The boats that participated in the 2016 Bahamas Billfish Championship, which wrapped up recently in Treasure Cay, released 105 billfish — 51 blue marlin, 34 white marlin and 20 sailfish.
Of those releases the 2016 champion, team Uno Mas, released 11 blues, four whites and three sailfish.
Brooks Smith led his team to victory in all three of the legs they fished. In the Boat Harbour Championship team Uno Mas, a 69-foot Bayliss, came in first and won the $5,000 Grand Slam Bonus by releasing a blue marlin, a white marlin and a sailfish before 9:30 am on the first day of the tournament.
Uno Maswent on to win leg three in Marsh Harbour and placed second in the Treasure Cay Championship. With 9,900 total points, Uno Masearned the title of 2016 Bahamas Billfish Champion and received the overall championship trophy, which was designed in Murano, Italy, by the artists at Orovetro Murano Co.
Last year’s Bahamas Billfish Champion, team Wave Paver, finished in second place. Aboard his 61-foot Garlington, Jr. Davis led his team to victory with second-place wins in the Guana Cay and Marsh Harbour Championships and a first-place win in the Treasure Cay Championship.
The team won a custom-designed stainless steel Bodo Much trophy with a total of 8,350 points.
Longtime BBC participant Bill Canida has been fishing the series aboard his 41-foot Cabo, Bamboo,for many years. Team Bambootook home a first-place trophy in the Guana Cay Championship and third-place trophies in the Boat Harbour and Treasure Cay Championships.
With 6,400 points, team Bambooreleased seven blue marlin, two white marlin and four sailfish this season. The team was presented with a custom-designed stainless steel Bodo Muche trophy.
Sander, Jeremy and Chris aboard Uno Masreceived Top Crew trophies — scaled-down replicas of the perpetual Top Crew trophy at the IGFA headquarters in Dania Beach, Fla.
The Bahamas Billfish Championship is produced and managed by the AIM Marine Group.
