Coming off of a second place finish at the Boat Harbour Championship, Dan Deer's team True Grit put together three good days of fishing and 700 grand slam bonus points to win the Treasure Cay Championship and finish third overall in the 2009 Bahamas Billfish Championship. Deer's 63 foot F&S from St. Michaels, Maryland was one of seven teams to catch blue marlin on the first day of fishing during the final leg of the five tournament Championship series. During day two, team True Grit completed their grand slam by catching and releasing a white marlin and a sailfish. Deer's team capped the tournament by releasing their second blue on day three and finished with 2,200 points.

Finishing in Second Place was Ed Hardin's 54 foot Bertram Abracadabra with 1,200 points based upon time. Both of Abracadabra's blue marlin were released on day one of the three-day tournament hosted by the Treasure Cay Resort & Marina on Great Abaco. The Birmingham, Alabama based Hardin has been fishing the Bahamas Billfish Championship for 25 years.

Trey Brown's team The Edge caught and released two blue marlin and placed Third; also with 1,200 points. The 60 foot Spencer from Dallas, Texas released their blues on Day One and Day Two of the tournament meaning that team Abracadabra was the first to achieve 1,200 points. In total, there were four teams with two blue marlin releases to their credit – Abracadabra, The Edge, Freebie and Hooker.

For their First Place finish, team True Grit received a Randy Rich designed trophy presented by tournament sponsors HMY Yacht Sales and Viking Yachts. The winning Team also received a Walker FUELSEP® Vessel Package from Walker Engineering and gift certificates from Roffer's Ocean Fishing Forecast and BoatMat Corp.

As the Top Release Team for the Treasure Cay Championship, True Grit was presented with a Randy Buck original bronze trophy sponsored by Murray Products, High Seas Technology and PipeWelders.

Both teams Abracadabra and The Edge received Randy Rich designed trophies and gift certificates from Roffer's Ocean Fishing Forecast for their respective Second and Third Place finishes.

For the second time this season, Trey Brown and The Edge were the recipients of the Smith Merritt Insurance and International Special Risks 'Customer Appreciation Award.' The original painting by artist Craig Smith is presented by the companies to their customer scoring the highest point total at each of the five BBC tournaments.

The thirty-eight participating teams caught 25 qualified billfish during the three day tournament. There were 14 blue marlin, 6 white marlin and 5 sailfish. At all BBC tournaments, billfish releases are validated using time and date stamped digital images. An affidavit signed by all participants fishing on each team further confirms that the fish was released in accordance with IGFA and Bahamas Billfish Championship rules.

In addition to presenting trophies to the winners, the tournament sponsors, HMY Yacht Sales and Viking Yachts hosted the opening night dinner and the awards dinners. Other sponsors of the tournament's social functions were Bristol Wine & Spirits, Continental Gulfstream and Caterpillar Marine Power.

Now celebrating its 36th season, the BBC is the oldest billfish tournament series in the world. Anglers can fish any or all of the tournaments with cumulative points determining the overall Bahamas Billfish Champions. In an effort to give-back to the Bahamian people, the Bahamas Billfish Championship endowed two scholarships that enable Bahamian students the opportunity to pursue a degree in marine biology or advanced education in marine technologies. For the very latest information, pictures from the tournaments and overall standings for the season visit our fact-filled Internet website at www.bahamasbillfish.com or contact the Bahamas Billfish Championship at 866-920-5577 or e-mail: info@bahamasbil