Team Nammu wins a competitive Zane Grey International Billfish Tournament.
Team Nammu was the first team to reach 1,950 points, taking home the top prize at the 2019 Zane Grey International Billfish Tournament.
A total of 11 teams consisting of 41 anglers competed in the 2019 Zane Grey International Billfish Tournament. While the weather and fish not cooperating, the anglers more than made up for it with great fun and comradery throughout the four days. Ken Lousely, fishing on Outrageous, was first on the board with a tagged and released (T/R) striped marlin estimated at 120kg. A few teams were getting hits but Team Defiance was the only other team to convert this to points on Day 1 with a T/R blue marlin (angler Daniel Kelly).
Team Shagz (angler Antony Quirk) and Nammu (anglers Rod Haines and John Griffiths) joined in the action on day two with a T/R striped marlin and two T/R striped marlin respectively. Although it was a quiet start to the tournament, four teams within 100 points of each other at the end of day two still made it very competitive.
Day three split the field. Two teams weighed in marlin, a 147.8kg blue marlin for Mark Morse onboard Anchorage and a 128.2kg striped marlin for Leighton Haliday onboard Defiance. Murray Hansen onboard Endeavour T/R a striped marlin, as did Sam Bean onboard Wasted Seamen. Rod Haines onboard Nammu T/R another striped marlin putting them in the lead with 1,950 points.
Day four, last day fishing, was a bit hit and miss for teams. Greg Haliday onboard Defiance started the morning off with a T/R striped marlin. Bruce Smith tagged and released two striped marlin by 2 p.m. on the last day to bring Endeavour’s total to 1,950 points – equal to leading team Nammu. Bruce’s fish turned out to be the last for the tournament, and as Team Nammu was the first team to reach 1,950 points, they took home the top spot based on time.
Results
- Winning team with 1,950 points, Nammu
- Runner-up team also with 1,950 points, Endeavour
- Third place team with 1,654.67, Defiance
- Angler most tagged points - Rod Haines,1,300 points onboard Nammu
- Heaviest Billfish – Mark Morse, 147.8kg Blue Marlin onboard Anchorage
- 2nd Heaviest Billfish – Leighton Haliday, 128.2kg Striped Marlin onboard Defiance