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
- 1Metal Masher3,500 pts / 5 BM / $50,000
- 2Boujee Marlin2,800 pts / $32,850
- 3Rising Sons1,400 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
- 1FRIGATE4,200 pts
- 2GRAND SLAM2,900 pts
- 3Southern C's2,150 pts
- 4Plane Simple2,050 pts
- 5Seraphim1,950 pts
- Billfish Release Standings (Top 5):
- Heaviest weighed billfish: no entries captured on the Reel Time page during the reporting window
Charleston Billfish Invitational
- 1Redemption2,000 pts
- 2FULLABULL600 pts
- 3Game On600 pts
- 4Hankosaurus Rex400 pts
- 5Man Cave400 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
- 1Hos N Around2,000 pts / $10,800
- 2Mountain High1,000 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
- 1Lunatico1,500 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
- 1Reelxcape II800 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
- 1Grandee300 pts (New Zealand team)
- 2Devorahpoints not published in captured article
- 3Baby Bluepoints not published in captured article
- 4Amanapoints not published in captured article
- 5Vikingpoints 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.
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
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.