2023 Fact Sheet

Updated January 11, 2023

The Fact Sheet gives you a one-page summary of the current event, format, historical numbers and tournament records.

The Basics

DATES: Wednesday, June 21 – Sunday, June 25, 2023 | 21st Annual

HOST FACILITY: Sandestin® Golf and Beach Resort

LOCATION: Miramar Beach, Florida USA

MAILING ADDRESS: ECBC, PO Box 6128, Miramar Beach, FL 32550

SHIPPINGADDRESS: Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic at Sandestin, 9300 Emerald Coast Pkwy W, Miramar Beach, FL 32550, Attn: Jason Draughn, Recreation Department

CONTACT: Julia Brakhage | 910-264-3947 | julia@tournamentcontrol.com

WEBSITE: fishecbc.com

ENTRY FEE: $6,000 (base entry) – $77,750 per team with optional entries

PURSE: Over $2 million

ENTRY LIMITS: No limits on number or size of boats, open to both private and charter boats

TARGET SPECIES: blue marlin (110” minimum), white marlin, sailfish, spearfish (release only), yellowfin and bigeye tuna (20 lb. & 27” minimum), dolphin (20 lb. minimum), wahoo (20 lb. minimum)

FORMAT: Modified release: 110” minimum on blue marlin, release only on all other billfish species

ANGLING RULES: Expected to follow the spirit of the IGFA Saltwater Angling Rules

TOURNAMENT SERIES AFFILIATIONS: Gulf Coast Triple Crown Championship, InTheBite Captain of the Year Cup, Sport Fishing Championship

CHARITIES SUPPORTED: Sandestin Foundation for Kids, The Billfish Foundation

PUBLICATIONS: Annual tournament program published by Sandestin® Golf and Beach Resort

History

TOURNAMENT STARTED IN: 2003

FIRST YEAR STATISTICS: 45 teams, $329,625 cash awards

2022 STATISTICS: 84 teams, 559 anglers, $1,987,100 cash awards

HIGHEST PURSE PAID TO DATE: $2,040,200 in 2018

HIGHEST NUMBER OF BOATS PARTICIPATING TO DATE: 91 in 2018

HIGHEST PURSE PAID TO DATE TO A SINGLE TEAM: $596,025 in 2019 to It Just Takes Time for 1st Place Marlin

HIGHEST ALL-RELEASE PURSE PAID TO DATE TO A SINGLE TEAM: $328,885 in 2018 to Born2Run (4 blue marlin)

BEST YEARS OF FISHING: 2016/2021–55 billfish, 2013–118 gamefish weighed

OTHER: Placement on Perpetual trophy awarded to team with most released billfish; average number of teams receiving awards each year: 22; 2010 tournament canceled due to BP-Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf.

Description

Taking place in one of the most productive fisheries in the United States, 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® (ECBC) has set the precedent for world-class sportfishing tournaments.

This annual event offers something for everyone. Most importantly, for the angling teams, there are the deep blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico, red-hot billfish action, and cool green cash. While onshore, both tournament participants 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, held at the Baytowne Marina at Sandestin®, are free and open to the public.

Named as one of the top ten big-money tournaments in the world by Marlin magazine, the ECBC’s cash awards surpass $2 million – and with over 27 optional entry levels, there are plenty of ways to win a piece of the pie.

The ECBC is a “modified-release” tournament and led the Gulf Coast tournament circuit in setting a high minimum length for blue marlin, which are the only billfish that may be weighed. Release points are awarded for blue marlin, 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, donated by Galati Yacht Sales and Viking Yachts, sculpted by Chris Barela and on permanent display at the Marina Bar & Grill.

Record Fish

BLUE MARLIN (2015) — 899.6 lbs., Cotton Patch, 60 ft. Hatteras
Capt. Johnny Dorland from Orange Beach, Alabama USA; angler Lance Hill from Orange Beach, Alabama USA

DOLPHIN (2006) — 53.1 lbs., Fly By, 74 ft. Viking
Capt. Marco Gaona from Elberta, Alabama USA; angler James Justice from Lawrenceville, Georgia USA

YELLOWFIN TUNA (2021) — 231.1 lbs., Quick Time, 70 ft. Viking
Capt. Wilks Hammock from Pensacola, Florida USA; angler Robert Burroughs from Laurel, Mississippi USA

WAHOO (2016) — 112.2 lbs., Lucky 2, 51 ft. Bertram
Capt. Tommy Green from Destin, Florida USA; angler Lynn Layton from Decatur, Alabama USA

You can see pictures of the tournament record fish in the Record Fish Gallery