Bay Point Day 1: Renegades Hot Start, Cowboys Delayed with Bent Prop

The Third Coast Renegades made the biggest statement to end the opening day of the Bay Point Billfish Open, landing a crucial blue marlin release to separate themselves from their in-state rivals and the rest of the SFC field. 

Thursday began with an immense boat parade along Panama City Beach before the 10:00 AM shotgun start. The morning festivities even featured a fighter jet flyover, but a reported bird strike took one jet out of the formation, and looked to be an omen for mechanical troubles to come.

Just minutes after leaving the inlet, the Gulf Coast Cowboys were forced to return to Bay Point Marina after hitting bottom and severely damaging one of their propellers. Four of the five blades were bent, requiring the prop to be removed and sent to a local machine shop for repairs.

Meanwhile offshore, the Texas Lone Stars, got on the board At 12:36 PM, Bryan Richter released the tournament's first billfish; a sailfish worth 75 points to claim the early lead. Their strategy of fishing closer to home appeared to be paying dividends, with the Third Coast Renegades and West Florida Black Flags also expected to do the same.

Later in the afternoon, the Third Coast Renegades joined the action live on ESPN+ as Garrett Frazier released a sailfish.

The Lone Stars added another sailfish late in the afternoon as David Blackbird took the defending SFC league champions up to 150 points.

At 6:12 PM, Dylan Frazier and the Third Coast Renegades released the first blue marlin of the fleet, earning 450 points and vaulting into the overall lead with 525 points.

The Lone Stars answered with a third sailfish to reach 225 points, but the Renegades countered almost immediately. Garrett Frazier released his second sailfish of the day, extending their advantage to 600 points and cementing a day one lead.

While the leaderboard settled offshore, the Gulf Coast Cowboys had a breakthrough at the dock. Throughout the evening, the Cowboys' crew worked alongside service technicians to reinstall the repaired propeller, while also replacing a bow thruster pump. After more than 11 hours in the marina, the club finally departed Bay Point Marina at 9:14 PM, officially beginning the long overnight run.

The comeback is on.

Day 1 Leaderboard
Third Coast Renegades - 600 Points
Texas Lone Stars - 225 Points
Gulf Coast Cowboys
Mississippi Blues
Louisiana Canyons
West Florida Black Flags