December 04, 2017
By Florida Sportsman Editor
$450,000 First Place Payout at Stake in Operation Sailfish
The 6th Annual Operation Sailfish, leg 1 of the Quest for the Crest Sailfish Series, is set for December 6-10 out of historic Sailfish Marina in West Palm Beach, FL. Participating teams will battle sailfish and each other to claim the champion's dog tags and their share of a cash purse that is expected to exceed $800,000. Team Crescendo took home the champion's title in 2016 coupled with a hefty payout of $239,280.
The added value Release Round Up has teams ready to charge hard at Operation Sailfish. This optional entry category has rolled over from last season with a winner take all jackpot expected to exceed $200,000! Combine that with other huge payouts up for grabs in the tournament and the top team has a shot at a $450,000 payday if they run the table!
It will take a strong performance over two days of fishing to secure the win, however, a variety of prize categories will keep teams in the zone from lines in to lines out. There are 2 tiers of optional entry daily categories that pay multiple places with the opportunity to win over $80,000 on a first place daily! Early bite and late bite categories also offer teams the chance to win some bonus cash in the first and second half of each day.
Outside of the competition, one of the highlights of Operation Sailfish is the opportunity to give back to the men and women who serve our country. The tournament schedule includes a ‘Take a Hero Fishing Day' on Thursday, December 7th where participating teams are paired with military veterans, active duty soldiers and wounded warriors for a day of fun fishing. In the spirit of competition, the heroes have an opportunity to win a few trophies of their own as well!
In addition to team payouts, proceeds from Operation Sailfish support Operation Homefront, a national 501c(3) military based charity that provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors. The tournament is also working together with Operation Homefront and Joey Accardi of Pompano Beach on a ‘Fill the Truck' toy drive to provide toys to children of military families in need during the holidays. A RAM 1500 will be on display at Sailfish Marina to receive toy donations during the tournament weekend. For more information visit http://www.bluewatermovements.com/opsail_charity/
The kick-off party opens on December 6th with a color guard ceremony and the national anthem. Competition days are December 8th and 9th followed by an awards brunch on Sunday, December 10th. Credentials are required for access to all event activities. Early entry for the tournament is $3,975 per team valid through November 15th. After November 15th, registration is $4,770 per team. For more information on Operation Sailfish visit www.operationsailfish.com or call (954) 725-4010. The entire Quest for the Crest Sailfish Series schedule can be found at www.questforthecrest.com.