Over US$300,000 are up for grabs at the seventh staging of the Mayberry Superstars Port Antonio International Marlin Tournament that fished off on Wednesday.

Tournament director Bobby Stewart is upbeat about the tournament.

“We have 24 boats entered this year and it’s a record for the seven years we have been running the tournament. We have a number of Caymanian boats who have adopted this tournament and we have about five boats,” he said.

“We have anglers that have come in from Portugal and apart from US$30,000 in cash and prizes, we have some insurance policies for record fish. If you catch a record blue marlin, it is US$100,000; if you catch a record yellow fin tuna, it’s US$100,000; if you catch a record sail fish, it’s US$100,000. And if you put all those together, it’s a potential of US$330,000 in cash prizes,” he outlined.

He said the conditions appeared mostly favourable.

“The fishing conditions look good with the right tide and moon. But a system has developed offshore in the last few days that drops salt water down and rotates. And one forming beside it that pulls salt water up so fresh salt water is streaming into the course right now…that the marlin loves, which is cooler,” Stewart said.

He said the tournament contributes to economic activity in that area of Portland.

“We use a lot of local persons as much as possible from Port Antonio for foods as breakfast is prepared locally, and helping on the docks. And we will do a free concert on the closing night for everybody in ‘Portie’ so they can enjoy some part of the tournament and this is something we are committed to,” he said.

The first woman to release was Samara Persaud on Brac Rebel.

“It was great, it was a young fish, a lot of energy, hyper, went on bad on the boat. But it was good to be the first female to release a marlin. We are off to a good start and there was quite a few bites today and we had three marlins at one point today — one line broke and one was released,” Persaud noted.

“Portland’s marlins are wicked. I think the tournament will be a good one and we are off to a good start,” she added.

The anglers will fish until Friday when the tournament ends with the prize-giving event and concert.

DAY ONE RESULTS

1 The first blue marlin released for the tournament (angler Omar Richards on Fair Prospect)

2 Brac Rebel Samara Persaud released a blue marlin

3 Big Deal/Clean Harbour Robert Mignott released a blue marlin

4 Aquarius Vaughn Johnson released a blue marlin

5 Bad Market Charles Ebanks released a white marlin