Team Done Deal wins invitation to the 2020 Offshore World Championship.
Team Fleur De Lis weighed the first place blue marlin, topping the scales at 602.7 pounds.
The 15th Annual Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic is in the record books. Presented by H&E Equipment Services, the tournament is the second leg of The Gulf Coast Triple Crown Championship. With a fleet of 48 boats ranging in length from 32 to 95 feet, participants fished for a total purse of $574,450, plus trophies and prizes.
Festivities started Tuesday, May 28, with a dock party, sponsored by host facility Cypress Cove Marina & Lodge. Everyone enjoyed the boiled shrimp and pulled pork. Wednesday, May 29, was the official registration day, captains meeting, and kickoff party. Acme Oyster House lived up to their reputation at the party, sponsored by Le Beouf Towing, with jambalaya, oyster bar, fried shrimp, fish and all the trimmings.
Thursday, May 30, Father Gerry Stapleton, of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Port Sulphur, Louisiana, continued the tournament's tradition of the Blessing of the Fleet. At 1 pm, boats departed for the rips, rigs, Mississippi Canyon and Green Canyon in the Gulf of Mexico, led by Chasin Tail an 80-foot Weaver, with owner John Engquist (of H&E Equipment Services) and Captain Clayt James and crew. Chasin Tail was followed closely by the Seakeeper Contender.
The phones started ringing early Thursday afternoon with Scotty Cooper, fishing with his dad Scott Cooper, on the Triple C, a 37-foot Freeman, calling in a released white marlin for the Junior Angler. The afternoon releases continued with Can’t Deny It, a 48-foot Viking calling in a white marlin release, and Team Double J, a 42-foot Freeman, calling in a released Blue Marlin.
Friday, June 1, phones started ringing at 6:17 am with Wynsong, the 66-foot Viking, calling in a released Blue Marlin. It was pretty much non-stop action on releases all day, until Done Deal, the 70-foot Viking with Captain Jason Buck, owner Jon Gonsoulin, and female angler Katie Gonsoulin, calling in a boated 114-inch Blue Marlin early Friday afternoon. Going into Friday night, Team Fleur de Lis, a 72-foot Viking, with Captain Scooter Porto, owner Keith Myers and angler Hunter Myers hooked up to a nice fish. Finally, at 11 pm, Scooter called with a boated 114-inch Blue Marlin. There was a total of 14 Blue Marlin releases on Friday, with 1 White Marlin release too.
Saturday, June 2, started even earlier with Done Deal calling in their 3rd released Blue Marlin at 5:48 am. It was non-stop action again with Double J, the 42-foot Freeman Boatworks and You Never Know!, the 72-foot F&S, each reporting a total of 3 Blue Marlin releases. Then, at 2:30 pm on Saturday, You Never Know! called in their 4th Blue Marlin release to break the tie, with the last one being caught on a lure on their way home.
Fleur de Lis brought their Blue Marlin to the scales early Saturday afternoon for angler Hunter Myers. Hunter’s fish weighed in at 602.7 pounds. Done Deal came in shortly thereafter with their 114-inch Blue Marlin for angler Katie Gonsoulin, weighing in at 535.5 pounds. Fleur de Lis’s Blue Marlin was worth $91,530, with Done Deal taking 2nd place, and winning $106,920.
At the 2019 Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic, Team Done Deal's blue marlin weighed 535.3 pounds.
The Release Division, sponsored by Release Marine, ended with the following standings. All winners received custom inlaid teak step boxes from Release Marine:
- You Never Know!, 1st Place Release, 2000 points, $90,225.00
- Done Deal, 2nd Place Release, 1500 points, $54,135.00
- Double J, 3rd Place Release, 1500 points, $8,010.00
The Dolphin Division ended with the following standings:
- Team Supreme, angler Alex Krake, 1st Place at 40.7 lbs, $9,450.00
- Skin Deep, angler Kevin McCarron, 2nd Place at 32.6 lbs, $5,670.00
- Relentless Pursuit, angler Ralph Morton, 3rd Place at 32.1 lbs $19,980.00
The Tuna Division ended with the following standings:
- Chasin Lulu, angler Chase Nevers, 1st Place at 47.6 lbs, $5,625.00
- Relentless Pursuit, angler Johnny Pasentine, 2nd Place at 44.3 lbs, $43,425.00
- Hatterascal, angler Edward Morrissett, 3rd Place at 40.1 lbs, $5,400.00
The Wahoo Division ended with the following standings:
- Big Boyd, angler Boyd Mothe III, 1st Place at 40.9 lbs, $3,150.00
- Rebellious, angler Connor Caplinger, 2nd Place at 39.6 lbs
- Sea Ferret, angler Minos Scarabin, 3rd Place at 35.5 lbs, $2,970.00
The Top Billfish Boat Award went to Team Done Deal with 3 Blue Marlin releases and a 535.5-pound Blue Marlin for 2,035.5 points. With the award came an invitation to fish the Offshore World Championship in 2020 in Quepos, Costa Rica.
The Top Billfish Boat Award, the C.R. Bob Potter Memorial Award, went to Team Done Deal with 3 Blue Marlin releases and a 535.5 lb Blue Marlin for 2035.5 points. With the Top Billfish Boat Award came an invitation to fish the Offshore World Championship in 2020 in Quepos, Costa Rica, produced by Marlin Magazine and Bonnier Corporation. Top Captain and Top Mate trophies, in Memory of Benny Collins, were presented to Captain Jason Buck and Mate Nick Bovell of the Done Deal. Congratulations to Team Done Deal taking 2nd Place Blue Marlin, 2nd Place Release, and Top Billfish Boat, along with Top Captain and Top Mate prizes, winning them a total of $161,055.00.
The Top Female Angler Award, sponsored by The Roosevelt Hotel of New Orleans, went to Katie Gonsoulin, fishing with her dad, Jon Gonsoulin on their 70’ Viking, Done Deal, with 3 Blue Marlin releases and 2nd Place Blue Marlin at 535.5 lbs. Katie also won our new Top Angler Award in Memory of Dale Artigue of Florida Marine Transporters.
The Top Youth Angler Trophy, in Memory of Jim Peachey, was awarded to 16-year-old Scotty Cooper, fishing with his dad, Scott Cooper on their 37’ Freeman, Triple C. Scotty had both a Blue Marlin release and a White Marlin release for the weekend.
In total, the fleet had a good bite with 28 Blue Marlin releases, 4 White Marlin releases and 2 boated Blue Marlin.