Hunter – Hobe Sound, Florida
5. Gordo Heldewier – Willemstad, Curacao

Top Overall Release Lady Angler:

1. Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
2. Deb Foster – Exmouth, Australia
3. Shelby Callison – Riviera Beach, Florida
4. Kathleen Wyatt – New Braunfels, Texas
5. Sally Kurz – Laguna Niguel, California

Top Overall Release Youth Angler:

1. George Straub – Jupiter, Florida

Tagging Category Standings- Anglers

Top Tagging Angler – Atlantic

Blue Marlin

1. Casey Roohan – Stone Harbor, New Jersey
2. Kanmair Kleinmoedig – Curaçao
3. Watson Caviness – Wilmington, North Carolina 
4. Page Robertson – Wilmington, North Carolina 
5. James Turner – Port St. Lucie, Florida

Sailfish

1. Nicolas Pariset – Paris, France
2. Carl Lindher
3. Robert Patterson – North Palm Beach, Florida 
4. Luis Van Dunem – Luanda, Angola
5. Ryan Ellerker – Bromborough, England

Swordfish

1. Tolo Bergas Alorda

Top Tagging Angler – Pacific

Blue Marlin

1. Chad Beaudry – Telluride, Colorado
2. Jerry Reynolds – Macon, Georgia
3. Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia

Sailfish

1. Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia
2. Lula Segrave – North Carolina
3. Tom Paul – West Palm Beach, Florida
4. Kevin Kirkland – Silsbee, Texas
5. Jerry Reynolds – Macon, Georgia

Spearfish

1. Chad Beaudry – Telluride, Colorado

Striped Marlin

1. Martha Macnab- Balboa Island, California
2. Geri Christman – Fair Oaks, California
3. Mike Shores – Ratliff, Oklahoma
4. Tom Nudo – Kiawah Island, South Carolina
5. Gary Hendry – Jensen Beach, Florida

Top Tagging Angler – Indian Ocean

Blue Marlin

1. Mike Mason – Victoria, Seychelles
2. James Stamatis – Victoria, Seychelles
3. Christine Jumeau – Seychelles
4. Malan Horak – Victoria, Seychelles

Release Category Standings – Anglers

Top Release Angler – Atlantic

Blue Marlin

1. Mark Davis – Malibu, California
2. Sally Kurz – Laguna Niguel, California
3. Robert Kurz – Laguna Niguel, California
4. Harris Huddle – New Bern, North Carolina

Sailfish

1. Kanmair Kleinmoedig – Curaçao
2. Shelby Callison – Riviera Beach, Florida
3. Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
4. Jacob Lepera – Boynton Beach, Florida
5. Larry Lottenberg – Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Top Release Angler – Pacific Ocean

Black Marlin

1. Jesse Hill – Burleigh Heads, Australia*

Blue Marlin

1. Kathleen Wyatt – New Braunfels, Texas

Sailfish

1. Peter Myers – Fort Lauderdale, FL 
2. Lacey Hagler – North Palm Beach, FL
3. Ernesto Vazquez – San Juan, Puerto Rico
4. Jeff Wehrung – Hayes, VA
5. Kristen Salazar – Miami, FL

Striped Marlin

1. Gray Ingram – Jupiter,Florida
2. Ty Depp – Colorado Springs, CO

Top Release Angler – Indian Ocean

Black Marlin

1. Deb Foster – Exmouth, Australia

Blue Marlin

1. Hayley Dellar – Exmouth, Australia

Sailfish

1. Deb Foster – Exmouth, Australia

Tagging Category Standings – Captains

Top Tagging Captain – Atlantic

Blue Marlin

1. Watson Caviness- Wilmington, North Carolina 
2. James Turner – Port St. Lucie, Florida
3. Gordo Heldewier – Willemstad, Curacao
4. Sean Dooley
5. Stephane Millez – Mandelieu-La Napoule, France

Sailfish

1. Rogerio Matos – Luanda, Angola
2. Iain Nicolson – Merseyside, Angola
3. Richard Peeples – Palmetto Bay, Florida
4. Thomas Hinterschied – Pompano Beach, Florida
5. Mike Hunter – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Swordfish

1. Adam Peeples – Fort Walton Beach, Florida
2. Vince Riera – Alcudia, Balearic Islands, Spain
3. Roger Rodriguez – Miami, Florida

White Marlin

1. Sean Dooley
2. Watson Caviness – Wilmington, North Carolina 
3. Rich Barrett – Jupiter, Florida

Top Tagging Captain – Pacific

Blue Marlin

1. Tracy Epstein – Kailua Kona, Hawaii
2. Lance Hightower – Macon, Georgia
3. Mike Dakil – Kailua Kona, Hawaii
4. Mike Sheeder – North Palm Beach, Florida
5. Chuck Wigzell – Kona, Hawaii

Sailfish

1. Mike Sheeder – North Palm Beach, Florida
2. Lance Hightower – Macon, Georgia

Spearfish

1. Tracy Epstein – Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Striped Marlin

1. Chris Workmon – Savannah, Georgia
2. Casey Carter -Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
3. Ben Brownlee – Jupiter, Florida
4. Jerry Lanzerotti – Palm Beach, Florida
5. Tony Araiza – Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Top Tagging Captain – Indian Ocean

Black Marlin

1. Darryn du Plessis – Victoria, Seychelles

Blue Marlin

1. Darryn du Plessis – Victoria, Seychelles
2. Batian Craig – Nairobi, Kenya
3. Clare Carter King – Salalah, Oman

Sailfish

1. Perry Rosalie – Victoria, Seychelles
2. Darryn du Plessis – Victoria, Seychelles

Release Category Standings – Captains

Top Release Captain – Atlantic

Blue Marlin

1. VJ Bell – Stuart, Florida
2. Tim Richardson – Bangalow, Australia
3. Brent Gaskill – Harker’s Island, North Carolina

Sailfish

1. Dean Panos – Pembroke Pines, Florida
2. Mike Hunter – Hobe Sound, Florida
3. Doug Covin – Jupiter, Florida
4. Gordo Heldewier
5. JosephBrooks – Delray Beach, Florida

Top Release Captain – Pacific

Black Marlin

1. Jesse Hill – Burleigh Heads, Australia

Blue Marlin

1. K.J. Robinson – Kailua Kona, Hawaii
2. Tracy Epstein – Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Sailfish

1. Mike Sheeder – North Palm Beach, Florida
2. Tony Carrizosa – Florida
3. Terrence Brennan – Hatteras, North Carolina
4. David Cooper – Jupiter, Florida
5. Johnny Fulqueira – Santurce, Puerto Rico

Striped Marlin

1. John Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina 
2. Brett Eller – San Diego, California

Top Release Captain – Indian

Black Marlin

1. Neville Kent – Exmouth, Australia

Blue Marlin

1. Darryn Du Plessis – Victoria, Seychelles
2. Eddy Lawler – Exmouth, Australia

Sailfish

1. Calvin du Plessis – Malindi, Kenya
2. Neville Kent – Exmouth, Australia

Youth Tag

9-10

1. Mitch De Speville Mason – Victoria, Seychelles

13-15

1. Lula Segrave – North Carolina

16-17

1. Carlota Varela – Luanda, Angola
2. Rafael Abohbot – Luanda, Angola

Youth Release

 16-17

1. George Straub – Jupiter, Florida