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Capt. Dave Lear’s AKL Blog

Please welcome Capt. Dave Lear who will be covering the event and posting photos each day. Capt. Dave Lear has been covering big-game fishing for more than two decades, first as the editor of Marlin magazine and later as an award-winning freelance writer and tournament correspondent. The former executive director of The Billfish Foundation was also the 51st angler to gain membership in the IGFA’s exclusive Royal Billfish Slam Club by catching and releasing all nine species of billfish. Learn more about Dave at www.captaindavelear.com.

Keep in mind that official scores will not be posted until after 9PM on Sunday. TWITTER INFORMATION AND WEB CAM WEIGH INS ARE FOR ENTERTAINMENT VALUE ONLY! We are welcoming back Tournament Control to score our event and as the rules state teams won’t actually earn points until they turn their scorecard in (on time) and it is accepted by tournament staff.

Sailing Away

The 163 teams of lady anglers found smooth sailing on Sunday off North Carolina’s prolific Outer Banks. The fleet released 162 billfish, with 147 of that tally being Atlantic sailfish. Seven blue marlin and eight white marlin were also released by the competitors. Country Girl, a 57 Buddy Cannady run by Capt. Charles Foreman, took […]

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Lasting Impact

A person’s legacy is often measured by the impact on other lives and the friends left behind. For the hundreds of women gathering at the Pirate’s Cove Marina Pavilion Saturday night, that person is Alice Kelly. While many knew her as a passionate angler and tireless volunteer, others never met the namesake of the Alice […]

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Timely Win

At the 33rd annual Alice Kelly Memorial Ladies Only Billfish Tournament, the bridesmaids walked down the aisle to the awards alter. After finishing second last year, Team Bi-Op-Sea captured the Billfish Jackpot and the top team trophy in 2022. The tally of two sailfish and one blue marlin releases based on time earned a jackpot […]

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Flip Flop

A year later and the standings are reversed. At the conclusion of the 2021 Alice Kelly Memorial Ladies Only Billfish Tournament, Tarheel was the top team. That version was the 62 Bayliss with Capt. John Bayliss at the helm. Bi-Op-Sea, a 59 Spencer led by Capt. Jesse Granitzki came in second. Fast forward to 2022, […]

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Solidarity

Sequins, feathers and hot pink were the dominant accents at the Pirate’s Cove Marina Pavilion Saturday night as the 33rd annual Alice Kelly Ladies Only Memorial Billfish Tournament got underway. Named after a passionate local angler and victim of cancer, proceeds of this memorial event go to the Interfaith Community Outreach—Cancer Program to help support […]

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Contact Us
Heather Maxwell
Pirates Cove Billfish Tournaments Tournament Director
+1.252.305.3610
[email protected]