TAG & RELEASE

2021 Competition

Official Winners

Overview

With 2021 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 270,000 tag and release records to become the largest private billfish tagging database in the world. In the last year alone, TBF has collected over 7,500 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.

2021 International Competition Winners

TAGGING

ANGLER

  • 1st Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida

CAPTAIN

  • 1st Newt Cagle – Sullivan's Island, South Carolina

LADY ANGLER

  • 1st Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida

YOUTH ANGLER

  • 1st George Straub – Jupiter, Florida

RELEASE

ANGLER

  • 1st Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida

CAPTAIN

  • 1st Newt Cagle – Sullivan's Island, Florida

LADY ANGLER

  • 1st Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida

YOUTH ANGLER

  • 1st George Straub – Jupiter, Florida

Overall Tagging

Angler

  • 1st Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
  • 3rd Laura Jessen – Sarasota, Florida
  • 4th Scott Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
  • 5th Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia

Captain

  • 1st Newt Cagle – Sullivan's Island, South Carolina
  • 2nd David Cooper – Jupiter, Florida
  • 3rd Ben Horning – Sarasota, Florida
  • 4th Mark Pagano – Jupiter, Florida
  • 5th Lance Hightower – Macon, Georgia

Lady Angler

  • 1st Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
  • 3rd Laura Jessen – Sarasota, Florida
  • 4th Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia
  • 5th Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Youth Angler

  • 1st George Straub – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Charles McLane – Plantation, Florida (tied for 2nd)
  • 3rd Sydney Pagano – Jupiter, Florida (tied for 2nd)
  • 4th William McLane – Plantation, Florida (tied for 2nd)
  • 5th Camden Nalley – Atlanta, Georgia

Overall Release

Angler

  • 1st Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 3rd Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
  • 4th Scott Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
  • 5th Ernesto Vazquez – San Juan, Puerto Rico

Captain

  • 1st Newt Cagle – Sullivan's Island, Florida
  • 2nd Travis Ralph – Tequesta, Florida
  • 3rd Robert Reed – Stuart, Florida
  • 4th Mark Pagano – Jupiter, Florida
  • 5th David Cooper – Jupiter, Florida

Lady Angler

  • 1st Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
  • 3rd Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
  • 4th Deb Foster – Exmouth, Australia
  • 5th Shelby Callison – Riviera Beach, Florida

Youth Angler

  • 1st George Straub – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Colton Bates – Fort Pierce, Florida
  • 3rd Reese Hatcher – Albany, Georgia

Tagging Anglers

ATLANTIC

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Page Robertson – Wilmington, North Carolina
  • 2nd James Turner – Port St. Lucie, Florida
  • 3rd Casey Rohan – Stone Harbor, New Jersey
  • 4th Cameron Bailey – Wilmington, North Carolina
  • 5th Kanmair Kleinmoedig – Curaçao

Sailfish

  • 1st Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
  • 2nd Jacob Lepera – Boynton Beach, Florida
  • 3rd Shelby Callison – Rivera Beach, Florida
  • 4th Robert Patterson – North Palm Beach, Florida (tied for 4th)
  • 5th Rowley Brown – (tied for 4th)

SPEARFISH

  • 1st Chad Beaudry – Telluride, Colorado

Swordfish

  • 1st Mike Varney – Islamorada, Florida
  • 2nd Samuel Urbain – Sainte Maxime, France
  • 3rd Constantin Comesasca
  • 4th Sydney Pagano – Jupiter, Florida

White Marlin

  • 1st Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida (tied for 1st)
  • 2nd Nick Rauco – Toms River, New Jersey (tied for 1st)
  • 3rd Zac Taylor – Gulf Breeze, Florida
  • 4th Milton Greeson – Victoria, Texas
  • 5th Mike Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Pacific

Black Marlin

No Qualifiers

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Chad Beaudry – Telluride, Colorado
  • 2nd Guy Arrington – Houston, Texas
  • 3rd Kumie Saegusa – Yokohama, Japan
  • 4th Kathleen Wyatt – New Braunfels, Texas
  • 5th Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia

Sailfish

  • 1st Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
  • 2nd Scott Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
  • 3rd Christian Hampl – Doral, Florida
  • 4th Laura Jessen – Sarasota, Florida
  • 5th Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia

Spearfish

No Qualifiers

Striped Marlin

  • 1st Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Laura Jessen – Sarasota, Florida
  • 3rd Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
  • 4th Scott Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
  • 5th Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia

Swordfish

No Qualifiers

Indian

Black Marlin

No Qualifiers

Blue Marlin

No Qualifiers

Sailfish

  • 1st Kelly Farrell – Alyangula, Australia (tied for 1st)
  • 2nd Jeremy Barnett – Alyangula, Australia (tied for 1st)
  • 3rd Terrance Farrell – Alyangula, Australia
  • 4th Taro Tominaga – Brighton, Tasmania
  • 5th Quentin Toose – Alyangula, Australia

Spearfish

No Qualifiers

Striped Marlin

No Qualifiers

Swordfish

No Qualifiers

Tagging Captains

ATLANTIC

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Watson Caviness- Wilmington, North Carolina
  • 2nd Stuart Simpson – South Africa
  • 3rd Scooter Porto – Gulf breeze, Florida
  • 4th James Turner – Port St. Lucie, Florida
  • 5th Camilo Kuri – Pompano Beach, Florida

Sailfish

  • 1st Patrick Price – Jensen Beach, Florida
  • 2nd Mike Hunter – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
  • 3rd Iain Nicolson – Merseyside, Angola
  • 4th Doug Covin – Jupiter, Florida
  • 5th Thomas Hinterschied – Pompano Beach, Florida

SPEARFISH

  • 1st Vince Riera – Alcudia, Balearic Islands, Spain

Swordfish

  • 1st Nick Stanczyk – Islamorada, Florida
  • 2nd Rudy Urbain – Sainte Maxime, France
  • 3rd Adam Peeples – Fort Walton Beach, Florida
  • 4th Blake Rigby – Layfette, Louisiana
  • 5th Vince Riera – Alcudia, Balearic Islands, Spain

White Marlin

  • 1st Rich Barrett – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Scooter Porto – Gulf breeze, Florida
  • 3rd Mike Hunter – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
  • 4th Bill Davis – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Pacific

Black Marlin

No Qualifiers

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Tracy Epstein – Kailua Kona, Hawaii
  • 2nd Chris Choy – Kailua Kona, Hawaii
  • 3rd Shane O’Brien – Kailua Kona, Hawaii
  • 4th Skip Smith – Lighthouse Point, Florida
  • 5th KJ Robinson – Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Sailfish

  • 1st Mark Pagano – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Ben Horning – Sarasota, Florida
  • 3rd Bobby McGuinness – Golfito, Costa Rica
  • 4th Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
  • 5th Lance Hightower – Macon, Georgia

Spearfish

  • 1st Tracy Epstein – Kailua Kona, Hawaii
  • 2nd KJ Robinson – Kailua Kona, Hawaii
  • 3rd Chris Choy – Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Striped Marlin

  • 1st Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
  • 2nd David Cooper – Jupiter, Florida
  • 3rd Ben Horning – Sarasota, Florida
  • 4th Julio Cota – Norridge, Illinois
  • 5th Abraham Marquez – Norridge, Illinois

Swordfish

No Qualifiers

Indian

Black Marlin

  • 1st Adam Cottrell – Coral Bay, Australia
  • 2nd Dean Wilson – Broome, Australia

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Ross Newton – Broome, Australia
  • 2nd Darryn du Plessis – Dubai, UAE

Sailfish

  • 1st Terrence Farrell – Alyangula, Australia
  • 2nd Darryn du Plessis – Dubai, UAE
  • 3rd Ryan Kleinschmidt – Alyangula, Australia (tied for 3rd)
  • 4th Randy Bradley – Abu Dhabi, UAE (tied for 3rd)

Spearfish

No Qualifiers

Striped Marlin

No Qualifiers

Swordfish

No Qualifiers

Release Anglers

ATLANTIC

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Page Robertson – Wilmington, North Carolina
  • 2nd James Turner – Port St. Lucie, Florida
  • 3rd Casey Rohan – Stone Harbor, New Jersey
  • 4th Cameron Bailey – Wilmington, North Carolina
  • 5th Kanmair Kleinmoedig – Curaçao

Sailfish

  • 1st Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
  • 2nd Jacob Lepera – Boynton Beach, Florida
  • 3rd Shelby Callison – Rivera Beach, Florida
  • 4th Robert Patterson – North Palm Beach, Florida (tied for 4th)
  • 5th Rowley Brown – (tied for 4th)

SPEARFISH

  • 1st Chad Beaudry – Telluride, Colorado

Swordfish

  • 1st Mike Varney – Islamorada, Florida
  • 2nd Samuel Urbain – Sainte Maxime, France
  • 3rd Constantin Comesasca
  • 4th Sydney Pagano – Jupiter, Florida

White Marlin

  • 1st Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida (tied for 1st)
  • 2nd Nick Rauco – Toms River, New Jersey (tied for 1st)
  • 3rd Zac Taylor – Gulf Breeze, Florida
  • 4th Milton Greeson – Victoria, Texas
  • 5th Mike Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Pacific

Black Marlin

No Qualifiers

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Chad Beaudry – Telluride, Colorado
  • 2nd Guy Arrington – Houston, Texas
  • 3rd Kumie Saegusa – Yokohama, Japan
  • 4th Kathleen Wyatt – New Braunfels, Texas
  • 5th Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia

Sailfish

  • 1st Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
  • 2nd Scott Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
  • 3rd Christian Hampl – Doral, Florida
  • 4th Laura Jessen – Sarasota, Florida
  • 5th Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia

Spearfish

No Qualifiers

Striped Marlin

  • 1st Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Laura Jessen – Sarasota, Florida
  • 3rd Jill Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
  • 4th Scott Yates – Riviera Beach, Florida
  • 5th Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia

Swordfish

No Qualifiers

Indian

Black Marlin

No Qualifiers

Blue Marlin

No Qualifiers

Sailfish

  • 1st Kelly Farrell – Alyangula, Australia (tied for 1st)
  • 2nd Jeremy Barnett – Alyangula, Australia (tied for 1st)
  • 3rd Terrance Farrell – Alyangula, Australia
  • 4th Taro Tominaga – Brighton, Tasmania
  • 5th Quentin Toose – Alyangula, Australia

Spearfish

No Qualifiers

Striped Marlin

No Qualifiers

Swordfish

No Qualifiers

Release Captains

ATLANTIC

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Robert Reed – Stuart, Florida
  • 2nd Stuart Simpson – South Africa
  • 3rd Marco Canu – Sao Vincente, Cape Verde (tied for 3rd)
  • 4th Manuel Viana – (tied for 3rd)

Sailfish

  • 1st Travis Ralph – Tequesta, Florida
  • 2nd Patrick Price – Jensen Beach, Florida
  • 3rd Mike Hunter – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
  • 4th Doug Covin – Jupiter, Florida
  • 5th Matt Alligood – North Palm Beach, Florida

Spearfish

No Qualifiers

Swordfish

No Qualifiers

White Marlin

  • 1st Brent Gaskill – Harkers Island, North Carolina
  • 2nd Robert Reed – Stuart, Florida
  • 3rd Mike Hunter – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida (tied for 3rd)
  • 4th Jon Duffie – Gaithersburg, Maryland (tied for 3rd)

Pacific

Black Marlin

  • 1st Jesse Hill – Burleigh Heads, Australia

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Mark Pagano – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd David Cooper – Jupiter, Florida (tied for 2nd)
  • 3rd Tracy Epstein – Kailua Kona, Hawaii (tied for 2nd)
  • 4th Robert Reed – Stuart, Florida

Sailfish

  • 1st Mark Pagano – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Johnny Fulqueira – Santurce, Puerto Rico
  • 3rd Bobby McGuinness – Golfito, Costa Rica
  • 4th Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
  • 5th David Cooper – Jupiter, Florida

Spearfish

No Qualifiers

Striped Marlin

  • 1st Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
  • 2nd David Cooper – Jupiter, Florida
  • 3rd Ty Valli – San Clemente, California

Swordfish

No Qualifiers

Indian

Black Marlin

  • 1st Neville Kent – Exmouth, Australia
  • 2nd Adam Cottrell – Coral Bay, Australia

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Neville Kent – Exmouth, Australia
  • 2nd Adam Cottrell – Coral Bay, Australia
  • 3rd Eddy Lawler – Exmouth, Australia

Sailfish

  • 1st Scott Macgowan – Bulgarra, Australia
  • 2nd Neville Kent – Exmouth, Australia
  • 3rd Calvin du Plessis – Malindi, Kenya

Spearfish

No Qualifiers

Striped Marlin

No Qualifiers

Swordfish

No Qualifiers

Youth Anglers

Tag

8 and Under

  • 1st Isabelle McLane – Plantation, Florida

9-10

  • 1st Charles McLane – Plantation, Florida

11-12

  • 1st William McLane – Plantation, Florida

13-15

  • 1st George Straub – Plantation, Florida
  • 2nd Sydney Pagano – Jupiter, Florida
  • 3rd Camden Nalley – Atlanta, Georgia
  • 4th Zachary Robinson – Bossier City, Louisiana

16-17

  • 1st Chloe Hornhardt – Karratha, Australia
  • 2nd Alex Eguia

Release

8 and Under

No Qualifiers

9-10

No Qualifiers

11-12

No Qualifiers

13-15

  • 1st George Straub – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Colton Bates – Fort Pierce, Florida
  • 3rd Reese Hatcher – Albany, Georgia

16-17

No Qualifiers

Regional Competitions

Gulf of Mexico Marlin Tagging Competition

Tagging Angler

  • 1st Tim Peterson – Palacios, Texas (tied for 1st)
  • 2nd Zac Taylor – Gulf Breeze, Florida (tied for 1st)

Tagging Captain

  • 1st Scooter Porto – Gulf Breeze, Florida
  • 2nd Kevin Deerman – Galveston, Texas

Tagging Lady Angler

  • 1st Kennedy Heule – Friendswood, Texas

Tagging Angler - Blue Marlin

  • 1st Tim Peterson – Palacios, Texas

Tagging Captain - Blue Marlin

  • 1st Scooter Porto – Gulf Breeze, Florida
  • 2nd Kevin Deerman – Galveston, Texas

Tagging Captain - White Marlin

  • 1st Scooter Porto – Gulf Breeze, Florida
  • 2nd Paul Bonin – Lake Charles, Louisiana

South Florida Sailfish Circuit

Tagging Angler

  • 1st Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Tagging Lady Angler

  • 1st Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Tagging Captain - Private

  • 1st Mike Hunter – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Tagging Captain - Charter

No Qualifiers

Release Angler

  • 1st Jacob Lepera – Boynton Beach, Florida

Release Lady Angler

  • 1st Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Release Captain - Private

  • 1st Patrick Price – Jensen Beach, Florida

Release Captain - Charter

  • 1st Travis Ralph – Tequesta, Florida

Hawaii Regional Competition

Tagging Angler

  • 1st Chad Beaudry – Telluride, Colorado

Tagging Captain

  • 1st Tracy Epstein – Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Tagging Lady Angler

  • 1st Kathleen Wyatt – New Braunfels, Texas

Ceremony

Congratulations to all of our 2021 Tag & Release Award Winners!

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected].

A special thanks to our ceremony sponsors

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Interested in Learning MOre?

With more than 280,000 reports, The Billfish Foundation’s Tag & Release Program is the largest private billfish tagging database and the cornerstone of TBF’s conservation and advocacy efforts.
Our annual competition allows us to highlight anglers, captains, and mates who tag and release the most fish. This international competition encourages data collection and responsible billfishing.
TBF’s Tag & Release Database is the world’s largest private and open source billfish database in the world. Individuals can use our database on their own, uploading their tag and release entries through a browser or mobile device.

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