DOCK TALK

Captain Jean-Marie Rosemond “MOANA”

As President of the Guadeloupe Fishing Club, I am delighted to once again be able to come to St Martin to compete in this tournament. This year, our club is bringing 4 boats from Guadeloupe for some great sportfishing action on our sister island. Our club’s objective is to develop this sport throughout the Caribbean by organizing internationally geared competitions such as the St Martin Tournament and bringing together the entire Caribbean fishing community. These kinds of sporting events offer a platform for strengthening inter-island enterprise and developing relations between our island neighbors. It is a way to bring together the entire sport fishing community in the name of fun, friendship…and of course, some tough competition! “ So watch out St Martin – the Gwada warriors are coming to town with MOANA, TI MAMZELL (Captain C Bordaries), EL GORDO (Captain C Petreluzi) and HOOK UP (Captain E Petit Lebrun).

Captain Christian Audebert “WH’APPEN?”

A regular visitor to St Martin, Captain Christian Audebert, originally from Guadeloupe has lived in St Barths for 25 years where he now runs a successful Boat Rental company called ‘OceanMust’ catering to both fishing and pleasure boats for tourists and locals alike. This year the St Barths contingency will be bringing across a minimum of 3 boats ready for some serious sporting fun. “People come to fish in St Martin for different reasons” says Christian. “Of course there is the famous Marlin Boulevard which we local anglers d i s c o v e r e d around 15 years ago and which has come to be one of the most renowned spots for Blue Marlin, which come between the months of May and August to breed. Then there is the ambience of St Martin/St Maarten with its great nightlife, restaurants and casinos. The day off in Grand Case is also a big attraction as the village gives you the feeling of the ‘old St Martin’ and the fact that the entire local population gets involved makes it a fun day for everyone. The St Martin Billfishing Tournament also provides a good opportunity to catch up with fishing buddies and to share in a ‘special spirit’ particular to this sport. Of course, everyone is here to win but just because you may not win doesn’t mean you go hungry! There is a lot of luck involved in this sport. We all have fantastic modern equipment and hi-tech vessels but luck plays a large part in the tournament.”

Captain Lee Halley “BABY BLUES”

“I’ve been fishing around the waters of St Maarten since I was a kid, being born here and all. I’ve chartered here since 1982 with my 31ft Bertram and I have fished the Marlin Boulevard ever since we discovered many years ago that we had so many Marlin there. The Marlin Boulevard is one of the most lucrative Blue and white Marlin areas in the Caribbean and we kept it a secret until the Marlin Tournament was formed. I have fished in this tournament every year since then. I have also managed to win it on occasion and the feeling of that is overwhelming! So if you enjoy Marlin fishing, try a shot at the Marlin Boulevard and our fabulous tournament! Good luck, tight lines and have a great time in St Martin/St Maarten!” Visit Captain Lee Halley at Lees Roadside Grill and Lees deep sea Fishing in Simpson Bay. "http://www.leesfish.com" www.leesfish.com

THE MARLIN BOULEVARD A TRUE EXPERIENCE

Undoubtedly the biggest attraction for sport fishing in St Martin is our famous ‘Marlin Boulevard’, which has over the years brought forth some record-breaking catches. This is the designated fishing area for the tournament and is a drop-off, which runs to the northeast of the island at 62W40-18N25/62W20-18N25 & 62W5017N50/62W20-17N50.
As someone who had never even held a fishing rod, I knew I was heading for quite an adventure as I boarded Go With the Flo, an impressive Viking 53 deep-sea fishing boat to join in the action of St Martin’s 2006 International Billfishing Tournament and experience the action on the Marlin Boulevard.
By Christine de la Cruz – Published in Destination Magazine 2007 I could rest assured that I was in the hands of professionals as I was warmly welcomed on board by a fantastic crew comprising boat owner Rich Majewski, Jonah Mendalbaum, John Bollenbach and John McGloin, four good friends all from Warwick NY who have been coming to the islands for many years for some Caribbean R & R and to indulge in their love of sport-fishing. Captain (King) Kawasi was at the helm assisted by Bennu, Joe and Jordan, all hardened sailors from Virgin Gorda who together have worked for every famous star you could mention. Their fishing and sailing track record was a veritable ‘who’s who’ of Hollywood! When asked how long he’d been sailing, Captain Kawasi answered simply with an enigmatic smile “long time, long time”.
As we blazed a wake out of Marigot’s Marina Fort Louis to the famous Marlin Boulevard 35 miles off the coast of St Martin at a scorching 30 knots, Captain Kawasi gave us some ‘fighting talk’ stating that by mid-day, we were to haul in a 500lb Marlin! Can you even begin to imagine what kind of a monster that is?!
One of the fastest boats in the fleet of 35 competitive deep sea fishing vessels, Go With the Flo was a stunning vessel, Of course everyone around me looked as if they were standing on terra firma with barely a noticeable sway as I headed onto the deck where I clung on for dear life as we sped out to the hunting grounds. Once I finally got to grips with the motion of the ocean, I took time to admire the towering outriggers, 6 impressive Peel International polycarbon rods loaded with 80lb line (the only weight admitted in the competition) and the throne-like fighting chair all which all shouted out serious sport-fishing!

with a richly appointed interior comprising 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a spacious and luxurious salon and all the home comforts you would expect on a private mega-yacht. However, I was not here for air-conditioned reclining comfort; I was ready to see some serious Billfishing action! Once out to the fishing grounds, with nothing to see but miles of beautiful blue, the water was much calmer and the sound of the engines subdued as we settled in to scanning the skies for any tell-tale signs of fish such as Frigate birds also scouring the ocean. It was also a chance to share jokes with fellow competing boats on the VHF radio and join in the shouts of ‘Quel Dommage’ whenever another boat’s hook up was lost!
Our first ‘strike’ was not until around mid-day, by which time I’d learned that patience was a huge part of catching big fish. When the strike hit, the velocity at which each and every crew-member sprung into action was awesome. Eight bolts of greased lightning shot in every direction as the line started to feed out at a seemingly deadly speed. Rich jumped into the fighting chair ready for whatever Neptune was about to introduce him to. No matter how hard the task in hand, no-one was allowed to help him as the competition rules strictly state that only one person is allowed to ‘fight’ the fish once it is hooked. It was a 300lb + Marlin! What an amazing sight…and certainly not a challenge for the weak! After 45 minutes of doing battle with this majestic creature, Rich finally triumphed and the fish was ‘boated’ with not a little struggle! However, because it didn’t exceed the size (418lbs) of the leading fish to that point in the competition, the decision was made to release it to fight another day (tournament rules state that any fish caught under 300lbs must be released) but the team secured the 250 points earned for a ‘release’.
It was our only Marlin ‘hook-up’ of the day but we also boated a beautiful 40lb Dolphin Fish (Mahi Mahi), which would make a great feast later on! As we motored back into the setting sun and home to Marigot with some welldeserved ice cold beers, the ambience was one of success and a camaraderie that only comes between friends and sailing partners who’ve done the time together on the high seas. As Rich highlighted, though it’s always a bonus to boat the winning fish, this sport is much more about the taking part and the friendship and bonding built out on the high seas. Finally it was time for the closing party of the six-day event and the prestigious prize-giving. The record fish of the competition weighed in at a gargantuan 583lbs (still 198lbs less than the St Martin record of 781lbs!) and 35 crews deservingly celebrated into the tropical night!