LIVE UPDATES: The Billfish Pachanga

Surely everyone who doesn’t speak Spanish, or lives in the state of Texas is asking what a “pachanga” is. It’s a word meaning a big party, which is exactly what we’re seeing down here in Port Aransas with the Gulf Division. While we have the Atlantic Division competing in OBBC, the Billfish Pachanga puts the double in SFC’s “Doubled Up” weekend coverage. 

This is the penultimate stop in the Gulf Division, and leads into a long break before the final tournament in Orange Beach Alabama at the Mobile Big Game Fishing Club. There is a lot on the line here, with the Third Coast Renegades able to clinch their Zane Grey Championship Playoff spot. There’s also three clubs within 300 points of the second place Mississippi Blues Angling Club.  

The Pachanga is a late addition to the SFC calendar, so several clubs have chartered local teams to compete on their behalf. Here’s the breakdown of who is who for this week:

Texas Lone Stars Angling Club: This is our normal crew with Captain Spencer Johnson, and their boat “Freebird.” Port Aransas is their home, making them the heavy favorites here. 

Mississippi Blues Angling Club: Jaselyn Berthelot and her father Toby are flying in on a redeye. Not from their home, but from the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles, where Jaselyn was invited by the network to attend representing SFC and the greater sportfishing community. 

Third Coast Renegades Angling Club: are being represented by “Cutter Bill, a 70’ Viking.
Louisiana Canyons: Represented by “Backlashm” a 74’ Ricky Scarborough.
Gulf Coast Cowboys: Represented by “Vamonos,” a 63’ Spencer.
West Florida Black Flags: Represented by “Sea Señora,” a 66’ Viking

DAY 1: THURSDAY, JULY 17
*ALL TIMES CENTRAL

10:35AM - She’s here! Jaselyn Berthelot has arrived here in Port Aransas. Her flight landed in Corpus Christi at 9:40AM where she and Toby jumped straight into a car to make it for the 11:00AM Shotgun Start.

11:00AM - Shotgun Start! Quite the site at the Port Aransas jetty, with all the boats in this larger tournament heading out. A center console catamaran was leading the way followed by a peloton of sporties. 

2:00PM - We’re getting reports from the Lone Stars that they may have struck a log or a tree on the way out from the shotgun start. They’re running slow to their spot and there appears to be some smoke coming up from the starboard exhaust.

3:00PM - Renegades think they may have struck something on the way out, but no visible smoke like the Lone Stars. We’ve seen some fish from their boat, mostly jacks and mahi mahi. But if they’ve found mahi-mahi, they may be near some billfish.

Looking at the larger tournament, there looks to be some billfish action out there to be had. There’s a couple sailfish on the board, a white marlin and a blue marlin.

3:56PM - Looks like we’ve got some action! Charley Hicks, an angler on the team filling in for Third Coast Renegades, has a belt on and looks to be fighting a fish.

3:58PM - We’ve got a replay of a jump that looks to be a blue marlin! Our first billfish tight is the right kind. 

4:07PM - Blue marlin on the board! Renegades secure the release for the early lead.

5:05PM - Lone Stars are on the board! They’ve found a sailfish and Bryan Richter is the angler to release it. That name should be familiar, he was one of the anglers who had a personal billfish grand slam in the Pensacola Billfish Release Tournament. 

6:28PM  - Cowboys are on the board! Angler Thomas Jones releases a sailfish for their first points of the Pachanga.

6:31PM - White Marlin! We’ve got a billfish grand slam for the overall tournament so far in the first four fish. Texas Lone Stars and angler Ryan Richter are responsible for this one, and increase their point total to 175.

6:52PM - Canyons with a sailfish! Travis Hunter releases the sailfish to get on the board, and into fourth place overall. 

7:20PM - Another white marlin! This time for Louisiana Canyons, that’s their second fish of the tournament and they’re not even with the Texas Lone Stars on points, but behind on time.

7:56PM - Lone Stars add another sailfish to their score, courtesy of Bryan Richter. He’s a blue marlin away from another grand slam. We’ll see if he finds one tomorrow. 

With things winding down in Day 1, here’s how the leaderboard looks:

Third Coast Renegades - 450 Points
Texas Lone Stars - 250 Points
Louisiana Canyons - 100 Points
Gulf Coast Cowboys - 75 Points
Mississippi Blues - 0 Points
West Florida Black Flags - 0 Points

 

DAY 2: FRIDAY, JULY 18

7:09AM - Mississippi Blues are on the board! Jaselyn Berthelot releases a sailfish to start the action this morning. 

7:58AM - 12 hours and 2 minutes since their last fish caught, the Texas Lone Stars release another sailfish, Bryan Richter the angler once again. Slowly but surely, they’re closing in on the Renegades.

8:45AM - Louisiana Canyons double up on sailfish, with anglers Travis Hunter and Frank Scott! That brings the Canyons even with the Lone Stars for second. 

Here’s how the leaderboard looks:

Third Coast Renegades - 450 Points
Texas Lone Stars - 325 Points
Louisiana Canyons - 325 Points
Gulf Coast Cowboys - 75 Points
Mississippi Blues - 75 Points
West Florida Black Flags - 0 Points

9:50AM - Gulf Coast Cowboys get another sailfish on the board to bring their total to 150 points. Jason Nolan is the angler this time for the Cowboys.

2:01PM - We’ve got a change in the leaderboard, with Louisiana Canyons now sitting in second place. A white marlin released by Travis Hunter leapfrogs them over the Texas Lone Stars, with only 25 points separating them from the first place Renegades. Any fish caught will give them the lead.

2:05PM - Black Flags are on the board! Ronnie Hale releases a sailfish for their first 75 Points.

2:15PM - Back-to-back! Black Flags now release a white marlin for an extra 100 points courtesy of Ronnie Hale.

That last fish catapulted the Black Flags to fourth place on the leaderboard, jumping Mississippi Blues and Gulf Coast Cowboys.

Here’s the leaderboard update this afternoon:

Third Coast Renegades - 450 Points
Louisiana Canyons - 425 Points
Texas Lone Stars - 325 Points
West Florida Black Flags - 175 Points
Gulf Coast Cowboys - 150 Points
Mississippi Blues - 75 Points 
Alabama Angling Club - SCRATCH

2:49PM - WE HAVE A NEW LEADER! Louisiana Canyons release a sailfish, courtesy of Travis Hunter. Those 75 points are enough to take a 50 point lead over Third Coast Renegades. That margin means that every fish caught between these two clubs will result in a lead change.

3:17PM - Here come the Black Flags! Hunter Rutkoski released a white marlin, which now puts them 50 points behind the third place Texas Lone Stars. A similar situation with the Canyons and Renegades where the next fish caught will be enough to gain a place on the leaderboard.

3:49PM - Mississippi Blues land another sailfish. Jaselyn Berthelot gets the release as they look to mount a comeback. The Blues need a strong finish to keep hold of that final playoff berth.

5:14PM - Texas Lone Stars release a sailfish, and it’s the first release of the tournament for angler Sutton Schoonover. That was a big fish, putting them right on the cusp of the leading Louisiana Canyons.

5:38PM - THE LONE STARS ARE BACK IN THE LEAD! Bryan Richter releasing his fifth billfish of the Pachanga. This one is another sailfish, resulting in a 150 point swing. 

5:56PM - A third sailfish in a little over 45 minutes for the Lone Stars extends their lead by 50 points. That’s not a comfortable margin by any means but momentum is in their favor. This fish was released by the boat owner, David Blackbird.

7:15PM - Third Coast Renegades are back into second place! Angler Charley Hicks releases her second billfish. They’re now at 525 points and 25 points behind the leading Texas Lone Stars.

7:32PM - West Florida Black Flags and Garrett Reeves release another sailfish.

 

CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY, JULY 19

7:25AM - We’ve got some developments this morning! West Florida Black Flags looks to have found some white marlin. Hunter Rutkoski released one for 100 points. 

7:56AM  - Lone Stars get some insurance! Bryan Richter releasing a sailfish. At only 75 points, they’ll need to find a lot more to protect their lead in this final push before heading home. 

7:57AM - Black Flags fly into second place! Ronnie Hale releases another white marlin. That’s 200 points this morning, jumping the Louisiana Canyons and Third Coast Renegades. 

Here’s the how the leaderboard looks now with these developments:

Texas Lone Stars - 625 Points
West Florida Black Flags - 550 Points
Third Coast Renegades - 525 Points
Louisiana Canyons - 500 Points
Gulf Coast Cowboys - 225 Points
Mississippi Blues - 150 Points
Alabama Angling Club - SCRATCH

9:04AM - WE HAVE A NEW LEADER and it’s the West Florida Black Flags. Garrett Reeves releases another white marlin to take a 25 point lead over the Texas Lone Stars.

The Lone Stars are slowly making their way home. We reached out to Captain Spencer Johnson who said they have been running on one engine since struck something during the shotgun start. They look to be fishing the whole way back hoping for more points to regain the lead or at the least protect their current placement.

10:07AM - Gulf Coast Cowboys and Jason Nolan release another sailfish, bringing their point total to 300. 

11:45AM - We’ve got some movement with the Cowboys! A white marlin released by Diego Rodriguez brings their score to 400 points. The Cowboys need a few more white marlin to climb up the leaderboard.

1:05PM - West Florida Black Flags lead is now 100 points, the amount of a white marlin. Angler Ryan Stark releases a sailfish. 

The Lone Stars are about 25 miles away from home, so they are patrolling local waters for anything they can find to give them the ability to fish as long as possible before checking into the jetty at 4:00PM.

Here’s the how the leaderboard looks now:

West Florida Black Flags - 725 Points
Texas Lone Stars - 625 Points
Third Coast Renegades - 525 Points
Louisiana Canyons - 500 Points
Gulf Coast Cowboys - 400 Points
Mississippi Blues - 150 Points
Alabama Angling Club - SCRATCH

Mississippi Blues have been quiet, but they are also going for broke. A late-night transfer of equipment between them and the Louisiana Canyons brought them some lures and rigging to give Jaselyn Berthelot and company the ability to target blue marlin. 

They’re looking for big points to try and climb the ranks quickly.

3:00PM: - We have angling clubs heading home, pending video review, the results above are final. 

4:09PM - Black Flags pass video verification. Congratulations to the winners of The Billfish Pachanga!