What began as an attempt to retrieve a hat that blew overboard turned into the catch of the day for angler Eli James, who reeled in a 30.35 pound kingfish during the 35th Annual Bastille Day Kingfish Tournament on Sunday.
James, fishing aboard Catch and Keep, credited the win to backtracking over the water as the captain, Kai Holmberg, circled back in an unsuccessful effort to recover fellow angler Nate Gatliffe’s hat. In the end, the detour proved worthwhile.
“The planer tripped, I started reeling, cranking in the line nice and easy,” James told the media. After a ten minute fight, he landed the largest kingfish of the tournament, earning the top prize of $2,000 in cash along with additional awards.
“We caught it right in the end there,” said Holmberg. “We didn’t give up. We fished the whole way through and it paid off.”
The crew normally fishes together and is no stranger to winning the tournament. When asked what was the biggest challenge this year compared to previous years, Holmberg jokingly replied, “We didn’t bring enough beer.”
Hosted by the Northside Sportfishing Club, this year’s tournament attracted 177 anglers, including 39 junior anglers, fishing aboard 42 boats. Though some boats may only have competitors on board, some allow space for family and friends to join on the water. However, in order for an angler’s catch to be considered for competition, they must be at least eight years old and registered as a junior angler.
Thomas Ledee, fishing aboard Lucky Strike, claimed second place with a 24.80 pound kingfish, followed by Billy Biscoe aboard Isle with a 24.25-pound catch. Allison Querrard rounded out the top four, landing a 23.75 pound kingfish aboard Wicked Intentions.
Tournament judges Daryl Bryan and Bobby Laplace conducted the official weigh-in, where a total of 78 fish weighing 637.7 pounds were recorded. Of those, 40 were kingfish with a combined weight of 506.7 pounds.
The crew of Catch and Keep earned additional prizes. In addition to James’ championship fish, Holmberg earned Best Captain honors after his crew landed seven kingfish.
The vessel also captured the Best Boat title by boating 10 eligible fish during the competition. James was also recognized as Best Male Angler after recording a combined catch weight of 78.15 pounds.
Chelsea Aubain, fishing aboard Kaos, earned Best Female Angler with a total catch weight of 41 pounds. Among the junior anglers, Shane Berry of Two Reel captured Best Junior Male honors with 59.35 pounds of fish, while Tori Aubain aboard Virgin Coast was named Best Junior Female after weighing in 21.60 pounds.
Though kingfish is the tournament species, anglers also competed for prizes in additional categories. Shawn Scott aboard Catch and Keep won Largest Mackerel with an 8.70 pound catch, while Connor Szarmach aboard Double Header 5 earned the Largest Bonito award with a 3.25 pound fish.
Following the weigh-in, attendees gathered at The Shack and The Hideaway at Hull Bay for live entertainment by Oleik- The Music Man with Saline Combo, Klimaxx Band, and Obsession Band before the evening awards ceremony. Food vendors were present, as well as a “Kid’s Corner” booth for children to participate in arts and crafts activities.
First organized in 1988, the Bastille Day Kingfish Tournament has grown into a popular summer event. The annual event is one of the signature celebrations of the territory’s French Heritage Week and was recognized by National Geographic in 2019 as one of the world’s ‘9 Bastille Day events that celebrate French culture.
“I think it’s the timeless quality of always knowing what to expect where sometimes small community events get bigger or sometimes grow beyond the target audience,” said Carol Bareuther, media liaison for the Northside Sportfishing Club. “This remains both a very competitive fishing tournament but very much a community event at the same time.”
Due to snags in logistics, the competition did not occur last year, but had a lively start back this year. Over the past three decades, the nonprofit Northside Sportfishing Club has donated more than $230,000 to local organizations and scholarships, continuing the tournament’s tradition of combining sportfishing with community support.
