Atlantic Division Power Rankings Before the Walker's Cay Open
How the division looks going into week 2 of the season at Walker's Cay
Our bags are (almost) packed, sunscreen and bug spray included, so it’s time to compile all my notes from the Key West Classic and the intel I’ve received from everyone’s travels since to give you my Atlantic Division Power Rankings leading into the iconic Walker’s Cay Open in the Bahamas.
These power rankings spell out how each crew looks going into the Walker’s Cay Open based on previous results, conditions coming into the weekend, gut instinct and some inside jokes. Will you learn what some of those are? Pay attention to our coverage this weekend to find all the Easter Eggs.
Meanwhile, here’s how your trusty SFC Insider stacks the division coming into Walker’s Cay:
New Jersey Sea Birds
These guys from exit 98 won the whole thing last year. Stephen Melchiorre released his first ever blue marlin, got a second one, and Jarrett Birch earned his mate of the year honors calling their shot by predicting the tournament-winning blue marlin roughly 20 minutes before they hooked it.
Their steering is fixed, which partly contributed to their Sunday slide down the leaderboard in Key West, starting the day in second place and finishing down in fourth. Hard to bet against the guys that climbed the gantry last year and took the flag home.
Lights Out Boston
The last four SFC regular season tournaments Lights Out have competed in, they’ve won. They’re going for no. 5 at Walker’s, where they finished in second place last year. Lights Out continues to chase history, and really cement their place as the dominant squad of the Atlantic Division. Their old rivals from New Jersey stand in their way.
South Florida Sails
Kind of a wildcard pick, South Florida Sails started hot in Key West, but faded over the course of the weekend. Meanwhile, they have been in the Bahamas fishing, including last weekend’s Production vs. Custom Shootout. All that knowledge means something, being able to learn the area and how the fish react in the ever-changing conditions.
North Carolina Flare
After marking blue marlin in Key West, the Flare are optimistic that the fish will surface and eat here in Walker’s. Their crew has grown since we saw them at the iconic island last year, and that bigger crew means more hands to work, prep and rig, which were part of the limitations from last season. More teamwork, to help make the dream work.
East Coast Remix
I wish I could say I have better reason to rank Remix here than I do. I have Remix at 5 because they finished fifth here at Walker’s last year. I debated putting Remix as high as 3, given that they are off to a better start than last season. Looking at their roster for Walker’s is what puts them lower on my list. With only 5 people, that’s the smallest roster of any Atlantic Club competing this weekend. Should the action be slow, this core group could pull out a win. Should the action be hectic, there may not be enough hands to keep up with the more heavily stacked squads, similar to what remix experienced in the final three tournaments of the 2025 regular season in Oak Bluffs and Ocean City, Maryland.
Rhode Island Breakers
Similarly to what I mentioned about the Breakers heading into Key West to start the year, I know this team is great in meatfish categories, specifically bigeye tuna. Billfish tournaments are a different story, requiring different tactics and preparation. I think the Breakers will be a bigger factor in the later season swing, but also not ruling out being proven 100% wrong by their trolling game.
South Carolina Outcast
You can’t have a redemption arc without having a lovable character at the bottom. That’s South Carolina Outcast this week. Stuart Lackey is retiring at the end of the year, and he was the only captain out of the group to visit Walker’s Cay before it was wiped off the map in the early 2000s. Combine that with their struggles last season here, with Barracudas eating all their bait. A trim tab malfunction required Steven Lackey to take a dangerous swim in shark infested waters for a temporary fix to get them back to Charleston.
If they pull out a win and climb the gantry, it’s going to be a true “started from the bottom,” moment for the Lowcountry Legends, giving them all the momentum they could ever ask for leading up to their home event on the USS Yorktown in Charleston.