East Coast Remix Angling Club Claim Inaugural HUK Charleston Billfish Cup, Presented by PENN

Winning a major fishing tournament brings up a ton of feelings, whether it be joy or elation. For East Coast Remix Captain JC Cleare it also provided another feeling.

Relief.

“We definitely needed this win to climb up the standings, as we didn’t do as well as planned in the first couple of tournaments,” Cleare said. 

East Coast Remix have won every single fishing tournament there is in South Florida, and have placed in multiple major billfish tournaments across the country and the Bahamas. But prior to the inaugural HUK Charleston Billfish Cup, presented by PENN, the sailfish kings of South Florida hadn’t finished higher than fifth. Granted, their SFC tenure has only spanned two regular season events. One of which being the season-opening Fort Lauderdale Billfish Open, the other being the Walker’s Cay Open. 

Third time was a charm. East Coast Remix led early into day one of the Charleston Billfish Cup, shortened one day due to weather. A blue marlin release on day one at 10:40AM gave Remix the lead over Lights Out New England Angling Club, who released a sailfish less than 20 minutes after lines in. 

A second blue marlin a few minutes later put Remix in firm control of first place, capping their day with a sailfish release at 2:47PM. Those 975 points were all Remix needed to take the win, but a slow bite made things very uncomfortable on the boat. Paranoia that other clubs could potentially take the win with another blue marlin release or hooking a couple of sailfish meant Remix had to continue looking for fish to find some insurance. 

North Carolina Flare Angling Club were nipping at their heels, sitting in second with 900 points after day one and also desperately searching for a fish. Lights Out New England had hot mornings but struggled to raise fish later in the day. A blue marlin release on Championship Saturday by Tucker Carmichael meant that another blue marlin would have given Lights Out the lead, and potentially the win. 

In the closing minutes, Remix found some activity. 

“In those last two minutes, we had a blue [marlin] come up on the teaser,” Cleare said. “He faded away and didn’t get it, but then a sailfish came up and we missed it, but Kenny [Hernandez] hooked in on the long line right at lines out.”  

3:59PM, the live ESPN+ broadcast caught the rod bend and the message was relayed to the tournament director. 

“It was kind of a cool way to finish, a walk-off home run,” Cleare said. 

Baseball references are appropriate, with JC being a former baseball player himself. A colleague of his and a teammate for this SFC season includes Doug Mientkiewicz, 12-year major leaguer, 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist with Team USA, and 2004 World Series Champion with the Boston Red Sox.

The victory does wonders for East Coast Remix in the SFC Atlantic Division standings, catapulting them from fifth to third. Lights Out New England Angling Club finishing in third, keeps a 100-point lead over Remix for the second and final Atlantic sport for the Zane Grey Championship Playoffs. With only 100 points separating the two clubs, every placement in the final three tournaments of their regular season has major implications. 

While it was a slow tournament for the New Jersey Sea Birds, following up their victory at the Walker’s Cay Open with a fourth place finish, their single blue marlin release on Championship Saturday did wonders to keep their overall Atlantic Division points lead healthy. 

Their gap to second place is 700 points. Without that fish, the Sea Birds would only be ahead by 300 points. Something we’ve learned so far in this division, it’s that no lead is safe. 

Current Atlantic Division Standings
1) New Jersey Sea Birds - 9,100 Points
2) Lights Out New England - 8,400 Points
3) East Coast Remix - 8,300 Points
4) South Carolina Outcast - 7,900 Points
T5) South Florida Sails - 7,400 Points
T5) North Carolina Flare - 7,400 Points
7) New York Granders - 7,000 Points

With a little more than a month until the next divisional tournament at the Oak Bluffs Bluewater Classic, we wish the Atlantic clubs safe passage and tight lines. In the meantime, we’re shifting gears back to the Gulf Division this week for the Gulfport Mississippi Open. 

Hopefully the bluefin tunas are gone by now. I know Jaselyn Berthelot and the Mississippi Blues will be happy to see them go with this being their home event.