2008 IGFA Offshore World Championship
The 2008 IGFA Offshore World Championship was held May 11 – 16 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The ninth annual event was sponsored in part by the Secretaria de Turismo de Baja California Sur, and hosted 63 teams of competitors from 27 nations on six continents, the single largest contingent of international teams to compete in a fishing competition. Each team was invited by winning one of 130 qualifying tournaments held around the world in 2007.
This year’s champions represented the Outdoor Channel Offshore Classic. Captained by Taylor Walsh of Islamorada, FL, the team consisted of Robert Collins, Islamorada, FL, John Timura, Islamorada, FL, Scott Salley, Naples, FL and Ken Longaker, Seattle, WA. They held the same position - fourth place - the first three days of the tournament, but the steady fishing of the team members paid off in the end as they captured the title in theIGFA Offshore World Championship. Despite a “slow bite” for most of the 63 teams of anglers in the fourth and final day, the winning team released two marlin and a dorado as a weight fish, totaling enough points to win.
Collins said the team, which has fished numerous times together, had two practice days in Cabo, enough time to put the mistakes behind them. “We fished nearly perfect for the conditions presented to us,” said Collins.
The Outdoor Channel Offshore Classic team had an unbroken chain of days in scoring: Day 1 with three marlin – 900 points; Day 2 with four marlin and a sailfish - 1300 points; Day 3 with four marlin -1200 points and the final day with two marlin and a 25 lb 6 oz dorado for a weight fish as insurance of 625.6 points for a four-day total of 4025.6 points.
“We just fished steady,” said Collins. “Every one of the team members gets along great and that’s part of the success; our personalities are pretty much easy going. In general we all have great karma,” he laughed.
Collins, who has Florida homes in both Islamorada and Naples, is also a two time winner of the IGFA Inshore World Championship, an annual event held over three days in July to test the best in fly and light tackle fishing for five species in the Florida Keys.
Coming in second with 3900 points were Day 3 leaders from the 9th Intl’ Big-Game Fishing Tournament in Jezera, Croatia. The team members were Dario Marijan, Davor Pliso, Jakov Begovic and Vinko Radetic. They had 10 releases on Day 3 but came in with none on the last day of fishing.
Finishing third, also with 3900 points based on the last fish caught first, was the team representing the YCSS-IMD Fishing Tournament from Santo Stefano, Italy. Team members Stefano Desideri, Paulo Viscogliosi, Domenico Scopelliti and Sandro Onofaro fished steadily, gathering 1200 points on the final day of fishing.
The fourth and fifth place finishers, who had been among the top teams on the leader board, also blanked on the final day. Both the team from Mooloolaba, Australia representing the Springwood Marine Sailfish Shootout, and Italy’s San Benedetto del Tronto representing their win in the La Sfida Trofeo M. De Nardis scored 3700 points, with the Australian’s winning on time.
Sixth place went to the team from the Los Sueños Signature Billfish Series II with 3644.7 points. Seventh place was the team from the Miami Swordfish Tournament with 3634.6 points. Eighth place went to the Lazarote, Spain team representing the Marina Rubicón Marlin Cup 2007 with 3358.3 points. The team from the Sultanate of Oman, representing the Sinbad Classic in Muscat had 3000 points and ninth place and the San Benedetto de Tronto, Italy team from the Trofeo C.N. Sambenedettese tournament rounded out the top ten with 2727.6 points.
IGFA Offshore World Championship tournament director Mike Myatt said, “Cabo San Lucas has the greatest striped marlin fishery in the world. We're thrilled with the numbers and we had a great dorado bite. These fish put our champion anglers to the test and the winners are truly world champions.”
The Outdoor Channel Offshore Classic team won engraved Rolex watches and bronze marlin trophies by world-renowned Australian Sculptor, Bodo Muche.
Day three leading boat captain Julio Gonzales on the Bill Collector of the Pisces Fleet held on to win with a total of 4900 combined points of the four teams he guided. He had skippered the Mooloolaba, Australia team to 3400 points on Day 3 and added another 600 points on Thursday to his tally. Victor Sandes on the Dream finished second with 4500 points, catching his last fish first by just three minutes over fellow Picante fleet captain David Lieras who ended in third place.
The top male angler of the tournament with 3000 points was Dario Marijan on the Croatia team based on time of his last catch caught first. Also with 3000 points was Italy’s Paulo Viscogliosi from the YCSS-IMD Fishing Tournament. He added 900 points to his total in the final round. Randy Towe of the Miami Swordfish team finished third with 2700 points.
Leading the women was Joan Vandergriff of the IWFA Billfish Tournament team with 1200 points. In second place and with the largest weight fish in the tournament, a 54.3 lb tuna, was Julia Campbell of the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament with 654.3 points. Third place female angler went to Betsy Bullard on the Costa Rica, Stu Apte Fly Fishing for Sailfish Tournament with 600 points.
Leading the women was Joan Vandergriff of the IWFA Billfish Tournament team with 1200 points. In second place and with the largest weight fish in the tournament, a 54.3 lb tuna, was Julia Campbell of the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament with 654.3 points. Third place female angler went to Betsy Bullard on the Costa Rica, Stu Apte Fly Fishing for Sailfish Tournament with 600 points.
Countries and territories represented included teams from Angola, Australia, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Grenada, Guatemala, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, Spain, Sultanate of Oman, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks and Caicos, the United States, Vanuatu and Venezuela. Many of the teams in the ninth annual tournament were represented by anglers from a number of additional countries.
It was the seventh year Cabo San Lucas was the location for this prestigious event. The teams drew for different boats each day from the local guided Cabo fleet. They fished for three species of marlin (blue, black and striped) and swordfish for 300 points each, along with sailfish and spearfish for 100 points each. The catches were scored and released alive at the boat in accordance with the IGFA tournament rules. Only non-offset circle hooks were allowed in the tournament. IGFA Observers rotated on the top 15 boats.
The teams also received “weight” points for tuna, wahoo and dorado, up to two fish per species per day above the minimum size limit of 25 lb. Local charities received the donations of all fish weighed at the Cabo docks. All anglers used 30 lb Momoi Hi Vis IGFA line.
Partners and sponsors for the IGFA Offshore World Championship are Secretaria de Turismo de Baja California Sur, Costa Del Mar, Hotel Finisterra, Guy Harvey Inc., Shimano, Picante Sport Fishing and Yacht Sales, Cabo Yachts, K D & G Sea Life Masterpieces, Hook & Tackle, Momoi Hi-Catch, Murray Products, AFTCO Bluewater, Bodo Muche, Minerva’s Baja Tackle, Señor Greenberg’s, IWS Scales, King Sailfish Mounts, Pompanette, Pisces Sportfishing, Corona and Modelo S.A DE C.V. Mexico, Don Tyson, Trans Cabo Group, Eagle Claw, MoldCraft Products, Inc. and API Dock.
