A dozen top billfish teams battled it out on the cobalt waters off Playa Carillo, Costa Rica, last week and when the transom smoke cleared, the crew onboard Hattaboy took top honors.

The tournament, which was held Mach 4-7, saw its parcticipants dealing with unsually windy weather during parts of the event but all competing crews perservered and found fish. And who wouldn't head out when you can come to a place that offers you equal shots at blue marlin, striped marlin, and broad-shouldered Pacific sailfish.

According to tournament director Joan Vernon, day one ended with the Texas-based Sea Angel team owning a slim lead over the rest of the fleet with 800 points, followed by the Hattaboy, owned by Ted Smith and based out of Los Suenos Resort and Marina, with 600 points. The Big Oh, hailing from Jupiter, Florida, and owned by Gray Ingram, slid into third after the first day of fishing with 600 points. Each of the leading teams released one blue marlin, worth 300 points, then added a few more sailfish worth 100 points each.

For two more days, the crews chased, caught, and released a plethora of plelagics and the anglers onboard Hattaboy found productive water and the bites. By lines out on the final day, this crew had swept both the Top Team standings and the Costa Del Mar Top Angler division. They had added another marlin and four sails to their total to score 1700 points. In three days of fishing, Hattaboy scored a marlin release every day, with the final tally being three marlin and eight sailfish released.

Finishing in second place was the Big Oh team at 1300 points. Led by owner Gray Ingram, they fell just short of the mark set by the Hattaboy. Ingram was the third place angler with 600 points. The Sea Angel crew finished third in the team standings.

 
Next year’s Presidential Challenge of Central America’s Costa Rica tournament is scheduled for March 24-27, 2011.