Enzo Newhard achieved notable success at the Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club’s Annual Wahoo Windup Tournament, catching a 60.71-pound wahoo off the South Drop while aboard his 27’ Sea Hunt, “Morning Wood.” His catch earned him the title of Top Angler, just missing the $25,000 prize for the largest fish.
“We knew the wahoo were biting this week,” says the “Morning Wood’s” Captain Kai Holmberg. “We circled the spot where we caught the fish for an hour or two afterward. As they say, don’t leave fish to find fish. But we didn’t catch anything else.”
Meanwhile, St. Thomas’ AJ Cabrera, fishing off his boat “Mixed Bag,” secured the second largest wahoo at 53.5 pounds. In addition, Lauren Gewinner from St. Thomas weighed in the third largest wahoo at 37.0 pounds, according to the press release.
The Best Boat prize, determined by most wahoo by count, went to “Double Header,” with five fish weighing a total of 129.1 pounds, the press release stated.
“We left from Sapphire, headed south to French Cap, and then trolled west. The first two fish came between 8-9 a.m. There was nothing for a while. Around 1 p.m., we got the third one, our biggest fish. Then, we were back off French Cap, with 30 minutes left to fish in the tournament, and we hooked up and caught a doubleheader,” says Tyler Maltby, captain of the “Double Header.” “What’s fun about this tournament is seeing what the other boats catch and the camaraderie.”
Trophies, bottles of Cape Fear Distillery premium spirits, and cash prizes totaling over $7,000 were awarded to the winners, the release stated.
Fourteen boats from St. Thomas and St. John collectively caught 25 wahoo, weighing a total of 637 pounds, it said.
“The quantity and size of wahoo caught is something we haven’t seen in a long time, and that’s exciting,” says Kelvin Bailey, Jr., president of the Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club’s Board of Directors.
Bailey credited in part the club’s hosting of a “Free Lunch & Learn Fishing 101 – Wahoo Windup Prep Session,” taught by club members and Neptune Fishing Supply employees on Oct. 19. With the popularity of the clinic, plus the whopping tournament catch, the club plans to host another training next spring before its annual “Dolphin Derby,” the release stated.
The Virgin Islands Game Fishing Club appreciates the support of Cape Fear Distilleries, IGY’s American Yacht Harbor Marina, and its much-appreciated volunteers, it said.
For more information about the Club and its events, call 340-775-9144, email usvigfc@gmail.com or visit www.vigfc.com.
