PBDS SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY TOURNAMENTS FINAL RESULTS
50th Buccaneer Cup and 10th Florida Fish for LifeTournaments
The weather was beautiful, the hoped for cold front never really materialized and the fishing was tough, but 23 boats slugged it out over three days of fun in the sun to compete in the Palm Beach Double Shot. This unique event is comprised of two tournaments; the Buccaneer Cup Sailfish Release Tournament celebrating its 50th anniversary and the Florida Fish for Life Billfish Tournament celebrating its 10th anniversary. Billed the Special Double Anniversary Edition, both tournaments are 100% non-profit with all the proceeds being donated—the Buc money going to the Recreational Fishing Alliance and the FFL money to colon cancer research and treatment facilities.
This year the tournaments quickly became a duel between top dead bait trollers and top live bait fliers with the trollers working on spread out sailfish on structure close to the northern boundary near Ft. Pierce and the live baiters doing their best to concentrate on small pods of sails roaming between Jupiter and Palm Beach. The scores bounced back during the first day one with De-Bait-Able with releasing 10 and the Viking 55 and Weez in the Keys both releasing 8 and Sandman taking 7, but things would change on day two.
Without any change in weather and a full moon looming on Saturday it was make it or break it time. Weez in the Keys backed up its first day score with 8 more releases; Sandman doubled down on their 7 from day one, the Miss Annie picked up 8 to add to the 3 they already had and Fa-La-Me posted 7 and Absolute Joy added 7 to their 6 with the rest of the field bagging five or less. This ended the Fish for Life with the Viking 55 in 1st, Weez in the Keys in 2nd, Fa-La-Me in 3rd, Sandman in 4th and Absolute Joy in 5th. (Complete results attached).
Day three was all Buccaneer Cup with the field heading out for what would be the toughest day of fishing for all the boats except for the Hit-n-Run, which would steal the show with 9 releases and taking the daily followed by Judge with 7, Fa-La-Me with 5 and the rest of the field catching 3 or less. The Buc Cup ended with Fa-La-Me winning with a consistent performance all three days ending with 4500 points; the Viking 55 eaking out 2nd place by 100 points over Weez in the Keys, Sandman in 4th and the Judge in 5th. (Complete results attached).
FOR COMPLETE RESULTS CLICK ON THE 2013 RESULTS TAB AT TOP OF PAGE.
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BUCCANEER CUP TURNS 50!
Time to Celebrate! Time to Fish!
This January the Buccaneer Cup will reach a milestone that will put it into an elite category of billfish tournaments—it will mark the 50th consecutive year since 1963 that anglers have gathered in the Palm Beach area to test their skill against the not so elusive sailfish and each other in a three day contest that requires planning, skill and a little luck! This January will be no different except the expectations are a little higher, the interest a little greater and the chance to be the winning team in a legendary tournament on this momentous occasion will make competing all the more meaningful!
If the great fishing we’ve experienced over the past few years isn’t reason enough to fish the Buc; if the cash payouts for most points using dead and live bait doesn’t get your interest; if the ever increasing Calcutta payouts haven’t caught your attention; or the fact that the tournament donates ALL of its proceeds to the RFA to continue their work to protect your right to fish; then maybe being part of the living history of our sport just might!
The Buccaneer Cup is just that, a part of the history of sport fishing that is still going strong. More specifically it’s a part of the culture of big game fishing, much of which was spawned along the East Coast of Florida and among the islands in the Stream. Many of the legends of our sport cut their teeth right here and a long list of them competed in the Buc Cup over the years. It’s not just another sailfish tournament, it’s THE sailfish tournament and that’s why we work so hard to make it a standout from the pack, a first class event with a great captain’s meeting party and a superb awards dinner, both held at sportfishing landmarks steeped in the history of billfishing.
We kick off the event at the Buccaneer Restaurant and Bar on Singer Island where generations of legendary big game anglers and captains gathered on the docks and in the seats at the famous bar to exchange information and tell stories of their exploits. The place has changed little, the inviting dark wood décor remains and you can feel the presence of legends past. We end the tournament with a sumptuous dinner at the Sailfish Club of Florida on the island of Palm Beach, a beautiful waterside facility that is the exclusive home to this club steeped in the traditions and history of our sport dating back almost 100 years!
This year is actually a double celebration. The Buc Cup is run concurrently with the Florida Fish for Life Billfish Tournament under the banner of the Palm Beach Double Shot, it has been for the past seven years, and the Fish for Life is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this January! Congratulations Fred Miller for all the hard work you have put into both events and their continued success! The unique Double Shot format gives our teams the opportunity to compete in both great tournaments over the course of three days, each with separate awards, cash prizes and Calcuttas. The Fish for Life is also a non-profit event that earmarks its proceeds to the fight against colon cancer and to assist the leading research and treatment centers.
So get off the fence and come make history with us in the beautiful Palm Beaches from January 23 through 26, 2013. Its five days in sport fishing history when you can write your name into the record books! Head to the registration page and sign up for both tournaments. What are you waiting for?
