Capt. Dave Lear’s PCBT 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 each day. ALL APPS, REAL TIME SCORING, 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.
Pirate's Cove Billfish Tournament News

Lasting Impression
Builder’s Choice definitely made a lasting impression in the 35th annual Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament. Angler Harris Huddle and his team put a 911-pound blue marlin on the dock on Tuesday, the first day of fishing, and never looked back. That blue, combined with a white marlin release the same day, vaulted the New Bern […]
Read More
Obsessive Behavior
Medical experts define obsessive-compulsive disorder as ritualized, repetitive behavior a person feels compelled to perform. There were all kinds of OCD types running through Oregon Inlet this week, but on Friday, the last day of competition in the 35th annual PCBT, Obsession led the fleet. Capt. Jeff Ross and his crew aboard the 55 Sheldon […]
Read More
Last Chance
Thursday’s leaderboard needed a big Magic Eraser as several boats scored releases to inch up only to be replaced a short while later. But at the end of the day that tallied 71 billfish among the 68 boats fishing, one name remained solidly in first place: Builder’s Choice. The 64 Jarrettt Bay and its New […]
Read More
Slower But Steady
Seventy-one billfish releases on light tackle is a pretty darn good day at most big-game destinations. But for the middle of August, off North Carolina’s Outer Banks, those numbers are just a tad off the norm. Several boats took advantage of their opportunities, however, and racked up some needed points on the leaderboard. They had […]
Read More
Blue Tuesday
Builder’s Choice has built an early commanding lead in the 2018 PCBT, without a doubt. Owner/angler Harris Huddle only needed 30 minutes to whip a monster blue marlin that nearly bent the boom on the diesel Caterpillar power lift used to hoist if from the cockpit of the 64 Jarrett Bay. The packed crowd watched […]
Read More
Strategy Sessions
The countdown has begun. In just a few short hours coffee will be ready in the galley, the docks will be bustling and the rumble of diesel engines will echo across the marina. The 2018 Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament is underway and 81 crews are busy developing game plans for the next four days. With […]
Read More