With wahoo season nearing its end it may seem like competitive fishing is set to hit a lull.

However this month sees the return of one of the sport’s biggest event.

The Cayman Islands International Fishing Tournament takes place Thursday, 29 April, until Sunday, 2 May. Anglers are slated to hit the waters around Grand Cayman and
Cayman Brac.

The beautiful Bimini start, where all of the competing boats set sail out of the George Town harbour, launches the action on Thursday morning.

Registration takes place on Monday, 26 April, in Cayman Brac at the Alexander Hotel and on Tuesday, 27 April, at the Grand Caymanian Resort.

Anglers will make an extensive troll of Cayman’s waters hunting big fish with fishing hours from 6am to 4.30pm.

Onlookers will flood the dock at the Barcadere Marina from 4.30pm to 6.30pm to catch a glimpse of the day’s catch.

Three particular species fishermen will be looking to nab are yellowfin tuna, dolphin and wahoo. Last year the heaviest fish caught in the competition was a tuna weighing in at 74 pounds and two ounces in the category for boats over 26 feet.

The same group also produced the second biggest catch: a 65 pound yellowfin tuna.

Blue marlin is the most prized fish in the tournament and there is a $10,000 prize for the angler releasing the most blue marlins. This year, a cash prize has also been added for the lady angler releasing the most blue marlins.
Anglers, whether they are novice or experienced tournament fishermen, are split into two groups according to the size of their boats. One section caters to large boats that are over 26 feet in length while the other category features boats 26 feet and under.

The pride and joy of catching a big one may be enough for most anglers but some great cash prizes certainly sweeten the deal.

Over US$100,000 is on offer for the fishermen. The biggest prize is $50,000 for the angler that breaks the Cayman Islands record for blue marlin, which stands at 584lbs.

Three other notable prizes are $10,000 for the angler that breaks the Cayman record for wahoo (146.2lbs), yellowfin tuna (189.4lbs) or dolphin (58.6lbs). There is also $5,000 on offer for the angler who catches the heaviest wahoo, dolphin and yellowfin tuna and a Rolex watch for the boat captain who releases the most blue marlin.

A winner-take-all jackpot will also be up for grabs and this year’s pot is expected to exceed $20,000. Last year’s jackpot was $14,500.

All of the prizes will be distributed to the anglers in grand fashion on 4 May.

One of the tournament judges this year is George Poveromo. George is an editor with Saltwater Sportsman magazine and is the host of George Poveromo’s World of Saltwater Fishing, which airs on ESPN2. George and his team will produce a show to air on ESPN2 on fishing in the Cayman Islands. Filming for this show will take place the week after the International Tournament.

For more information, e-mail  fishing@candw.ky or log on to www.fishcayman.com.