Complete results from the Tobago International Game Fishing Tournament 2019
Team Magic Lady, composed of Capt. Michael De Freitas, Francois Mouttet, Glen Charlett, Ryan Agar, Roger Aleong, Barry Williams, and Isaiah Aleong, won the 24th Tobago International Game Fishing Tournament 2019 in Charlotteville, Tobago.
The Tobago International Game Fishing Tournament (TIGFT) recently concluded its 24th annual event on Saturday, May 18, 2019, in Charlotteville, Tobago. The event hosted 19 boats in the two divisions with a total of 74 anglers. In the international division, 10 boats competed with a total of 51 anglers from the USA, United Kingdom, South Africa, and Trinidad & Tobago, releasing a total of 53 Billfish – 4 blue marlin and 49 sailfish.
In the local division, 9 boats with a total of 23 anglers, including 3 female and 3 junior anglers, brought in catches of dolphin and wahoo with a minimum weight of 15 pounds. At the end of the three days of competition, a total of 823 pounds of fish were brought to the scales.
This year’s winner in the international division was Team MAGIC LADY (Trinidad), captained by Michael De Freitas and team members included Francois Mouttet, Glen Charlett, Ryan Agar, Roger Aleong and Barry Williams and Isaiah Aleong. They released 16 sailfish to take the top spot with 4,250 points. With this win, Team MAGIC LADY has qualified to represent the Tobago International Game Fishing Tournament and compete in the Offshore World Championships in Costa Rica in 2020.
Team MAGIC LADY continued to dominate the tournament, firstly with Isaiah Aleong winning the prize of Best Male Angler by releasing 7 sailfish, and following with Best Catch and Release Team and Best Boat Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3.
Second Place went to Team HOPSCOTCH (Trinidad) with 2,750 points and Third Place went to Team Kala Girl (Trinidad) with 2,500 points. Largest Dolphin Prize went to Kelvin Charles, of Team BOUNTY HUNTER (Tobago), with a 24-pound catch and Terry George, of Team KALA GIRL (Trinidad), was awarded the Largest Wahoo Prize with a 38-pound catch.
In the Local Division, Team CONDA WOW WOW WOW out of Castara, Tobago with Captain Owen Cox and Angler Elon Duke, took top honors with 274 points and took home a 40-horsepower Yamaha, sponsored by Massy Motors Tobago, as well as a Carey Chen Trophy and a Yamaha Hamper. Second Place went to Team SIO 2 from Parlatuvier, Tobago with 135.5 points. Captain Carlos Peters showed his skills by taking the Largest Dolphin Prize and the Largest Wahoo Prize bringing to scale a 28.5-pound dolphin and a 35.5-pound wahoo. In the local tournament, the Female Angler Prize was awarded to Tachelle Mohammed, of Team MEN OF STEEL, from Castara, Tobago who brought to scale on the last day of fishing, a dolphin of 15.5 pounds.
The TIGFT tournament team is committed to ensuring that next year, being the event's 25th-anniversary event, will be a tournament not to miss.