EDITOR’S LETTER
Train wreck. Dumpster fire. Slag heap. Whatever your preferred phrase to describe 2020, it’s probably accurate. But it’s not all doom and gloom—there are a few shiny spots as we head into fall.
Boat sales—new and used—continue to trend upward, and in some markets, sales are even approaching record numbers. More people are boating and fishing, spending quality time on the water with their families and close friends in a way that’s not only safe but fun. The fresh air and warm sun, even the possibility of catching a fish from time to time, are all good reasons to get out there. With a few exceptions, boatbuilders are busier than ever. The only damper on the horizon could be a shortage of available inventory and raw materials, but as they say, let’s cross that bridge when we come to it. If you’re looking to buy a boat, now is a great time.
Tournaments also remain popular. While several events were forced to cancel earlier this season, many of those that have taken place this year have seen record or nearrecord numbers for participation and prize purses. Two examples: In mid-June, the always popular Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament hosted 205 boats and had a total prize purse of $3,352,475. Less than 1 pound separated first place from third in the blue marlin division, with an outboard-powered boat emerging victorious. The White Marlin Open in Ocean City, Maryland, saw 433 boats fishing for a tournament-record payout of $6.8 million; three teams walked away on Sunday night with seven-figure checks. One of those came from an unexpected direction too. Since no qualifying blue marlin were weighed in during the week, that cash rolled over to the tuna division. Over $1.4 million for a yellowfin? Yep. Welcome to the Summer of Weird 2020.
Even the fishing seems better than ever, at least in some places. The 57-boat fleet in the Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic posted 101 billfish released during two and a half days of fishing. The top release team, Dana Foster’s Born2Run, posted 10 blue marlin releases to set a new Gulf of Mexico tournament record; Foster was on the rod for eight of those fish. The third-place team had seven releases. Think about that for a minute: Release seven blue marlin over two days in the upper Gulf, and you finish third.
Speaking of tournaments, I had the opportunity to fish in the Key West Marlin Tournament in late July. It felt great to get back in the cockpit for a few days, although it was absolutely eerie to see all the iconic bars on Duval Street shut down. My thanks to the owner and crew of III-Day Notice for the invitation—it was a much needed and greatly appreciated break from reality, and that sentiment is just one reason why tournaments remain popular.
There are still plenty of hurdles left to navigate. As of this writing in mid-August, some nations like Costa Rica are still not allowing visitors from the US, while others like the Bahamas have varying levels of lockdown based on COVID-19 hotspots. There will undoubtedly be a new normal when it comes to international travel, probably much like we saw in the months following 9/11, but the full impact remains to be seen. Hopefully the worst is behind us and we can continue to move forward in a positive direction.
We’re ready.