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The 88th annual Silver Sailfish Derby, hosted by the West Palm Beach Fishing Club (WPBFC) and touted as the “world’s oldest sailfish tournament,” delivered exceptional action and strong fishing.
With temperatures dipping into the 40s and northwest winds creating sporty 5-7 ft seas, the sold-out fleet of 50 boats embraced the ideal South Florida sailfishing conditions.
By the end of Day One, Mallard, a 54-foot Sculley captained by Randy Yates, took the daily with 10 releases, by time. Not far behind were Hydrosphere with 10 releases, Fish On with eight releases, and Twin Reels with five releases.
The second and final day brought a shift in weather, with the wind turning east and temperatures climbing slightly. Despite calmer seas, the bite remained consistent, with crews collectively releasing 109 sailfish by the end of the day.
Twin Reels, a 64-foot Viking captained by Darrin Isaacs, capitalized on the improved conditions, adding seven more releases to their total and securing a second-place finish overall with 12 sailfish.
However, it was Fish On, the 48-foot Viking captained by Andrew Dotterweich, that delivered a thrilling performance to close out the tournament. Hooking a double at 3:16 pm, they landed both fish before securing another release at 3:57 pm. With “Lines Out” called at 4:00 pm, the team reported their final hookup just in time, ultimately releasing a fourth fish at 4:11 pm.
This last-minute flurry propelled Fish On to the top of the leaderboard with 14 releases, earning them Top Boat and cementing their place in Derby history. Dotterweich’s performance earned him the prestigious Top Captain Award, presented in memory of legendary captain Jack Morrow.
Mallard, which had dominated on the first day, added just one more release on Day Two to finish in third place with 11 sailfish.
Angler Michael Buckland aboard Hydrosphere, a 57-foot Dean Johnson captained by Matt Collins, released seven sailfish to earn Top Angler Overall and the historic Mrs. Henry R. Rea trophy. Tatiana Usova, fishing aboard the 46-foot Release Boatworks Charlie, finished with six sailfish to secure the Top Lady Angler title and a third-place overall angler finish.
Read Next: The World’s Best Destinations for Sailfish.
The Small Boat category delivered one of the event’s most compelling stories. Aboard the 27-foot Conch, Permitted, captain Greg Bogdan and solo angler Rich Lindner finished with six releases, including a triple-header that Lindner landed single-handedly, to win Top Small Boat. The Top Tag Team trophy went to Blue Devil, a 45’ Grady White captained by Steve Magassy, with five tagged fish.
