Were you selected as a winner for the 2022 season and would like to attend TBF’s International Tag & Release Awards Ceremony? Here’s everything you need to know!
Regardless of whether you plan on attending, email us a photograph and short bio at [email protected] to be included with the ceremony! As a reminder, to accept your award, all captains, anglers and mates must be a current member of TBF.
- If you’d like to attend…
- Event information: 6:00 pm EST on Friday, February 17, 2023, in the Treetop Ballroom at Jungle Island in Miami.
- Please RSVP for the event by January 31, 2023, by emailing us at [email protected]
- Winners enter for free, but to purchase tickets for guests, click here.
- If you’re a captain and would like to acknowledge a mate, email us the name.
- Remember traffic during the Miami Boat Show can be tough. Plan accordingly.
- If you’d like to guarantee you sit with friends, consider purchasing a VIP table.
- If you cannot make it…
- Let us know regardless so we can mark you down. Still send us a photo and short bio!
- If you would like us to ship your award, we’d be happy to do it. Please email the preferred physical address to [email protected]. Award recipients are responsible for the cost of the shipping plus a $25 handling fee.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected].
See below for the 2022 Winners!
With 2022 officially complete, it’s now time for The Billfish Foundation to recognize the best within our community during the past year! The anglers and captains mentioned below have contributed absolutely crucial information related to billfish conservation and have been vital to our Tag & Release Program. Since its inception in 1990, the program has grown to accrue nearly 280,000 tag and release records to become the largest private billfish tagging database in the world. In the last year alone, TBF has collected over 6,500 records!
This is only possible because of the efforts of all the conservation-minded captains, anglers, and mates across the globe whose data helps to preserve the sport we love and provides us with an increased understanding of the needs for billfish management.
2022 winners will be recognized at Miami’s Jungle Island Treetop Ballroom on February 17th, 2023 at 6 p.m. at the 2022 International Tag & Release Awards Ceremony. Some of the biggest names in billfishing will be in attendance to collect TBF’s coveted awards. 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!
We are pleased to announce the following winners of the international tagging competition:
- Top Overall Tagging Angler: Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
- Top Overall Tagging Captain: Mike Sheeder – North Palm Beach, Florida
- Top Overall Tagging Lady Angler: Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
- Top Overall Tagging Youth Angler: Lula Segrave – North Carolina, United States
In the release category of the international competition, we had the following winners:
- Top Overall Release Angler: Laura Jessen – Sarasota, Florida
- Top Overall Release Captain: Ben Horning – Sarasota, Florida
- Top Overall Release Lady Angler: Laura Jessen – Sarasota, Florida
- Top Overall Release Youth Angler: George Straub – Jupiter, Florida
Below are the top five winners in each category of ocean, by species, and region.
Overall Winners (Top 5 in Each Category)
Top Overall Tagging Angler
- Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
- Laura Jessen – Sarasota, Florida
- Scott Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
- Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
- Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
Top Overall Tagging Captain
- Mike Sheeder – North Palm Beach, Florida
- Sean Gallagher – Stuart, Florida
- David Cooper – Jupiter, Florida
- Ben Horning – Sarasota, Florida
- Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
Top Overall Tagging Lady Angler
- Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
- Laura Jessen – Sarasota, Florida
- Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
- Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia
- Lula Segrave – North Carolina
Top Overall Tagging Youth Angler
- Lula Segrave – North Carolina
- Mark Blackbird – Austin, Texas
- Carlota Varela – Luanda, Angola
- Rafael Abohbot – Luanda, Angola
- Johan Millez – Mandelieu, France
Top Overall Release Angler
- Laura Jessen – Sarasota, Florida
- Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
- Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
- Chris Jessen – Sarasota, Florida
- Ibrahim Elouafi – Casablanca, Morocco
Top Overall Release Captain
- Ben Horning – Sarasota, Florida
- Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
- Jason Brice – Miami, Florida
- Stuart Simpson – La Lucia Ridge, Durban, South Africa
- Zak Conde – São Vicente, Cape Verde
Top Overall Release Lady Angler
- Laura Jessen – Sarasota, Florida
- Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
- Luena Amaro – Luanda, Angola
- Elisa Badillo – Santa Barbara, Guatemala
- Lacey Hagler – North Palm Beach, Florida
Top Overall Release Youth Angler
- George Straub – Jupiter, Florida
- Wyatt Bailey – Huntingtown, Maryland
- Emilee Edwards – Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- Nicolas Ortiz – Pamplona, Spain
- Reese Hatcher – Albany, Georgia
Top Anglers – Tag Category
Top Tagging Angler – Atlantic
Blue Marlin
- Casey Roohan – Cape May Court House, New Jersey
- James Turner – Port St. Lucie, Florida
- Kanmair Kleinmoedig – Curacao
- Page Robertson – Wilmington, North Carolina
- Watson Caviness – Wilmington – North Carolina
Sailfish
- Carl Lindner – Peebles, Ohio
- Shelby Callison – Jupiter, Florida
- Danny Vaughan – Florida, United States
- Lucas Waddell – South Florida, United States
- Nicolas Pariset – Paris, France
Swordfish
- Samuel Urbain – Sainte-Maxime, France
- Thomas Thompson – Waller, Texas
- Tyler Cruitt – Gulf Shores, Alabama
- Blake Rogers – Port Aransas, Texas
White Marlin
- Laurent Sahyoun – Casablanca, Morocco
- Casey Roohan – Cape May Court House, New Jersey
- James Turner – Port St. Lucie, Florida
- George Robinson – North Palm Beach, Florida
- Page Robertson – Wilmington, North Carolina
Top Tagging Angler – Pacific
Black Marlin
- Chad Beaudry – Telluride, Colorado
Blue Marlin
- Chad Beaudry – Telluride, Colorado
- Jerry Reynolds – Macon, Georgia
- Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
- Kathleen Wyatt – New Braunfels, Texas
- Scott Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
Sailfish
- Fin Gaddy – Manteo, North Carolina
- Tom Paul – West Palm Beach, Florida
- Laura Jessen – Sarasota, Florida
- Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
- Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia
Spearfish
- Chad Beaudry – Telluride, Colorado
Striped Marlin
- Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
- Laura Jessen – Sarasota, Florida
- Scott Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
- Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
- Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
Top Tagging Angler – Indian
Black Marlin
- Guy Littlefair – Stanley Point, New Zealand
Blue Marlin
- Mike Mason – Victoria, Seychelles
- James Stamatis – Victoria, Seychelles
- Christine Jumeau – Seychelles, Seychelles
- Malan Horak – Victoria, Seychelles
Sailfish
- Bomber Farrell – Alyangula, Australia
- Kelly Farrell – Alyangula, Australia
- Christine Jumeau – Seychelles, Seychelles
- Jeremy Barnett – Alyangula, Australia
Top Captains – Tagging Category
Top Tagging Captain – Atlantic
Blue Marlin
- Watson Caviness – Wilmington, North Carolina
- James Turner – Port St. Lucie, Florida
- Gordo Heldewier – Willemestad, Curacao
- Sean Dooley – Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Chris Mowad – Pensacola, Florida
Sailfish
- Richard Peeples – Palmetto Bay, Florida
- Rogerio Matos – Luanda, Angola
- Iain Nicolson – Merseyside, Angola
- Tom Hinterschied – Pompano Beach, Florida
- Shawn Albury – Tavernier, Florida
Spearfish
- Vince Riera – Alcudia, Balearic Islands
Swordfish
- Nick Stanczyk – Islamorada, Florida
- Rudy Urbain – Sainte-Maxime, France
- Adam Peeples – Fort Walton Beach, Florida
- Wes Haizlip – Galveston, Texas
- Blake Rogers – Jonesboro, Arizona
White Marlin
- Christian Benazeth – Auch, France
- Watson Caviness – Wilmington, North Carolina
- Bill Davis – West Palm Beach, Florida
- Sean Dooley – Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- James Turner – Port St. Lucie, Florida
Top Tagging Captain – Pacific
Blue Marlin
- Tracy Epstein – Kailua Kona, Hawaii
- Lance Hightower – Macon, Georgia
- Sean Gallagher – Stuart, Florida
- KJ Robinson – Kailua Kona, Hawaii
- Takahiko Hagiya – Ibaraki, Japan
Sailfish
- Mike Sheeder – North Palm Beach, Florida
- Lance Hightower – Macon, Georgia
- David Cooper – Jupiter, Florida
- Ben Horning – Sarasota, Florida
- Spencer Johnson – Corpus Christi, Texas
Spearfish
- Tracy Epstein – Kailua Kona, Hawaii
Striped Marlin
- Sean Gallagher – Stuart, Florida
- Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
- David Cooper – Jupiter, Florida
- Ben Horning – Sarasota, Florida
- Rick Carney – Palm City, Florida
Top Tagging Captain – Indian
Black Marlin
- Wes Jones – Exmouth, Western Australia
- Bomber Farrell – Alyangula, Australia
- Darryn du Plessis – Victoria, Seychelles
Blue Marlin
- Darryn du Plessis – Victoria, Seychelles
- Batian Craig – Nairobi, Kenya
- Clare Carter King – Salalah, Oman
- Wes Jones – Exmouth, Western Australia
Sailfish
- Bomber Farrell – Alyangula, Australia
- Wes Jones – Exmouth, Western Australia
- Darryn du Plessis – Victoria, Seychelles
- Perry Rosalie – Victoria, Seychelles
- Ryan Kleinschmidt – Alyangula, Australia
Top Anglers – Release Category
Top Release Angler – Atlantic
Blue Marlin
- Neil Ezell – Clearwater, Florida
- Mark Faulkner – York, Great Britain
- Harris Huddle – New Bern, North Carolina
- Nathan Holoboff – Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Emmet O’Brien – Cape Verde
Sailfish
- Kanmair Kleinmoedig – Curacao
- Shelby Callison – Jupiter, Florida
- Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
- Jacob Lepera – Boynton Beach, Florida
- Larry Lottenberg – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
White Marlin
- Ibrahim Elouafi – Casablanca, Morocco
- Harris Huddle – New Bern, North Carolina
Top Release Angler – Pacific
Striped Marlin
- Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
- Laura Jessen – Sarasota, Florida
- Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
- Chris Jessen – Sarasota, Florida
- Luena Amaro – Luanda, Angola
Sailfish
- Laura Jessen – Sarasota, Florida
- Peter Myers – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Elisa Badillo – Santa Barbara, Guatemala
- Chris Jessen – Sarasota, Florida
- Trey Wills – Vienna, Virginia
Black Marlin
- Jesse Hill – Burleigh Heads, Australia
Blue Marlin
- Laura Jessen – Sarasota, Florida
- Kathleen Wyatt – New Braunfels, Texas
- Chad Beaudry – Telluride, Colorado
Top Release Angler – Indian
Blue Marlin
- Aaron-Lyle Manes – Victoria, Seychelles – Tie
- Hayley Dellar – Exmouth, Western Australia – Tie
- Deb Foster – Exmouth, Western Australia
Sailfish
- Josh Welch – Cottesloe, Australia
- Deb Foster – Exmouth, Western Australia
- Matt Lyons – Exmouth, Western Australia
- Mark Evans – Baldivis, Australia
- Guy Littlefair – Stanley Point, New Zealand
Black Marlin
- Deb Foster – Exmouth, Western Australia
- Guy Littlefair – Stanley Point, New Zealand
Top Captains – Release Category
Top Release Captain – Atlantic
Sailfish
- Dean Panos – Pembroke Pines, Florida
- Doug Covin – Jupiter, Florida
- Mike Hunter – Hobe Sound, Florida
- Gordo Heldewier – Willemstad, Curacao
- Cody Rubner – Stuart, Florida
White Marlin
- Stuart Simpson – La Lucia Ridge, Durban, South Africa
- Jeffrey Heyer – Natucket, Massachusetts
- Brent Gaskill – Harker’s Island, North Carolina
- Gordo Heldewier – Willemstad, Curacao
Blue Marlin
- Zak Conde – São Vicente, Cape Verde
- Stuart Simpson – La Lucia Ridge, Durban South Africa
- John Logan – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Brent Gaskill – Harker’s Island, North Carolina
- Kevin Deerman – Galveston, Texas
Top Release Captain – Pacific
Blue Marlin
- Ben Horning – Sarasota, Florida
- Tracy Epstein – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
- J. Robinson – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Striped Marlin
- Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island – South Carolina
- Ben Horning – Sarasota, Florida
- Robert Reed – Stuart, Florida
- David Cooper – Jupiter, Florida
Sailfish
- Jason Brice – Miami, Florida
- Ben Horning – Sarasota, Florida
- Mike Sheeder – North Palm Beach, Florida
- Tony Carrizosa – Florida, United States
- David Cooper – Jupiter, Florida
Black Marlin
- Jesse Hill – Burleigh Heads, Australia
Top Release Captain – Indian
Blue Marlin
- Darryn du Plessis – Victoria, Seychelles – Tie
- Randy Bradley – Cudjoe Key, Florida – Tie
- Eddy Lawler – Exmouth, Western Australia
Sailfish
- Wes Jones – Exmouth, Western Australia
- Calvin du Plessis – Malindi, Kenya
- Neville Kent – Exmouth, Western Australia
Black Marlin
- Wes Jones – Exmouth, Western Australia
- Neville Kent – Exmouth, Western Australia
Top Youth Anglers
Tag
11 – 12
- Mark Blackbird – Austin, Texas
13 – 15
- Lula Segrave – North Carolina
16 – 17
- Carlota Varela – Luanda, Angola
- Rafael Abohbot – Luanda, Angola
- Johan Millez – Mandelieu, France
Release
11 – 12
- Wyatt Bailey – Huntingtown, Maryland
13 – 15
- Reese Hatcher – Albany, Georgia
16 – 17
- George Straub – Jupiter, Florida
- Emilee Edwards – Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- Nicolas Ortiz – Pamplona, Spain
Regional Competitions
Gulf of Mexico Marlin Tagging Competition
Top Tagging Angler
- Keith Richardson – Lafayette, Louisiana
- Tim Peterson – Palacios, Texas
- Cooper Yancey – Collierville, Tennessee
- Kambel Luttrell – Gulf of Mexico
- Erika Heule – Friendswood, Texas
Top Tagging Captain
- Chris Mowad – Pensacola, Florida
- Kevin Deerman – Galveston, Texas
- Terrell Miller – San Antonio, Texas
- Chase Johnson – Sumrall, Mississippi
- Jimmy Crochet – Foley, Alabama
Top Tagging Lady Angler
- Christina Thompson – Waller, Texas
- Erika Heule – Friendswood, Texas
Top Tagging Captain, Blue Marlin
- Chris Mowad – Pensacola, Florida
- Kevin Deerman – Galveston, Texas
- Terrell Miller – San Antonio, Texas
- Jimmy Crochet – Foley, Alabama
- Wes Haizlip – Galveston, Texas
Top Tagging Angler, Blue Marlin
- Keith Richardson – Lafayette, Louisiana
- Tim Peterson – Palacios, Texas
- Christina Thompson – Waller, Texas
- Cooper Yancey – Collierville, Tennessee
- Erika Heule – Friendswood, Texas
Top Tagging Captain, White Marlin
- Terrell Miller – San Antonio, Texas
- Luis Perez – Covington, Louisiana
- Chris Mowad – Pensacola, Florida
South Florida Sailfish Circuit
Top Tagging Angler
- Carl Lindner – Peebles, Ohio
- Danny Vaughan – Cutler Bay, Florida
- Shelby Callison – Jupiter, Florida
- Lucas Waddell – South Florida, United States
- Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Top Tagging Lady Angler
- Shelby Callison – Jupiter, Florida
- Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
- Megan Johnson – North Palm Beach, Florida
Top Tagging Captain
- Richard Peeples (Private) – Palmetto Bay, Florida
- Shawn Albury (Charter) – Tavernier, Florida
- Tom Hinterschied – Pompano Beach, Florida
- Mike Hunter – Hobe Sound, Florida
- Daniel Kubiak – Jupiter, Florida
Hawaii Regional Competition
Top Tagging Angler
- Chad Beaudry – Telluride, Colorado
- Kathleen Wyatt – New Braunfels, Texas
- Aaron Rokstad – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
- David Andersen – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Top Tagging Captain
- Tracy Epstein – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
- KJ Robinson – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
- Mike Dakil – Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
- David Borges – Kona, Hawaii
- Chuck Wigzell – Kona, Hawaii
Top Tagging Lady Angler
- Kathleen Wyatt – New Braunfels, Texas
Please note that your membership must be current as of February 14, 2023 to receive your award
