Special delivery: Sign up for the free Marlin email newsletter. Subscribe to Marlin magazine and get a year of highly collectible, keepsake editions – plus access to the digital edition and archives.
Operation Sailfish, the first leg of the Quest for the Crest Sailfish Series, set a tournament record for the third consecutive year, with 63 teams competing at Sailfish Marina Resort in Palm Beach Shores, Florida. With an impressive $567,950 purse and the coveted champion’s dog tags at stake, the competition was fierce as teams released an impressive 405 sailfish over two days.
The tournament officially began on January 15th with a captain’s meeting and a patriotic salute to the U.S. military, performed by the tournament beneficiary, Operation Homefront.
On the first day of the tournament, the fishing kicked off with a bang, with the fleet recording over 70 sailfish releases in the first hour alone. By the end of the day, 291 sailfish had been released, setting a blistering pace. Old No. 7, captained by Jamie Ralph, led the pack with 15 releases, earning the Day One Early Bite award and first place in multiple calcuttas for a $61,390 payout.
Mallard, led by Capt. Randy Yates, followed closely with 11 releases, securing second in the Tier One and Tier Two Daily calcuttas and taking home $27,810. True Grit, captained by Ryland Dickey, matched the 11-release count but fell just short of second place, earning third in the Tier One Daily calcutta. Rounding out the top five were Jolene, captained by Drew Rhonehouse, with 11 releases, and Liquidated, led by Capt. Danny Clinton, with nine releases.
The meat fish action also delivered excitement, with Reel Conchy, captained by Joe Palandro, weighing in four kingfish totaling 170.4 pounds, earning $8,820.
Day Two saw a slowdown in the sailfish bite, with 111 releases compared to Day One’s impressive numbers. Despite some fresh faces emerging on the leaderboard, Jolene seized the securing six releases early on, bringing their two-day total to 17 and edging out Owe Deere by a single point. This clutch performance secured Jolene first place overall and a clean sweep of several calcuttas, for a total payout of $179,910.
Owe Deere, captained by Chandler Miles, had a standout performance on Day Two with an eight-release total, securing second place overall and first in the Small Boat Division, earning them $36,100. Old No. 7, consistently delivered across both days, finishing third overall with 15 releases.
The meat fish category continued to shine on Day Two, led by Get Bent/Slob City, captained by Carl Torresson. The team’s 181.1-pound haul of kingfish brought their weekend total to 348.9 pounds, earning them top honors in the Meat Fish Aggregate category and multiple calcuttas for a $39,795 overall payout.
Read Next: Interview with Jamie Bunn, Quest for the Crest Tournament Director.
The second leg of the Quest for the Crest Sailfish Series, the 22nd Annual Sailfish Challenge, is set to take place from February 19–23, 2025. With an estimated $600,000 purse and its unique three-inlet format, the Sailfish Challenge promises to be another unforgettable event.
