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Team Pelican earned top-boat honors in the 41st annual Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament. The boat won top boat, first fish Day 3, Omni Daily, Overall Points and Winner Take All jackpots. Capt. Dave Lear photo

Sweet Spot earned second place top boat and Omni points, top Blue Marlin release and Omni daily and jackpot in the 41st annual Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament. Capt. Dave Lear photo

Viking 82 took third place honors overall and multiple Omni categories in the 41st annual Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament. Capt. Dave Lear photo

Sweet Spot co-owner Holly McAlhany was named the Top Lady Angler of the 41st annual Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament with four billfish releases. Capt. Dave Lear photo

Capt. Dave Lear photo

Capt. Dave Lear photo

Capt. Dave Lear photo

By Capt. Dave Lear

Team Pelican kept a close eye on Friday’s leaderboard, but in the end the score held up to earn top-boat honors in the 41st annual Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament. Capt. Arch Bracher is the skipper of the 56’ Paul Mann based at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center. Pelican scooped up seven billfish overall, worth 1,000 points and an overall payout of $275,893. The boat won top boat, first fish Day 3, Omni Daily, Overall Points and Winner Take All jackpots. There were 84 boats (251 anglers) competing for $1.263 million in prize money for the week.

Pelican fielded a family team consisting of Emily, Grant, John R. and Wyatt Bailey, joined by Rob Readmond. Pat Bracher and Jake Worthington are the mates. Wyatt Bailey was named the Top Junior Angler for the event after releasing two billfish.

Sweet Spot, last year’s winner, came up just shy of a repeat championship (five releases/950 points). The 62’ Spencer based in Wando, SC, earned second place top boat and Omni points, top Blue Marlin release and Omni daily and jackpot. Those standings won Capt. Chris Kubik and the team a payout of $225,380. The boat co-owner, Holly McAlhany, was named the Top Lady Angler with four billfish releases.

Taking third place honors overall and multiple Omni categories was Viking 82, the factory boat from New Gretna, NJ. Capt. Sean Dooley runs the new sportfisher. Viking 82 released five billfish worth 800 points to win $152,920 in prize money. 

Re-Leased, a 61’ Jamie Chadwick home ported in Morehead City, was named fourth place boat overall. The team also had five releases (800 points) based on time and won an Omni daily and jackpot prizes. Joe Segrave was named the Top Overall Angler after releasing two blue marlin. Re-Leased is taking home $61,550 for its efforts. Desperado (NC), a 56’ Taylor Harrison with Capt. Gray Blount on the flying bridge, was named the fifth place overall boat after scoring 800 points (five releases, also on time).

Rigged Up, a 54’ Omie Tillett based at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, was the top money winner in the non-Omni categories. Rigged Up (Capt. Charles Haywood) scored five billfish releases to take first in Overall Points and Winner Take All, along with dailies. The team won $126,841.

Sniper, a 58’ Paul Mann run by Capt. Chris Raiford, won second place overall with three fish and Day 2 Dailies. The team pocketed $53,316 for its 450 points. Widespread, a 52’ Crown Marine with Capt. Jay Watson at the helm, earned third place overall honors and $11,900 for four fish worth 400 points.

Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament has multiple categories for teams to earn payouts. Other winners for this year’s event included All In (58‘ Blackwell/Capt. Daniel Caison), Annie O (60’ Guthrie/Capt. Nate Newlin), Qualifier (57’ Paul Mann/Capt. Fin Gaddy), Marsh Madness (65’ Island Boat Works/Capt. Shane Brafford), No Quarter (36’ Jarrett Bay/Capt. Tim Cobb), Goombay (62’ Weaver Boat Works/Capt. Brian Peele), Hog Wild (55’ Paul Mann/Capt. Jimmie Horning), Secotan (57’ Spencer/Capt. Dan Spencer), Short Rigger (61’ Billy Holton/Capt. Steve Richardson), Sunday Funday, (58’ Jarrett Bay/Capt. Randy Runyan) and Watertight (57’ Jarrett Bay/Capt. Zack Gallaher).

Wall Hanger had a productive week, despite the slower bite. In addition to two Omni prizes for Day 4, Stacy Allen captured the top dolphin at 27.4 pounds and Braxton Allen scored the top tuna at 62.1 pounds. Wall Hanger, a 57’ Spencer, is run by Capt. Brian Allen. The team earned a payout of $106,317 for its tally. Jason Wordsworth, fishing aboard J&B (55’ Wanchese/Capt. Alan Murray), wound in the heaviest wahoo at 55.6 pounds to win $22,383.

A total of 148 billfish were released collectively (100 percent release ratio) by the 84 boats competing. That tally included 56 sailfish, 33 blue marlin, two spearfish and 57 white marlin. Forty-three game fish were boated, including 17 dolphin, 13 wahoo and 13 tuna.

“I’d like to thank all our teams for fishing with us again this year,” said tournament director Heather Maxwell. “Fishing was tough, but we appreciate y’all, our wonderful sponsors and all our volunteers. We look forward to seeing everyone again next August 11-15 for our 42nd year of the Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament.”

Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament, Inc. is a non-profit corporation that accepts grant applications for local charitable distributions which topped $80,000 in 2021. The Alice Kelly Memorial Ladies Only Billfish Tournament raises upwards of $50,000 annually for local cancer patients and the Annual Sheep Dog Veterans Challenge raises awareness and much needed funds for vets and first responders in Dare County and beyond. Tournament Week kicks off on August 11-15, 2025. For more information contact PCBT at 252-305-3610 or visit www.pcbgt.com.

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