Timed to coincide with the peak of the Gulf Coast’s blue marlin season, and located at the South’s number-one ranked resort destination, the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic at Sandestin® sets the new precedent for world-class sportfishing tournaments.
This annual event offers something for everyone. Most importantly, for the angling teams, there’s the deep blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico, red-hot billfish action, and cool green cash.
While on-shore, both the teams and their families can enjoy the wide variety of recreational activities offered at the Sandestin® Golf and Beach Resort and The Village of Baytowne Wharf. The spectacular night time weigh-ins are held at the Baytowne Marina at Sandestin® and are open to the public.
The competition takes place in one of the most productive fisheries in the United States. In the past several years two blue marlin “Granders” (blue marlin weighing over 1,000 lbs.) have been weighed in the Gulf, and state records for blue marlin and both bluefin and yellowfin tuna have been broken.
The ECBC is a “modified-release” tournament and led the Gulf Coast tournament circuit in setting high minimum lengths for blue marlin. Blue marlin are the only billfish that may be weighed. Release points are awarded for blue marlin also, in addition to white marlin, sailfish and spearfish.
The three heaviest weighed blue marlin, dolphin, tuna and wahoo are eligible for cash awards, as are the top three teams entered in the Release Division, and the top three Crews entered in the Crew Division. Awards are presented to the top overall, release, lady and junior anglers, and the top overall release team has its name engraved on the Magnificent Blue Perpetual Trophy.
