ANTIGUA & BARBUDA SPORTS FISHING ASSOCIATION

A very welcome fresh breeze cooled the anglers this morning preparing for the bimini start of the 45th Annual Antigua and Barbuda Sport Fishing Tournament in Nelson’s Dockyard. The atmosphere was one of good humour and excitement as crews ensured boats were stocked with food and drink to enjoy a full days fishing in day one of the tournament.

Forty three boats in total including Guadeloupe, St Barths and St. Martin along with Antigua and Barbuda motored out with full crews on board in readiness for the start. At 6.00am this morning the boats already at Fort Berkley roared out of the harbour in search of the best fishing grounds for the day. Two video crews are out on the water filming the action including Fish TV from Canada, who are producing four half hour shows about fishing in Antigua to be aired over the next two years. Event videographer Iain McGlashan of Aquafilms is out with Captain Frankie Hart of Overdraft, past champion boat winner and along with his own footage will be incorporating footage filmed on GoPro® units on board a few other boats. The video will be used as a promotional tool for future tournaments.
 
Club Chairman Phillip Shoul is delighted with the response this year. ‘With the continued down turn in the worldwide economy and the recent increases in the cost of fuel and the continued effect on the tourism markets and thus economies of the region, we were very concerned whether boats would be able to support the tournamanet this year. We are gratified to see that we again have the same number of boats registered this year as in 2010, with an excellent overseas contingent. The ambiance in the Dockyard last night was magical as boats arrived and anglers caught up with old friends, some of whom they haven’t seen since last year’s event. We are looking forward to an exciting three days fishing and of course dockside lime.’
 
This afternoons festivities begin at 3pm when the grills are fired up, the bars open and the boats return. Weigh in takes place between 4.30 – 6.30 pm and will be accompanied by excellent food vendors, the Rosé Bar, Cocktail Bar and famous EC$5 bar with fresh fish from the catch on sale along with excellent food. Entry to Nelson’s Dockyard is free for all the family, and all are invited to ‘Enjoy the fishing, enjoy the lime!

Check out photos of the Captain's Briefing and Bimini Start. For live updates on fishing, check out the tournament Facebook page throughout the day.