The first leg of the 2021 Quest for the Crest Sailfish Series, produced by Bluewater Movements, was Operation Sailfish, which attracted 47 boats and was held out of Sailfish Marina on Singer Island, Florida. At stake this year was a cash purse of $533,000 and the champion’s engraved dog tags.
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Amid challenging conditions and tough fishing, the Showtime/Remix team clawed their way through the ranks to emerge as the event’s top boat, pocketing $67,500. The team released eight sailfish on time, five of which came from angler Frankie Villasante, who was also named the tournament’s top angler.
Fielding a new Viking for this year’s tournament series, Capt. Trey Claus and Team HMY waged a back-and-forth battle with Showtime/Remix throughout the event but fell just short in the end to finish in second place with eight sails. However, they did have a big first day with six releases to win $53,100 for the daily, ultimately taking home a total of $75,360 once the spray had cleared.
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In one of the tightest finishes in tournament history, the Goin’ Raptor team also released eight sails to place third, with release times again determining the final order of finish; the team took home $11,340. Thanks to their participation in several of the tournament’s optional jackpots, Fish On actually won the most money this year—$102,715—as well as a fourth-place finish with six sailfish releases. Reel Synergy rounded out the top five, starting off the second day of fishing to a strong start with a quad, ultimately winning $85,260 as the top daily boat on Day Two and fifth place overall. Team Blue Moon swept the top three places in the meatfish division to earn $55,250.
