2002 GENE GRIMES MEMORIAL ILTT INVITATION



Pam (my wife) couldn’t go with me Friday because she had to work. Someone has too. Anyway my lower station VHF wasn’t transmitting so I had to climb up into the tower to talk to anyone. After traveling through the Dolly Partons to the 267 and back I was in the tower coming through the Dolly Partons again, and a little farther south. I had four lines out, one thirty and three twenty pound rigs. A little after slack tide the port rigger with a black and green 3.5 Zuker went off. I was in the tower and looked back to see the Marlin jump twice. I made a hurried call to tournament control ...hookup...area 48. Climbed down off the tower, slowed the boat to idle and picked up the rod. By now I was deep into the Spectre backing on my TLD 15 reel. The fish had made a run from the port side to the starboard side of the boat and was heading off forward at high speed. I had the line from the starboard jig wrapped around my rod. I had to drive the boat forward fairly quickly so the fish wouldn’t spool me. So with one hand on the rod, I drove the boat at an angle towards the fish, put on the auto pilot to keep it straight, and started getting line back. The fish came back to the boat, and I had to stop reeling and start driving again so I wouldn’t run over the line. The fish veered off away from the boat and started another run aft. While line was peeling off the reel, I was able to reel in the starboard jig, after unwrapping it, and place it into the rocket launcher behind me. I tried backing on the fish to get line back, but the boat backs poorly so I had to abandon this effort. I did get some more line back, but the fish took off again on a run straight away from the starboard side. Again as line peeled off I reeled in the starboard corner, and placed it also into the rocket launcher. Now I had to spin the boat to starboard and chase the fish. I got within a hundred yards and stopped the boat. The fish was finally tiring. Unfortunately it swam back to the boat and I had a lot of slack to reel in. I thought it was gone. Luckily the hook held and I went tight again. The fish took off and I was able to reel in the port corner this time, (minus a lure). I chased the fish briefly until within a hundred yards. The fish was pretty much done by now, so was I. Anyway I worked the fish to the starboard side and gaffed it. I tried pulling the fish into the boat over the running boards and slipped, fell on my okole’. Holding on to the gaff I worked the Marlin to the stern and pulled it into the boat. I put on a tail rope and called tournament control to announce my catch.

IGFA / Marlin Club rules shall apply.

Team Boats from Fishing Clubs or Organizations are encouraged to join. A club boat is defined as 2 or more boats with 2 or more anglers representing any fishing club or organization. There will be a team plaque awarded to the winning team boat.

Cost is $85 per angler – minimum 2 per team, no maximum (includes T-shirt & dinner per angler)

Weigh in by 7:00 pm Sept 7^th – Weigh slips or release slips MUST be in by 7:00 pm

Tackle - 30 lb maximum for Marlin and 50 lb maximum for Swordfish

Scoring - 1 point per pound for boated fish and 130 points for each released fish

Fishing Area – 75 miles from #1 buoy

Tournament Channel is 65 – in the event that the reception on channel 65 is not at it’s best, an area boat will be designated as Tournament Control.

Tournament Control - All hook-ups and intents to release MUST be reported to Tournament Control with latitude and longitude. Contact Tournament Control at the time of release or boating of the fish. The release form MUST be a Marlin Club form and filled out immediately after the release and signed by all on board.

Tie – Ties will be broken by the time it takes to get the fish to the boat for either release or boated.

Release and Tagging of all Marlin is encouraged.

Entry Form
To Sign up for the ILTT, fill out the Registration Form.
If you have questions, email or call The Marlin Club.