In its 26th year, the Bay Point Invitational Billfish Tournament, which took place July 15 – 19 at Bay Point Marina in Panama City Beach, Fla., continues to make its mark by raising more than $50,000 for Bay County children's charities through its partnership with the St. Joe Community Foundation and the Bay County Sheriff's Office.

The Invitational will make a $35,885 donation to the St. Joe Community Foundation. The Foundation will then split the funds equally among three local charities: the Anchorage Children's Home, the Boys & Girls Club of Bay County and the Gulf Coast Children's Advocacy Center.

In addition, the Bay County Sherriff's Office's Junior Deputy Program raised $16,030 from Tournament parking which will benefit the Junior Deputy and Explorer programs.

"Between the Bay County Sheriff's Office efforts and our efforts, we were able to raise an amazing amount of money for local children in need," says Tournament Co-Director Scott Burt. "The donations along with the Soldier Salute and Kids Fishing Experience are what make this Tournament vital for the Panama City Beach community. From its inception, the tournament has been deeply rooted in the community and that commitment only gets stronger year after year."

The Invitational brought back and expanded two successful community-focused programs – the Soldier Salute and Al Hubbard Kids' Fishing Experience. Event-goers and participants welcomed the events with open arms in 2008. It was the wonderful reception of these events last year that helped affirm the decision by event organizers to take the tournament's long-standing commitment to the community a step further by pledging its proceeds to the St. Joe Community Foundation.

Appropriately named after local fishing legend Al Hubbard, the Kid's Fishing Experience reached out to nearly 50 children ages 8 to 13 from the Boys and Girls Club of Bay County, the Anchorage Children's Home and the Gulf Coast Children's Advocacy Center. Sixteen local charter captains willingly donated their time and resources to take the kids fishing during an afternoon "tournament" before the Friday night weigh-ins. Capt. Brian Jacquay and the kids on his Team B&T won the friendly competition.

"It takes a tremendous effort from the entire community to pull off something like this," said Chris Miller, Tournament Co-Director.  "The only way an event of this magnitude is possible is through the generous financial support of our sponsors, and the team of volunteers who donate their time so willingly."

In partnership with the Freedom Alliance and Galati Yacht Sales, the Invitational also paid tribute to members of the Armed Forces by hosting several wounded veterans for a day of fishing aboard a 74-foot Viking sportfish. The soldiers, along with all those who had ever served in the military, were honored during the tournament with a video tribute.

Along with its ongoing community efforts, the Bay Point Invitational reigns as the premier social event of the Panama City Beach area with more than 12,000 spectators over the tournament weekend enjoying live entertainment, the Sponsor Village, the Invitational's World Famous Dock Walk and, of course, the Friday and Saturday night weigh-ins.

Thirty-five boats ventured out into rough waters to test their skills during the Bay Point Invitational. Traders Hill was named Tournament Champion for a second time with their first-place finish in the Catch and Release category. Their one blue and one white marlin release totaled 850 points and was enough to fend off several challengers in the Catch and Release Division. Traders Hill has a long history in the Bay Point Invitational, and last clinched top tournament honors back in 1988 with a 496-pound Blue Marlin.

Peter Bos aboard Legendary landed the single heaviest fish of the tournament with a 119.5-pound tuna, and easily captured first place honors in the Tuna division.  Life Is Good angler Grant Nicholson brought in the winning wahoo with a 33 pounder, while August Redding's 33.1-pound dolphin gave Dreams Wake II top honors in the dolphin category.

For the second year in a row, Life Is Good claimed the largest payout and took home a check for $204,284.

New this year was the addition of the 40/40 Shootout, a "tournament within a tournament" featuring boats measuring 40 feet in length or less. Fishing only for tuna, dolphin and wahoo, 30 boats entered the 40/40 and braved rough water with almost unbearable fishing conditions, often fighting waves of 6 feet or more. 

Mark Crone aboard A-Loan Again brought in the only tuna and tipped the scales at just over 56 pounds. Wideopen anglers Jeremy Sprenkle and Mark Datelle brought in the first and second place dolphin. Monty Ferrell brought in the biggest wahoo of the evening aboard Just One More, and took home the biggest check, too – a payout totaling $34,273. 

The Bay Point Invitational Billfish Tournament is hosted by the St. Joe Company and Bay Point Marina. The 27th Annual Bay Point Invitational is set for July 15-18, 2010. For more information, visit www.baypointbillfish.com.