Weekly Tournament Digest · May 5–11, 2026
Baker's Bay Invitational
Also this weekLouisiana Gulf Coast Billfish Classic wrap-up · South Carolina Governor's Cup kicks off
Metal Masher topped the Louisiana Gulf Coast Billfish Classic, FRIGATE took Baker's Bay, and the South Carolina Governor's Cup Series opened at the Charleston Billfish Invitational across a six-event week from the Gulf to the Bahamas. Bahamas Billfish Championship – Guana Cay (Leg 1) also ran May 4–7 but published no verified 2026 results.
Full intro
Metal Masher topped the Louisiana Gulf Coast Billfish Classic, FRIGATE took Baker's Bay, and the South Carolina Governor's Cup Series opened at the Charleston Billfish Invitational across a six-event week from the Gulf to the Bahamas. Bahamas Billfish Championship – Guana Cay (Leg 1) also ran May 4–7 but published no verified 2026 results.
Tournament Results
Metal Masher Takes Louisiana Gulf Coast Billfish Classic; 7 Tournaments Fish…
Louisiana Gulf Coast Billfish Classic
Top finisher
Top finishers
- 1"Metal Masher"3,500 pts / 5 BM / $50,000
- 2"Boujee Marlin"2,800 pts / $32,850
- 3"Rising Sons"1,400 pts
- Fleet: 7 boats
- Fleet-wide releases: 14 blue marlin over 2 fishing days
- Total payout: $193,500
More from this tournament
- Billfish Release Standings (Top 5):
Baker's Bay Invitational
Top finisher
Top finishers
- 1"FRIGATE"4,200 pts
- 2"GRAND SLAM"2,900 pts
- 3"Southern C's"2,150 pts
- 4"Plane Simple"2,050 pts
- 5"Seraphim"1,950 pts
- Billfish Release Standings (Top 5):
- Heaviest weighed billfish: no entries captured on the Reel Time page during the reporting window
Charleston Billfish Invitational
Top finisher
Top finishers
- 1"Redemption"2,000 pts
- 2"FULLABULL"600 pts
- 3"Game On"600 pts
- 4"Hankosaurus Rex"400 pts
- 5"Man Cave"400 pts
- Series: Opens the 2026 South Carolina Governor's Cup Billfishing Series
- Billfish Release Standings (Top 5):
- Heaviest Dolphin: Rare Breed — 24.20 lb
More from this tournament
- Top Lady Angler: Josie Mitchell (Reel Wheels II) — 17.4 lb
- Top Junior Angler: Julia Gressette (Man Cave) — 400 pts
- Outstanding Billfish (Landed), Heaviest Tuna, Heaviest Wahoo: no entries
Hurricane Hole Invitational
Top finisher
Top finishers
- 1"Hos N Around"2,000 pts / $10,800
- 2"Mountain High"1,000 pts
- Catch & Release Standings (Top 5):
- Heaviest Tuna: Mechanical Man — Lloyd Boedecker — 67.5 lb
- Tuna runner-up: Hos N Around — Jacob Davis — 66 lb
More from this tournament
- Tuna 3rd: Wasted It — El May — 60 lb
Armed Forces Shootout
Top finisher
Top finishers
- 1"Lunatico"1,500 pts
- Host: Abaco Beach Resort & Boat Harbour Marina
- Billfish Release Standings (Top 5):
- Branch Battle Winner: U.S. Navy — 3,150 pts
More from this tournament
- Day 1 Top: Squid Chain — 900 pts
- Day 2 Top: Lunatico — 800 pts
- Top Angler – Billfish Release: Ryan Parrott (Lunatico) — 950 pts
- Top Female Angler: Taylor Tamez (Air Force) — 300 pts
- Top Meatfish Angler: Rick Bledsoe (Navy) — 43.20 lb
NEFMA Bluewater Tournament
Top finisher
Top finishers
- 1"Reelxcape II"800 pts
- Billfish Release Standings (Top 5):
- Overall Top Weight (TWT): Oil Pen — 525 pts
- Gamefish Aggregate: Optimum — 138.47 lb
More from this tournament
- Heaviest Tuna: Optimum — 55.11 lb
- Heaviest Dolphin: Weed Line II — 26.03 lb
- Heaviest Wahoo: Weed Line II — 35.17 lb
- Gamefish closest to 20.25 lb TWT: Contentment Blues — 19.33 lb
- Heaviest Blue Marlin: no entries
27th SIGFA International Game Fishing Tournament
Top finisher
Top finishers
- 1"Grandee"300 pts (New Zealand team)
- 2"Devorah"points not published in captured article
- 3"Baby Blue"points not published in captured article
- 4"Amana"points not published in captured article
- 5"Viking"points not published in captured article
- Final results published May 9, 2026
- Overall Standings (Top 5):
Billfish Hotspots
Cape Verde (Mindelo and São Vicente) Firing; 5 Regions Reporting
Cape Verde
Hot- Atlantic Blue Marlin
- Charter operators report 5–15 hookups per day not uncommon during the March–July prime
- Fish size ranges widely from 220 lb up through grander class
More reports
- Cape Verde super-grander events documented in recent seasons including a confirmed grander reported by Marlin Magazine
Mid-March through late June is the heart of Cape Verde's big-game window. São Vicente has access to the best blue marlin grounds; Mindelo is home to the country's largest charter fleet.
Bahamas
Hot- Atlantic Blue Marlin
- White Marlin
- Sailfish
- Walker's Cay Marina back and fully operational with three blue marlin events on the May 14–23 schedule
- Marsh Harbour and the Abaco chain consistently producing blue marlin releases across May–June
More reports
- Florida-based Chase N Dreams and Abaco's Hattisfied charter on station for the heart of the run
May and June are the prime blue marlin window across the Bahamas. The spring migration carries fish from the southeast through the Abaco chain on the way north, with action running into July.
Costa Rica
Active- Pacific Sailfish
- Mahi-Mahi
- Yellowfin Tuna
- Sailfish caught daily out of the Los Sueños / Quepos region trophy fish landed year-round
- May marks the start of the green (rainy) season bite remains strong with tuna picking up
More reports
- Guanacaste's best sailfish bite runs May–August per local operators
January through June is Costa Rica's prime sailfish window; numbers thin slightly heading into the heart of the green season but the bite stays consistent for trophy fish.
South Florida
Active- Sailfish
- Mahi-Mahi
- Wahoo
- 2–10 sailfish per day when the fleet locates a school
- Quality mahi-mahi 10–25 lbs running as bycatch on sailfish drifts
More reports
- Kite fishing the preferred method through stalled fronts and 15–20 kt winds
- Water temp 71–73°F — still cold by South Florida May standards wahoo and tuna improving as it warms
Late-spring transition window — sailfish action tapering but still producing, mahi and tuna ramping up.
Dominican Republic
Active- Blue Marlin
- White Marlin
- Charter operators reporting consistent blue marlin action from Casa de Campo to Cap Cana
- Cap Cana White Marlin Tournament fishing May 21–23 will provide a fresh data point on the white marlin push
Caribbean blue marlin run is active March–August with peak June. White marlin is the secondary species through the spring window.
Seasonal Outlook
In season as of May 5–11, 2026 — each window is the species' full run, start to finish. No fresh reports this week.
- AustraliaStriped Marlin (Jan–May)
- GuatemalaPacific Sailfish (Oct–Jun), Pacific Blue Marlin (Apr–Aug)
- HawaiiPacific Blue Marlin (Apr–Sep)
- MadeiraAtlantic Blue Marlin (May–Sep)
- Mexico (Caribbean)White Marlin (Apr–Aug)
- Mexico (Pacific)Striped Marlin (Jan–Jul)
- New ZealandStriped Marlin (Dec–May)
- PanamaPacific Sailfish (May–Sep)
- US Virgin IslandsWhite Marlin (Apr–May)
- VenezuelaAtlantic Blue Marlin (Mar–May)
Upcoming Tournaments
Savannah Sport Fishing Club Bluewater Invitational; 40th Annual International…
- May 11–16, 2026
- May 12–16, 2026
- Schedule window
- May 13–16, 2026
- May 13–17, 2026
- Schedule window
- May 15–17, 2026
- May 15–16, 2026
- May 15–17, 2026
- May 18–21, 2026
- May 20–23, 2026
- May 21–24, 2026
- May 21, 2026
- May 21–23, 2026
AI in Marine
How AI and technology are reshaping the marine and sportfishing industry.
Korean Register Adds AI Tools to KR-CON Maritime Compliance Platform
- What: Korean Register (KR) launched Version 24 of its KR-CON maritime conventions database in April 2026, adding AI-powered features designed to help shipowners navigate regulatory complexity. The upgrade introduces enhanced search, an AI summarization layer for international maritime conventions, and a regulatory comparison tool that surfaces conflicts between overlapping rulemaking frameworks. KR-CON is used across ship management, port-state-control prep, and classification surveys.
SourceMarine Link — KR adds AI tools to maritime compliance, April 7, 2026
Singapore Launches OCEANS-X Maritime Data Platform
- What: The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) debuted OCEANS-X — an open maritime data and API exchange platform — at Singapore Maritime Week 2026. The platform launched with 100-plus APIs and datasets and delivers secure system-to-system connectivity across the maritime ecosystem. Its first live service is digital port clearance. MPA also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Singapore Shipping Association to accelerate AI adoption across ship agency, ship management, chartering, and bunkering operations.
New Builds
Quiet week — no verified builds, launches, or deliveries to report.
Industry News
NOAA Sets 93-Day 2026 Recreational Gag; Florida Atlantic Red Snapper Season…
Industry
NOAA Sets 93-Day 2026 Recreational Gag Grouper Season in South Atlantic
- What: The 2026 recreational gag grouper season in South Atlantic federal waters opened May 1 and closes August 2 (93 days), per NOAA Fisheries. The truncated season reflects 2025 recreational landings exceeding the annual catch limit of 220,030 pounds gutted weight, triggering a reduction under Amendment 53 to the Snapper-Grouper FMP. Crews running Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas have a tighter window than prior years.
Industry
Florida Atlantic Red Snapper Season Expands to 39 Days Under New State Management
On May 1, 2026, Governor DeSantis and President Trump announced that NOAA approved Florida's Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP), allowing the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to temporarily manage recreational red snapper in Atlantic waters through 2028. The 2026 season runs 39 days — up from just two days in 2025.
Offshore Fuel Index
May 13 marine fuel update: national diesel $5.64; national gas $4.50
Marine Fuel Snapshot
Latest Prices & Estimates
- EIA National On-HighwayOfficial EIA national average, effective May 13, 2026.$5.64 diesel$4.50 gas↑ Up
- National Average (social-sourced)AAA / social-sourced national average, effective May 13, 2026.$5.59 diesel$4.52 gas↑ Up
- Gulf Coast (Venice / Grand Isle, est.)EIA Gulf Coast street averages plus local marine dock premiums.$5.45-$6.10 diesel$4.25-$4.55 gas↑ Up
- SE Florida (marina docks, est.)Florida street averages plus local marine dock premiums.$5.30-$6.00 diesel$4.70-$5.30 gas↑ Up
- Bahamas (out-island est.)Nassau diesel $6.41; Freeport $5.50; Abaco $6.25; Eleuthera $6.45; remote out islands $7.04+; verify dockside.$5.50-$6.50 diesel · $5.50-$6.35 gasout-island >$7.00 common↑ Up
Prices vary by location, supplier, and time. Always verify locally before fueling. USD per gallon.