The results are in for The Billfish Foundation’s 2008 Tag and Release Program, and anglers from Miami to Panama City Beach represented the state of Florida well. The annual competition combined for a total of close to 16,000 tagging data reports and release notification cards from three of the world’s five oceans.

Awards were given to active TBF members and anglers who had tagged and/or released five or more of a billfish species to qualify. TBF members from over 70 countries were invited to participate in the competition. A total of 8,549 billfish were released without being tagged (release category). In the tag category, 7,180 billfish were tagged and released.

The winners were presented their awards at the Big Game Room at the 2009 Miami International Boat Show. Tag Category and Release Category winners are listed below:

Tag Category

Anglers - Pacific Ocean
Black Marlin – John Richardson, Bellville, Texas, USA
Blue Marlin – Mark Davis, Malibu, Calif., USA
Sailfish – Davis Clapp, West Palm Beach, Fla., USA
Spearfish – Michael Stewart, Kailua, Hawaii, USA
Striped Marlin – Paul Bender, Newport Beach, Calif., USA
Swordfish – Fernando Aguilar, Miami, Fla., USA

Captains - Pacific Ocean
Black Marlin – Gustavo Cordoba, Pinas Bay, Panama
Blue Marlin – Gene VanderHoek, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA
Sailfish – Ron Hamlin, West Palm Beach, Fla., USA
Spearfish – Kevin Hiney, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, USA
Striped Marlin – Martin Vigil Perez, Newport Beach, Calif., USA
Swordfish – Jose Maria Bonilla, Iztapa, Guatemala

Anglers - Atlantic Ocean
Blue Marlin – Sam Jennings, Juno Beach, Fla., USA
Sailfish – Gray Ingram, Jupiter, Fla., USA
White Marlin – Gray Ingram, Jupiter, Fla., USA

Captains - Atlantic Ocean
Blue Marlin – Graeme Fleet, Opna, New Zealand
(Graeme fished the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of Senegal.)
Sailfish – Bouncer Smith, Miami, Fla., USA
Swordfish – Rick Ross, West Palm Beach, Fla., USA
White Marlin – Ronnie Fields, Lake Park, Fla., USA

Anglers - Indian Ocean
Sailfish – Mike Tilbrook, Essex, United Kingdom

Captains - Indian Ocean
Black Marlin – Bernard Vale, Coral Bay, Australia
Blue Marlin – John Pearce, Phuket, Thailand
Sailfish – Ross Newton, Broome, Australia
Striped Marlin – Simon Hemphill, Ukunda, Kenya
Swordfish – Robert Hellier, Malindi, Kenya

Overall Tagging
Angler – Paul Bender, Newport Beach, Calif., USA
Captain – Ron Hamlin, West Palm Beach, Fla.,
Female Angler – Denise Wishney, San Clemente, Calif., USA

Release Category

Anglers - Pacific Ocean
Black – Barry Alty, Sovereign Island, Gold Coast, Australia
Blue – Gary Carter, Duluth, Ga., USA
Sailfish – Michael Viljoen, Knysna, South Africa
Striped – Paul Bender, Newport Beach, Calif., USA
Swordfish – John Angus, KeriKeri, New Zealand

Captains – Pacific Ocean
Black Marlin – Alan Geale, Houoays Beach, Australia
Blue Marlin – Brad Philipps, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Sailfish – Brad Philipps, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Striped Marlin – Martin Vigil Perez, Newport Beach, Calif., USA

Anglers – Atlantic Ocean
Blue Marlin – Bob DeGabrielle, Jupiter, Fla., USA
Sailfish – Bob DeGabrielle, Jupiter, Fla., USA
White Marlin – Carole Speicher, Leola, Pa., USA

Captains – Atlantic Ocean
Blue Marlin – Eddie Morrison, St. Thomas, USVI
Sailfish – VJ Bell, Stuart, Fla., USA
White Marlin – Donald Speicher, Leola, Pa., USA

Overall Release
Angler – Paul Bender, Newport Beach, Calif., USA
Captain – Brad Philipps, Guatemala.
Female Angler -- Lisa Everett, Nags Head, N.C., USA

Youth Tagging

9 - 10 -- Winner - Emmanuel Wildemann, Panama City, Fla., USA
Runner-Up -Mary Frances Daniel, Tallahassee, Fla., USA
Runner-Up – Savannah Ausley, Tallahassee, Fla., USA
11 - 12 – Winner - Jacob A. Pearcy, Oro Valley, Ariz., USA
13 - 15 -- Winner - Diego Erickson, Detroit Lakes, Minn., USA
Runner-Up - Robbie Angus, Keri Keri, New Zealand
16 - 17 -- Winner - Lauren Miller, Mesa, Ariz., USA

Overall Tagging

Diego Erickson, Detroit Lakes, Minn., USA

Youth Release

11 - 12 - Thomas Matthew Hardy, Centerville, Md., USA
13 - 15 - Winner - Parker Smith, Cordova, Tenn., USA
Runner-Up Mathew Edwards, Hobe Sound, Fla., USA

Overall Release

Parker Smith, Cordova, Tenn. USA