Fishermen have great praises for the FADS

The ANSA Merchant Bank Brian Manning Memorial Billfish Tournament took place over the past weekend with ten boats registering for what was a hugely successful game fishing competition.

On both days of the tournament, no fewer than 20 Sailfish and Blue Marlin were hooked by the anglers on each day. The participating anglers all agreed that the FADS (Fish Aggregating Devices), which were deployed around the coast of Barbados last year, greatly increased the number of fish seen.

The winners were: 

1st Place – Mamzelle – 600 points, four Sailfish and one Marlin

2nd Place – Lion Heart – 400 points, two Marlin

The Lion Heart crew copped second position.

3rd Place – Remember Me Now – 400 points, two Sailfish, one Marlin

Remember Me came in third Position with 400 Points.

The junior angler prize, in loving memory of Amalee Mayers, was won by 14-year-old Shamal Crick on the vessel Remember Me Now with a Sailfish. It was an emotional moment for the anglers as this was the same vessel on which young Amalee Mayers used to fish.

Frances Parravicino presents the Junior Angler Prize to Shamal Crick.

Paul Hamel-Smith, president of the Barbados Game Fishing Association (BGFA), said it was really an excellent time of year to host the billfish tournament. “We hope next year we will see anglers from other islands participating as well. Hooking in the region of forty billfish over two days is quite phenomenal and sometimes even with larger international tournaments anglers do not see the quantity of billfish we experienced this weekend,” he said. (PR)