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For the captain and crew of Cotton Patch, the 13th annual Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic was anything but unlucky. Lance Hill from Orange Beach, Ala., labored for almost six hours before reeling in an event-record 899.6-pound blue marlin. The record billfish…
For the captain and crew of Cotton Patch, the 13th annual Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic was anything but unlucky. Lance Hill from Orange Beach, Ala., labored for almost six hours before reeling in an event-record 899.6-pound blue marlin.
The record billfish was measured at 134 inches with a girth of 74 inches to earn Team Cotton Patch first place and a payout of $195,277. The tournament held at Baytowne Marina at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort doled out more than $1.5 million in winnings during the 2015 event.
Captain/owner Johnny Dorland said the ECBC championship win is about much more than simply dollars and cents, though.
“I caught my first billfish, a sail, in 1968 when I was 13 years old, out of Orange Beach, Ala.,” said Dorland. “So to come out on top in a tournament of this calibre, competing all summer against guys you respect and to do it with friends and family is very gratifying. Sure the money is nice. But to catch a fish like this one is definitely rewarding. And we’re not stopping. We’re going to keep after it until we catch another one that weighs 101 pounds more. That’s our next goal, to boat a grander.”
Twenty-nine teams took home a portion of the purse in a variety of categories from highest marlin weight, largest billfish catch and release, and game fish categories for tuna, dolphin and wahoo.
“What a week! We set new records for the number of boats entered, plus the new benchmark for blue marlin,” said Tournament Director Adam Alfonso. “The weather was beautiful, the fishing was awesome and I’d like to thank all the participating teams as well as all our wonderful sponsors for another fantastic event. The only way to top this one is to hit $2 million and weigh a grander next year.”
Known as the richest big-game tournament in the Gulf of Mexico, the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic is hosted by Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. ORCA Coolers was the 2015 Presenting Sponsor, while the Wind Creek Casino & Hotel—Atmore was the official Hotel Partner. Next year’s tournament will be held on June 22-26, 2016.
For more info, please visit Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic or follow them on Facebook.
