Last year's El Pescado winners, Bid Time.

Monique Burr Foundation Announces the El Pescado Billfish Tournament on October 2-4

JACKSONVILLE, Florida – The Monique Burr Foundation for Children announces the 20th Annual El Pescado Billfish Tournament will be Oct. 2-4. Proceeds from the event will benefit the foundation and its programs, which provide sexual abuse education and prevention to children in Northeast Florida.

“It is a pleasure to host the 20th annual El Pescado Billfish Tournament and we look forward to another exciting and successful event,” said Tournament Director Dennis Rosa. “Last year we raised more than $100,000 during the tournament and we believe this year’s event will match, if not exceed, that amount.”

The El Pescado Billfish Tournament will begin with a Captain’s Dinner on Thursday, Oct. 2. Fishing will start at 8:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, Oct.3-4. There will be an awards ceremony on Saturday evening where more than $130,000 in cash prizes will be awarded. The tournament will be run out of Camachee Cove in St. Augustine and is part of the world’s largest offshore sanctioning organization, the World Billfish Series (WBS). The series, which is comprised of six regional divisions, is one of the most successful and well-established billfish tournaments in the country.

The El Pescado Billfish Tournament, which is part of the highly competitive WBS Treasure Coast division, is expected to attract anglers from throughout the Atlantic coastal region. Dennis Rosa of Merrill Lynch is the tournament director and Buck Autrey of Miller Electric will serve as the honorary chairperson.

The entry fee is $1,950 per boat before Sept. 1. After Sept. 1, the entry fee increases to $2,400 per boat. Entries include six passes to all El Pescado Tournament functions. Boaters are also encouraged to enter the optional Tournament within a Tournament. Sponsorship opportunities are also available and range from $1,500 to $25,000. For more information about El Pescado Billfish Tournament and sponsorship opportunities, contact the Monique Burr Foundation at (904) 642-0210 or visit www.elpescadobillfish.com.

The Monique Burr Foundation for Children provides child abuse prevention education with the Good Touch Bad Touch program to more than 20,000 children each year. It also works in partnership with agencies serving children whose primary focus is preventing sexual abuse of children.

Bid Time returning victorious last year. Who wins this October?

For more information about the Monique Burr Foundation for Children, call (904) 642-0210 or visit www.moniqueburrfoundation.org.

Last year’s Pescado Billfish Tournament proved a success when 27 boats participated in the two-day event and raised more than $100,000 to support the foundation and its mission to prevent child abuse. Day one of the tournament ended with the entire fleet of 27 boats releasing 50 sailfish and setting a new tournament record. In two days of fishing, the participants released a tournament-record 103 sailfish and were awarded more than $100,000 in prize money.

The two-day tournament opened with perfect weather at the Camachee Cove Yacht Harbor in St. Augustine, Fla., and ended with the 61-foot Spencer Bid Time releasing 13 sailfish to win the tournament and the grand prize of $60,000. Ringleader took second place with 10 sailfish and $18,021, and Reel Pushy won third place with $10,035. After receiving his check, Reel Pushy’s owner, Robert Baker, generously returned the winnings to the Monique Burr Foundation.

The first sailfish of the tournament was released by Bree, a new 72-foot Merritt owned by honorary chairman and tournament founder Randy Ringhaver. The crew of Bree went on to release five more fish throughout the first day, winning $8,640 for the daily and first release. Joy Ride and Ringleader also released six fish on day one.

Day two of the tournament started with Ringleader, Joy Ride and Bree each releasing a sailfish before 9:30 a.m., but the crew of Bid Time, led by Captain Ray “Foz” Gibson of Ponce Inlet, was making a comeback. Before lunch, Gibson and his crew released four fish and they released five more in the afternoon. By the end of the two-day tournament, Bid Time’s crew released 13 sailfish and took home the grand prize.

Other awards given during the tournament included The Randy Ringhaver Top Angler award that went to Denny Doyle, who released five sailfish and won an invitation to fish the World Billfish Series (WBS) Championship in Los Suenos, Costa Rica, in December. The Top Junior Angler award went to Austin Burr, son of Monique Burr who the foundation is named after.

Presenting sponsors for the tournament included Ring Power and Miller Electric Company. Other major sponsors include Poker Room at St. Johns Greyhound Park and R.B. Baker Construction Inc. In-kind sponsors for the tournament include Carrabba’s, Sticky Fingers, Pepsi, Angie’s Subs, Champion Brands, Imperial Hat and Cutter & Buck.

“I would like to congratulate our participants for their outstanding sportsmanship and involvement in this year’s tournament,” Rosa said. “With everyone’s generosity and dedication, we were able to host a spectacular billfish tournament while at the same time supporting a worthwhile foundation.”

For more information about the Monique Burr Foundation for Children, call (904) 642-0210 or visit www.moniqueburrfoundation.org.