SFC Insider: The Top 5 Venues in Sportfishing

As SFC has said repeatedly in its four-year history, “The Ocean is Our Arena.” However, when it comes to major venues, the fishery combined with the host marina, amenities and atmosphere do elevate competitive sportfishing locales above the others. 

Just as tennis has Wimbledon’s Stadium Court, baseball has Fenway Park and Wrigley Field, F1 has Monza and Silverstone, basketball and hockey have Madison Square Garden, here’s SFC Insider’s top five venues in sportfishing

1) Ocean City, Maryland
Electric is the single word that describes the environment in Ocean City during the summer sport fishing season. Sunset Marina plays host to some of the largest events in fishing, where boats from up and down the east coast descend on the little town of under 7,000 people. In total, an estimated 3,000 anglers compete at each event, between the HUK Big Fish Classic, MidAtlantic and the famed White Marlin Open.

2) Walker’s Cay, Bahamas
The original mecca of American Sportfishing, Walker’s Cay in the Bahamas is slowly being reborn, taking shape to be bigger and better than ever. Amenities and lodging are still in progress, but in the meantime, the atmosphere on the docks are unmatched, with some, including Lights Out New England captain Tyler Dufresne, to call it the last bastion of “old Bahamas” vibes. With all the history and prestige of the fishery and the islands many legends, stretching from the days of colonial piracy, to Werner Von Braun and the secret start to the Apollo program, President Nixon’s fishing Camp David to his “Winter White House” in Key Biscayne, FL, new traditions begin to chart the next chapter. High-stakes fishing, including a $1.2 million dollar grander bounty, along with high-stakes hermit crab racing have brought full marinas to the Northernmost rock of the Abacos.

3) Hurricane Hole Marina & Resort, Grand Isle, Louisiana
The grandest of Grand Isle, Hurricane Hole Marina & Resort has brought competitive sportfishing back to the area in a major way. Repeatedly battered by namesake hurricanes, the long-known recreational fishing and summer weekend capital of Louisiana brings its own unique flavor and charm to the Gulf circuit. A full marina with all the amenities, tournaments get started with a Jazz trumpeter and full marching band. Combined with the cajun classics and an abundance of fresh yellowfin tuna on the menu, it’s hard to beat the hospitality and camaraderie of the Bayou. Strategically, it's also a geat location for a tournament given that it's the shortest run of any SFC location to reach Green Canyon. 

4) Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Site of the Zane Grey Championship Playoffs and Bisbee’s Black & Blue, Cabo was a small fishing village into the early 1980s, until Bob Bisbee and John Doughty started hosting tournaments. In the mid 1970s Bisbee connected Southern California fishermen and their boats through a VHF radio support network network and supply line from his fuel dock in Newport to Los Cabos. In the decades since, the destination has become synonymous with sportfishing charters, boasting one of the largest marinas in Latin America. A vacation destination for partygoers, beach bums, surfers, off-road enthusiasts and fishermen, there’s something for everyone down in the Baja. 

5) Pacific Fins, Guatemala
This small resort has quite the reputation for putting guests on fish. Featured on episodes of Uncharted Waters with Peter Miller, hosting women’s-only tournaments with the Gale Force Twins, boats have been known to record triple-digit sailfish releases in a single day. The resort works closely with the Billfish Conservation Project with many of its releases tagged, recorded and tracked to serve ongoing research to protect billfish species in the region. 

The combination of activism, hospitality and unparalleled adventure to get there, between an international flight, a small prop plane flight by active volcanoes to reach this billfish oasis next the black sand beaches of Puerto Quetzal. 

Honorable Mentions:
With a top 5 list, there will always be room for debate. In no particular order, others that are in the conversation include: 

Fort Lauderdale, FL
Palm Beach, FL
Orange Beach, AL
Port Aransas, Texas
Panama City Beach, FL 
Cape May, NJ
Charleston, South Carolina
Chub Cay, Bahamas
Los Sueños, Costa Rica
Quepos, Costa Rica 
Pinas Bay, Panama
Ocean Reef Island, Panama City, Panama
Cap Cana, Dominican Republic
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Fremantle, Perth, Australia
Fujairah, UAE