Today's the first day participants can cast off and head for the sailfish grounds as part of World Sailfish Championship (April 14-18), but it’s going to be tough to top the Vitamin Sea Too crew pre-fishing for the tournament last week.

Pompano Beach resident Tim Maddock and crew caught and released 50 sailfish off Key West Thursday, April 9, while tuning up for the tourney.

"The fish were just pouring through," Maddock said. "We had 60 bites and caught 50 of them." Maddock said he ran out of bait three times, borrowing each time from a nearby boat.

Mike Weinhofer, World Sailfish Championship director, believes it’s a new one-day Florida Keys’ record, maybe even a state record. The previous Keys’ record was 37 sailfish releases in one day, achieved in May 2005 by Captain Marty Lewis on the Main Attraction off Marathon.

"The World Sailfish tournament is in its seventh year and it's never been won with more than 15 fish," Maddock said. "Timing is everything."

Maddock, who owns the Vitamin Sea Too, a 33-foot Contender, fished with Mike Reisert of Pompano Beach; Chris Zidar of Boca Raton; Jon Kreig, Deerfield Beach, Chris Meek of Pompano; and Mike Dinnen of Fort Lauderdale.