The Main Attraction team scored 17 sailfish releases during the one-day Islamorada Fishing Club Captain's Cup Sailfish Tournament to bring home the winner-take-all check for $25,000.
The win was the third of its kind in a row for the team. Main Attraction also took top honors in the IFC Captain's Cup Sailfish and the IFC Sailfish tournaments last year.
Anglers Mac Stone of Tavernier, Fla., and Jamie Platt of Marathon, Fla., quickly racked up 11 releases by 11 a.m. Dec. 11, the tournament's single fishing day.
"We thought we had it sold by then," said Marathon skipper Marty Lewis.
Main Attraction was five fish ahead until 2 p.m., when Reel McCoy's team poured it on to tie with 15 fish, and again with 16.
Although Main Attraction led by time, the team sealed their victory by releasing sailfish number 17 during the tournament's final 10 nail-biting minutes.
Second place went to Reel McCoy, with Captain George McElveen of Islamorada at the helm. Anglers Bobby Tassell of Grand Rapids, Mich., and Sean Smith of Pompano, Fla., released 16 fish.
Third place went to Wet Dream with Captain Glenn Miller of Islamorada. Anglers Kevin and Jill Clark, both from Islamorada, released 13 sails.
Twenty-six anglers fishing from 13 boats released 129 sailfish from 155 hook-ups during the tournament.
