Weekly Tournament Digest · May 5–11, 2026
Metal Masher topped the Louisiana Gulf Coast Billfish Classic
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 Events Fish…
Louisiana Gulf Coast Billfish Classic
- 1Metal Masher3,500 pts / 5 BM / $50,000
- 2Boujee Marlin2,800 pts / $32,850
- 3Rising Sons1,400 pts
Key takeaways
- Fleet: 7 boats
- Fleet-wide releases: 14 blue marlin over 2 fishing days
- Total payout: $193,500
- Billfish Release Standings (Top 5):
Baker's Bay Invitational
- 1FRIGATE4,200 pts
- 2GRAND SLAM2,900 pts
- 3Southern C's2,150 pts
Key takeaways
- Event window: May 6–9, 2026 at Baker's Bay, Great Guana Cay, Abaco
- Fishing days: May 8–9, 2026 (captain's meeting May 7; awards May 9)
- 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
Key takeaways
- Fishing days: May 6–9, 2026
- Series: Opens the 2026 South Carolina Governor's Cup Billfishing Series
- Billfish Release Standings (Top 5):
- Heaviest Dolphin: Rare Breed — 24.20 lb
- 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
Key takeaways
- Fishing days: May 6–9, 2026
- Catch & Release Standings (Top 5):
- Heaviest Tuna: Mechanical Man — Lloyd Boedecker — 67.5 lb
- Tuna runner-up: Hos N Around — Jacob Davis — 66 lb
- Tuna 3rd: Wasted It — El May — 60 lb
Armed Forces Shootout
- 1Lunatico1,500 pts
Key takeaways
- Fishing days: May 7–9, 2026
- Host: Abaco Beach Resort & Boat Harbour Marina
- Billfish Release Standings (Top 5):
- Branch Battle Winner: U.S. Navy — 3,150 pts
- 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
Key takeaways
- Fishing days: May 7–9, 2026
- Billfish Release Standings (Top 5):
- Overall Top Weight (TWT): Oil Pen — 525 pts
- Gamefish Aggregate: Optimum — 138.47 lb
- 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
Key takeaways
- Final results published May 9, 2026
- Overall Standings (Top 5):
Billfish Hotspots
Cape Verde (Mindelo and São Vicente) Firing; 5 Regions Reporting
Cape Verde (Mindelo and São Vicente)
Hot- Atlantic Blue Marlin
- Charter operators report 5–15 hookups per day not uncommon during the March–July prime - Fish size ranges widely from 100 kg up through grander class - 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 (Walker's Cay, Marsh Harbour, Abacos)
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 - 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 (Quepos / Los Sueños and Guanacaste)
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 - 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.
9 / Seasonal Calendar
Active and Peak Regions Active; 10 Regions Mapped
| Region | Species | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active and Peak Regions | May 2026 | ACTIVE | — |
| Gulf of Mexico (Louisiana to Texas) | Blue Marlin / Yellowfin Tuna / Wahoo | ACTIVE | — |
| Southeast Atlantic Coast (South Carolina and North Carolina) | White Marlin / Blue Marlin / Sailfish | ACTIVE | — |
| Bahamas (Abacos and Walker's Cay) | Blue Marlin / White Marlin / Sailfish | ACTIVE | — |
| Dominican Republic (Cap Cana) | Blue Marlin / White Marlin | ACTIVE | — |
| Costa Rica (Quepos and the South Pacific) | Pacific Sailfish / Striped Marlin | ACTIVE | — |
| Southeast Florida (Palm Beach and Jupiter) | Sailfish / Wahoo | ACTIVE | — |
| Cape Verde (Mindelo and São Vicente) | Blue Marlin | ACTIVE | — |
| Regions Winding Down | ACTIVE | — | |
| Regions Starting Soon | ACTIVE | — |
Upcoming Tournaments
Savannah Sport Fishing Club Bluewater Invitational; 40th Annual International…
- May 11–16, 2026
Savannah Sport Fishing Club Bluewater Invitational
Savannah, GA · Blue marlin, mahi-mahi, wahoo - May 12–16, 2026
40th Annual International Marlin Madness
Trinidad & Tobago · Blue marlin, sailfish - May 12–16, 2026
Hatteras Village Offshore Open
Hatteras, NC · Blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish, wahoo - May 12–16, 2026 (fishing May 14–16)
Orange Beach Billfish Classic
Orange Beach, AL · Blue marlin, white marlin - May 13–16, 2026
Custom Shootout
Abaco, Bahamas · Blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish, spearfish - May 13–17, 2026
Pompano Beach Saltwater Shootout
Pompano Beach, FL · Mahi-mahi, wahoo, king mackerel, cobia - May 14–17, 2026 (fishing May 15–17)
Walker's Cay SFC Blue Marlin Open
Walker's Cay, Bahamas · Blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish - May 15–17, 2026
10 / AI in the Marine Industry
Korean Register Adds AI Tools to; Singapore Launches OCEANS-X Maritime Data…
Korean Register Adds AI Tools to KR-CON Maritime Compliance Platform
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.
Singapore Launches OCEANS-X Maritime Data Platform
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.
more on how AI is reshaping the marine industry — from navigation and safety to fishing analytics and yard management — visit Marine AI Pro.*
4 / New Builds
New Builds & Launches
No new builds or launches reported this week.
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
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.
6 / Market Pulse
No new sportfishing or center-console brokerage market index reports were publis
No new sportfishing or center-console brokerage market index reports were published during the May 5–11 window. The most current benchmark remains the Denison/Boats Group 2025 Year-End Market Index, released March 2026:
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Offshore Fuel Index
EIA National On-Highway Diesel $5.640/gal; National Average Diesel Hike Coming
| Region | $/gal | Trend |
|---|---|---|
EIA National On-Highway Diesel EIA weekly data via LinkedIn, May 4, 2026 | $5.640/gal | ↑ Up |
National Average Diesel (social-sourced) Facebook reference, May 5, 2026 | $5.659/gal | ↑ Up |
Gulf Coast (Venice / Grand Isle, est.) Marina dock premiums typically 20–30¢ above street; estimate only | ~$5.50–$6.10/gal | ↑ Up |
SE Florida (marina docks, est.) Estimate only | ~$5.30–$6.00/gal | ↑ Up |
Bahamas (out-island, est.) Walker's Cay, Guana Cay pricing historically well above US averages; confirm dockside before departure | ~$5.50–$9.00+/gal | — — |
What to Watch
Orange Beach Billfish Classic — Gulf; Walker's Cay SFC Blue Marlin Open
Orange Beach Billfish Classic — Gulf Coast Triple Crown Series Opener
First fishing day is Thursday, May 14 at 10:30 AM. The OBBC opens the Gulf Coast Triple Crown, making it the most consequential Gulf event of the week. Watch for blue marlin release counts and any early reads on the post-LGCBC Gulf bite. Host site: orangebeachbillfishclassic.com.Walker's Cay SFC Blue Marlin Open — Bahamas
Fishing days May 15–17 at Walker's Cay. Part of the Sportfishing Championship Atlantic Division points race. The Bahamas blue marlin season is hitting its stride, and this is the first SFC Atlantic event since the IGFA Walker's Cay Shootout in April. Tournament details on SportFish Hub.Hatteras Village Offshore Open — Cape Hatteras, NC
Event window May 12–16. One of the premier North Carolina offshore events, historically attracting strong blue marlin and wahoo fields as the canyon bite opens. Host site: hvoo.org.Savannah Sport Fishing Club Bluewater Invitational — Georgia
Captain's Choice format running May 11–16 — boats fish 2 of 6 days with only the best day counting. Offshore World Championship qualifier with $75,000+ in cash prizes and an optional $100k for a Georgia state-record blue marlin. The first Atlantic OWC qualifier of the May calendar.Custom Shootout — Abaco, Bahamas
Skip's Tournaments returns to Abaco May 13–16 with the all-release Custom Shootout. Companion event to the production-vs-custom Shootout that wrapped May 2 with 343 fleet billfish.Diesel Watch: Will the $0.30 Spike Extend?
The week of May 4 reversed two weeks of easing with the largest single-week rise of the spring. Next EIA and AAA data drops (mid-week) will show whether the surge holds or corrects ahead of the summer tournament season.