Though the fish were not biting like how they did last year at the Bastille Day King Fish Tournament, on Sunday, Gilbert Laban managed to reel in a kingfish larger than his competitors and snag first place prize at the Bastille Day Kingfish Tournament at Hull Bay, earning himself a couple thousand dollars.
The tournament, hosted by the Northside Sportfishing Club, was first organized in 1988 and has become one of the most anticipated events of French heritage celebrations on St. Thomas. On tournament day, fishermen begin casting their lines in the water at 5:30 a.m. and have until noon to reel in the largest catch.
On Sunday, as the noon deadline approached and the fishermen were still at sea, many found their buckets and coolers empty from not having caught any fish. However, an eager crowd ready to witness the catches of the day was near the shore, waiting to see what would be brought in from the ocean and who would win the largest kingfish award.
“Last year we had a lot of kingfish. Big ones,” said David Berry, one of the founders of the tournament. “This year, not so much.”
However, that did not stop Gilbert Laban from reeling in a 26.9-pound kingfish on board the 38-foot Calypso, “Double Header 6,” seizing the first place award and a $2,000 cash prize.
“We left Sapphire Marina, headed south, and started trolling, Laban told the press. “It was between 6:30 and 7 a.m. that I caught the big one. It took about 10 minutes. We had a couple more bites after that, but nothing bigger.”
Laban was not the only one who seized a noteworthy kingfish. He was one of 177 anglers on 40 boats, including 37 junior anglers, who fished in the tournament this year. Chelsea Aubain won the Best Female prize for her 23.85 kingfish while fishing on “Nonsense.”
Though the kingfish is the headliner of the tournament, participants can win titles in other areas as well. Each prize category won at least $500. Reanna Stiehler, aboard “Wicked Intention,” won the Largest Mackerel with her 6.35-pound catch, and Jake Raffa won Largest Bonito with his 4.25-pounder aboard “Early Bird.” Tyler Maltby won the Best Captain award as the “Double Header 6” reeled in five kingfish. The vessel also won the Best Boat award. Daryl Bryan and Bobby Laplace officially judged the tournament this year, officially weighing in the catches.
In total, 59 fish were caught, weighing 351 pounds. Out of that, 27 were kingfish, weighing 258 pounds.
Benefits from the Bastille Day Kingfish Tournament go to Joseph Sibilly School, St. Thomas Rescue, Nana Baby Children’s Home, and the St. Thomas Fisherman’s Association, and college scholarships. Over the past three-plus decades, the nonprofit Northside Sportfishing Club’s annual Bastille Day Kingfish Tournament has donated over $230,000 to community organizations and scholarships.
The Northside Sport Fishing Club would like to thank local businesses for assisting with the event. For more information on the organization, email nssfcvi@gmail.com or call
340-998-0854.
