The Bermuda Triple Crown Billfish Championship series started off with a record bite of large blue marlin but was hampered by Hurricane Bertha hitting the island in between the Bermuda Billfish Classic and Sea Horse Angler's Club tournament legs. A total of 50 different teams participated in at least one Triple Crown event, with the biggest blue marlin in the series weighing 832 pounds. A total of 188 billfish were caught; 180 were photographed and released with eight blues boated over the 500-pound minimum weight coming to the scales. The releases consisted of 115 blue and 65 white marlin. The series awarded $808,000 in cash and $75,000 in prizes over the three-event series. To fish the BTC, visiting boats making the crossing must run at least 680 miles to reach Bermuda. Considering the quality of the charter and private boats, you have many of the most competitive teams in fishing plying the rich waters off Bermuda during the peak July marlin run. With the average blue marlin weighing 450 pounds and some reaching the grander range, the BTC is the most challenging and competitive marlin fishing series in the world. 

The red-hot visiting team from Florida, Que Mas, a 70-foot American Custom, won the championship, scoring 3,918 points. Owner Wally Whitley, Capt. Travis Butters, mate Ian Fletcher of Bermuda along with crewmembers Robert Helms, Brian Komer, Jim Whitley, Chad Ford, Sue Whitley and Brice Barr recorded five blues, released one white marlin and boated one blue at 718 pounds. The team on Que Mas, including the captain, mate and five anglers, will each receive the largest prize package of any billfish series: Each will be given the coveted Triple Crown Champion ring from Vanmark Jewelry; a bronze blue marlin sculpture from Geoffrey Smith; a trophy from King Sailfish Mounts; championship apparel from Pelagic Gear embroidered by Tropical Enterprises; the Triple Crown painting from Steve Goione; a Furuno Sounder; special triple crown lures from Mold Craft, Ocean Waves Sunglasses, Evade T-shirts; and complimentary one-year subscriptions to Marlin and Sport Fishing magazines. The boat received a Pompanette flying gaff, lure pack from Pacific Trolling Gear, lure pack from Tormenter Lures, artistic gaff from Evade and an Accurate 130 reel from Finest Kind Offshore Gear. The top-five 2008 boats all had a shot at the crown until Que Mas added a blue and white release on the final day of the Sea Horse. Late-charging Fa La Me scored 3,100 points and finished second; consistent Reel Addiction scored 2,900 for third; Tenacious ended up in fourth with 2,858; and Tease Em made the top five with 2,780. 

The series kicked off with the Bermuda Billfish Blast, July 3-6. Forty boats participated in perfect weather during a hot large blue marlin bite. The tournament awarded $265,000 in cash and prizes. Local boat Reel Addiction, a 48-foot Billy Holton, with owner Capt. Cragin Curtis, angler Park Berolzheimer and mate Nick Martin, went from zero points on July 4 to scoring 1,700 from three blues and one white release on the final day, ultimately winning the competition. Berolzheimer also won the High Point Angler award, and the team received an invitation to the IGFA Offshore World Championship. Visiting boat Que Mas, a 70-foot American Custom, started out with a bang, boating a 718-pound blue to take all the large fish jackpots and lead the World Cup. They added a blue release to total 1,218 points but couldn't score on Day Two, putting them in second overall in the Blast. Their 718-pounder ended up being the second-largest fish caught in the World Cup. Treasure Isle, a 54-foot Ricky Scarborough, started slowly, with a white release on the first day. However, they came on strong in the final minutes of the second day. Owner Allan De Silva and son, Mike De Silva, got a blue marlin doubleheader, catching both to zoom into third place with 1,200 points. At the awards, Allan said the best trophy he received was getting to fight side by side with his son, Michael. Team Wound Up, with Capt. James Robinson, kicked off the first day in fine fashion, winning the daily release jackpot with two blue marlin releases. A total of 36 blues and 15 whites were successfully photographed and released, with three qualifying blues coming in at 558 pounds on Tenacious, 617 pounds on Paradise One and 718 pounds on Que Mas. These fish accounted for three of the top-five total qualifying fish caught in the World Cup on July 4.
 
The Bermuda Big Game Classic, July 9-13: Forty-six teams competed for $400,000 in cash and prizes. A total of 46 blues and 23 whites were successfully photographed and released, with three qualifying blues coming to the scales. The tournament seated over 400 guests at the gala awards banquet. By the end of the Classic, the winning team of Que Mas, a 70-foot American Custom, with owner Wally Whitley, Capt. Travis Butters, mate Ian Fletcher and Jim Whitley and crew Robert Helms, Brian Komer and Chad Ford, released four blue marlin to win the tournament and lead the Triple Crown. Que Mas took home the High Point Release award with four blue marlin releases and the Marlin Magazine Manufacturer's Cup for American Custom Yachts. Team Que Mas received an invitation to the IGFA Offshore World Championship. Team Reel Addiction kept the pressure on, scoring 1,000 points in the Classic and earning the team a daily release jackpot and second place in the Triple Crown standings. Team Mega Bucks lived up to its name, with Capt. Sinclair Lamb and angler Geoff Coate scoring 1,732 points and catching the largest marlin of the series, an 832-pound beast, which gave the team second place and top cash awards. Weez in the Keys had a good showing by winning third place, a release daily and enough points to sit in third place in the Triple Crown. The team on Jammer managed to win the Day Three release jackpot with a blue and white release during a day of building seas and wind from Hurricane Bertha.

The Sea Horse Anglers Club Billfish Tournament July 16-20: Tying last year's 32 boat teams, this year's 32-boat fleet vied for a record of $202,000 in cash and prizes at this year's Sea Horse. First-time visiting boat Fa La Me started slowly with a white marlin release on Day One for owner Frank Rodriguez. Team De Mako with Capt. Allen De Silva fared better, winning the daily release jackpot with a blue and white release. Team Tease Em led after Day One with two blue releases but was not entered in the daily. Overproof and Reel Lax also had a good day, catching a blue and white. On Day Two, Fa-La-Me chipped away at the leaders, scoring a blue marlin release. Team Treasure Isle's Allan De Silva took the daily release jackpot with two blue releases. Overproof stayed consistent, releasing a blue, as did Reel Lax. Hurricane Bertha took its toll on the bite, as no fish were boated on Day One or Day Two, so all the blue marlin jackpot dough rolled to Day Three. The third and final day was all about three boats. Fa-La-Me, with Capt. Rob Moore and angler owner Frank Rodriguez; Overproof, with Capt. Peter Rans and angler Henry Chartiers; and Queen of Hearts, with Capt. Peter Olander and angler Glenn Astwood. Fa La Me had everything stick, releasing two blues and a white to take the daily release jackpot and first place. Overproof scored three white marlin releases to secure second place. Queen of Hearts, one of the most consistent boats in the history of the BTC, boated the only fish in the tournament at 572 pounds, earning them all the on-the-dock money. Tease Em's angler Raymond Bean took Top Angler honors with three blue releases. Team Fa-La-Me, final-day heroics in the Sea Horse, zoomed them into second place in the Triple Crown and first place in the Sea Horse; they also received an invitation to the IGFA Offshore World Championship.

Place/Boat/Points:

1  Que Mas 3,918
2  Fa-La-Me 3,100
3  Reel Addiction 2,900
4  Tenacious 2,858
5  Tease Em 2,780
6  Treasure Isle 2,700
7  Queen of Hearts 2,572
8  Overproof 2,500
9  Weez in the Keys 2,400
10  Mama Who 2,400
11  Spencer 66 O'Hana 2,400
12  Sportsmann 2,300
13  Lone Star 2,157
14  El Cazador 2,100
15  Great Escape 2,100
16  J.A.C.S. 1,900
17  Triple Play 1,900
18  Sea Scorpion 1,900
19  Bree 1,858
20  Mega Bucks 1,732
21  Anita Jean 1,700
22  De Mako 1,700
23  Paradise One 1,617
24  Reel Lax 1,600
25  Wound Up 1,500
26  Reel Hot 1,500
27  Smooth Operator 1,200
28  Size Matters 1,200
29  Jammer 1,100
30  Playmate 1,000
31  Off Piste 1,000
32  Ruggie's Ride 1,000
33  Touchdown 700
34  Atttude 700
35  Perfect Parts 700
36  Jack O' Hearts 700
37  Aquadisiac 500
38  Blue Chip 500
39  Margin Call 400
40  Challenger 400
41  Rum Bum - 400
42  Kerry D - 200
43  7th Wave - 200
44  Runabout - 200
45  Idigo Blue - 200