Sportfish Hub Weekly Digest — March 30 – April 6, 2026

SPORTFISH HUB

Weekly Tournament Digest

No offshore tournaments fished within the March 30 – April 6 window — this is the natural transition between the winter and spring seasons. The Costa Rica and South Florida season concluded March 23, and three events fire simultaneously starting April 8. Results published this week from tournaments that fished just before the window are below.

Quick Takeaways

• The year's quietest tournament week ends next Monday when three events fire simultaneously — Viking Key West Challenge, Final Sail, and Chub Cay Invitational.

• Corblimey's 849-lb black marlin from the Kubota Billfish Classic (440 boats, New Zealand) is the largest weighed fish on the 2026 circuit, earning $400,000.

• Winter Custom Yachts delivered their largest build (75' Miss Carrie) and introduced the new W43 57'8" Seamaster platform in the same week.

• NOAA opened the Northeast Canyons to commercial fishing effective April 3 — sportfishermen working Hudson and Baltimore Canyon should expect more commercial traffic.

• Bisbee's expanding to Costa Rica with an all-release format is a meaningful shift for the most recognized name in big-money sportfishing tournaments.

Tournament Results & Standings

COMPLETED

Chub Cay Open

Berry Islands, Bahamas | March 26–28, 2026 | 21 boats | All-release billfish (blue marlin 500 pts, white marlin 200 pts, sailfish 100 pts) + optional meat fish weigh-in

Top 3:

1. **Sempre Duro** (68' Ricky Scarborough, owner Chris Stavola) — 1,500 pts (3 blue marlin releases across 2 days)

2. **Gina Lisa** (75' Jim Smith, Capt. Danny Scotti) — 900 pts (1 blue, 1 white, 1 sailfish on final day)

3. **Marlin Brando** (68' Viking, Capt. Cody Mitchell) — details not published

Notable: Junior angler Jack Morino fought what the team thought was a white marlin — turned out to be a blue — securing the tournament win and Junior Angler trophy in one catch. Top Lady Angler: Pam McAteer (Maverick, 1 blue + 2 sailfish).

Fleet totals: 7 blue marlin, 3 white marlin, 23 sailfish released

Meat fish: Heaviest dolphin — Hosn Around, 26 lbs; Heaviest wahoo — Y Not III, 13 lbs

Series context: Second of three events in the 2026 Chub Cay Series. Finale — the 6th Annual Chub Cay Invitational (members only) — runs April 9–11.

Coastal Angler Magazine | April 2, 2026

COMPLETED

Kubota Billfish Classic

Whitianga, New Zealand | March 11–14, 2026 (results published April 2) | 440 boats | Kill tournament with heaviest billfish prize

Top 3 (Champion Team — Billfish Points):

1. **Matador** — 1,268 pts ($200,700)

2. **Corblimey** — 1,040 pts ($66,900)

3. **Ata Rangi** — 682 pts ($33,450)

Heaviest Billfish ($400,000):** **Corblimey** — 384.9 kg (848.6 lb) black marlin caught by Jason van Esch after a 3-hour fight in rough seas near Mercury Islands. New Mercury Bay Game Fishing Club record.

Daily heaviest: Day 1 — Corblimey, 384.9 kg black marlin; Day 2 — Ata Rangi, 252.4 kg black marlin; Day 3 — Matador, 112.3 kg broadbill swordfish; Day 4 — Providence III, 170.1 kg blue marlin

Heaviest tuna ($20,000): Little Blue — 44.82 kg yellowfin

Champion Female Angler ($10,000): Kelly Stevenson (Venator, 400 pts)

fishing.net.nz | April 2, 2026

COMPLETED

Key West Sailfish Tournament

Key West, FL | March 27–28, 2026 | Release-only billfish + weighted meat fish

Upcoming Tournaments (Next 2–4 Weeks)

Tournament

Location

Dates

Species

Viking Key West Challenge (12th Annual)

Key West, FL

Apr 8–12

Billfish (release), tuna, dolphin, wahoo, swordfish

Final Sail (Quest for the Crest – Leg 3)

Miami, FL

Apr 8–11

Sailfish, white/blue marlin, dolphin, wahoo, tuna

Chub Cay Invitational (6th Annual)

Berry Islands, Bahamas

Apr 9–11

Blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish

Bisbee's Pura Vida Payout

Quepos, Costa Rica

Apr 14–18

Sailfish, blue/black marlin, tuna, dorado

Costa Offshore World Championship

Quepos, Costa Rica

Apr 19–23

Pacific sailfish, blue/black/striped marlin

IGFA Walker's Cay Shootout (2nd Annual)

Walker's Cay, Bahamas

Apr 22–25

Blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish

Louisiana Gulf Coast Billfish Classic

Venice / Grand Isle, LA

Apr 28–May 3

Blue marlin, white marlin, yellowfin/bluefin tuna

**Notable format changes for 2026:**

**Bisbee's Pura Vida Payout:** Historic first international Bisbee's event and first-ever all-release billfish format in the series' 44-year history. Entry: $5,000 base / $98,140 "All In." Multi-million dollar potential payouts.

**Costa Offshore World Championship:** Major overhaul — teams now bring own boats, open-entry Challenger category added, entry fees cut from ~$15,950 to $3,500–$5,000, Omni sonar scoring adjusted.

**IGFA Walker's Cay Shootout:** $4,500 entry includes $1,500 IGFA conservation donation. Mandatory $18,000 cash Calcutta (90% paid back).

New Builds & Launches

Winter Custom Yachts — W40 75' Convertible "Miss Carrie"

DELIVERED

Winter's largest build to date. 75' convertible, full custom. Sea trials completed February 10.

Winter Custom Yachts — W43 57'8" Sport Coupe "Seamaster"

ANNOUNCED

LOA 57'8", Beam 18'5", Draft 4'8", Fuel 1,500 gal. Cold-molded. Power plant TBD. Updated/expanded platform.

Scarborough Boatworks — 75' "Skin Deep" (Hull 19)

FINISHING

Twin MTU 2,600 hp, Seakeeper 40, 3,000 gal. fuel, 4 staterooms/3 heads, 20 built-in tuna tubes. Purpose-built for Gulf Coast tournament fishing.

scarboroughboatworks.com | April 3, 2026

Viking Yachts — 70 Convertible Gen II

ANNOUNCED

LOA 70'10", Beam 18'11", 118,500 lbs. Power: MAN V12X 2200 or MTU 12V2000 M96Z. 194 sq. ft. cockpit, 4 staterooms/5 heads. Open, Enclosed, and Sky Bridge configs. Target ~43 knots.

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InTheBite | March 27, 2026

Industry News

Garmin April 2026 Marine Software Update Adds Mercury Joystick Integration

Garmin released its Q2 marine software update adding Mercury Precision Joystick integration (Autopilot, Skyhook, Joystick settings) to compatible chartplotters. Also adds AIS/MARPA target association — merging duplicate vessel symbols from AIS and radar into one.

Why it matters: Owners running Garmin + Mercury multi-engine setups get enhanced joystick docking and station-keeping from the helm display. AIS/MARPA fusion improves situational awareness for night fishing and low visibility.

Free update via ActiveCaptain app. Also includes rudder angle gauge and chart handling improvements.

Garmin Marine Software Update | April 1, 2026

NOAA Opens Northeast Canyons and Seamounts to Commercial Fishing

Effective April 3, NOAA rescinded the commercial fishing prohibition within the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, implementing a February 2026 Presidential Proclamation.

Why it matters: Hudson Canyon, Baltimore Canyon, and Hydrographer Canyon are productive deepwater sportfishing grounds for tilefish, tuna, and swordfish. The re-opening will increase commercial vessel traffic in areas recreational anglers already work.

Federal Register 91 FR 17159. Commercial vessels with applicable permits may now operate in both units.

Federal Register / Changeflow

NOAA Releases Withheld Gulf Deep-Water Grouper Quota

NOAA distributed 545,576 lbs of previously withheld deep-water grouper allocation to Gulf IFQ shareholders, effective April 1. Total 2026 commercial quota restored to 1,024,000 lbs.

Why it matters: Deep-water grouper (yellowedge, snowy, warsaw) are prized recreational targets in 400–800 ft Gulf waters. Amendment 58B — which proposes reducing catch limits due to yellowedge overfishing — is still pending. Tighter recreational limits are likely in a future rule.

Quota withheld since January 1 pending Amendment 58B. Released because the amendment didn't take effect by deadline.

NOAA Bulletin via Agroinformacion | March 31, 2026

Brunswick Reports Record 70% Mercury Engine Share at West Palm Beach

Mercury Marine hit a record 70% outboard engine share at the West Palm Beach Boat Show — up 5 points YoY. Boston Whaler and Sea Ray reported 40% YoY revenue growth. Simrad AutoCaptain OEM expansion confirmed.

Why it matters: Mercury's dominant saltwater show share signals continued production strength for the engine brand powering most offshore platforms. Whaler's revenue jump suggests the premium sportfishing segment is outperforming the broader market.

Growth driven by larger, premium configurations. AutoCaptain expanding beyond the Whaler 405 Conquest launch platform.

Boating Industry | April 1, 2026

MasterCraft–Marine Products (Chaparral/Robalo) Merger Proxy Mailed

Joint proxy for MasterCraft's ~$232.2M acquisition of Marine Products Corp (parent of Chaparral and Robalo) mailed to shareholders. Votes scheduled May 12. Closing target Q2 2026.

Why it matters: Robalo is a widely-owned, value-priced offshore center console brand. Absorption into MasterCraft consolidates two independent manufacturers. Owners should watch for changes to dealer relationships, warranty, and parts supply.

Combined pro-forma revenue ~$560M. Post-close: MasterCraft shareholders ~66.6%, Marine Products ~33.4%.

Stock Titan / SEC DEFM14A Filing | April 2, 2026

Used-Boat Market Pulse

No new sportfishing or center console market data published this week

No new sportfishing or center console market data published this week. The most recent comprehensive source remains the Denison/Boats Group 2025 Year-End Market Index from March 3, which showed average sold prices up 4.9% YoY, used boats at 139 days on market, and overall unit sales down 8.5%.

4.9%

Current marine lending rates (Navy Federal, April 4): new boat 6

Current marine lending rates (Navy Federal, April 4): new boat 6.95–8.95% APR; used boat 7.45–9.90% APR. Market average (LendingTree Q4 2025): 8.40%.

8.95%

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What to Watch Next Week

Three tournaments open within 72 hours starting April 8

Viking Key West Challenge, Final Sail in Miami ($700K purse, Quest for the Crest finale), and Chub Cay Invitational (members-only series finale). Results expected by April 12–14.

Bisbee's first international event in 44 years starts April 14

The Pura Vida Payout in Quepos, Costa Rica is the first Bisbee's outside Cabo San Lucas and the first with an all-release billfish format. Registration appears strong.

Scarborough 75' Skin Deep splash is imminent

Exterior artwork applied April 3. This Gulf Coast tournament build — twin MTU 2,600 hp, Seakeeper 40, 20 tuna tubes — could be in the water within weeks.

MasterCraft/Robalo merger shareholder vote May 12

Proxy materials are in the mail. The outcome determines whether Robalo and Chaparral join MasterCraft's portfolio.

Gulf deep-water grouper limits still pending

Amendment 58B (proposed catch reduction for yellowedge and snowy grouper) remains in process. This week's quota release was procedural, not a signal that the conservation concern is resolved.

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