One Day Away From Ft. Lauderdale Billfish Open
Sailfish Legends Join SFC's Atlantic Division Angling Clubs as Hired Guns
One more sleep...the SFC regular season opener, the 7 angling clubs of the Atlantic Division have descended on Pier Sixty-Six Resort & Marina for the Fort Lauderdale Billfish Open, presented by Yachts 360. The tournament picture is beginning to take shape. Here’s what SFC Insider learned from Media Day. Live TV coverage begins Thursday, April 17 from 11:00AM-1:00PM ET on SFC+ and from 3:00PM-5:00PM ET on ESPN+.
Sailfish legends everywhere
Aside from three-time World Sailfish Champion Peter Miller at the broadcast desk, several angling clubs in the Atlantic Division are some of the winningest sailfish anglers and captains in their own right. For some of the visiting clubs from up north, they’ve brought in some hired guns to guide them around the South Florida waters.
Miller’s “Get Lit” team was a sailfish dynasty in their own right in the late 2000s with Captains Ray Rocher and Quinton Dieterle at the helm. Both remain Miami sailfish royalty, with Rosher consulting for Lights Out New England Angling Club alongside Captain Tyler Dufresne and co-owner Rob Carmichael. Rosher runs a fleet of charter boats out of Grove Harbour Marina in Miami called “Miss Britt.”
There’s no mutiny on Miss Britt, but while Rosher competes with Lights Out, his boat and crew will compete in the Fort Lauderdale Billfish Open for North Carolina Flare Angling Club, filling in for Captain Brian Dressler and their 63’ F&S named “Sails Pitch.” Led by Captain Austin Porter, the Miss Britt-led Flare look to outshine their sensei.
South Carolina Outcast Angling Club signed Freddie David, brother to Miami-based captain Jimmy David of L&H sportfishing. Captain Stuart Lackey is a billfish legend in his own right, with his family being one of the first to ever land blue marlin in the Palmetto State.
NFL Stars Competing Beyond The Catch, Powered by Verizon
South Florida Sails will be represented by Miami mainstay “Osh-It,” and will have Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams angling with them. Williams loves fishing so much that he actually cut his honeymoon short to attend SFC’s The Catch, Powered by Verizon last weekend. Training in South Florida, he’s back to fish the 2025 season opener.
East Coast Remix Angling Club co-owner Raheem Mostert is expected to be in the cockpit starting on Friday, with his squad looking to be the early favorite. More than 800 bait fish are swimming in the pens surrounding their 62’ Viking, and it’s likely all will be used before lines out on Championship Saturday.
We’re just getting started with coverage of the Fort Lauderdale Billfish Open. We have more angling clubs to share as they roll out for the shotgun start at 7:30AM ET.