World Cup Fishing in Bermuda

Bermuda's angling competitions attract top fishers from all over the world. The Bermuda Billfish Blast tournament over the Fourth of July weekend coincides with the World Cup—where anglers across the globe compete to land the largest fish on the planet between 8 am and 4:30 pm. Each year more and more boats descend on Bermuda over the holiday weekend. The biggest local tournament is the Bermuda Big Game Classic, with many of the World Cup participants sticking around to take part in the three-day festival. The dates vary depending on when the weekend falls, but it's usually around July 15. The lure of monster marlin in excess of 1,000 pounds keeps them coming for the third leg of the Bermuda Triple Crown, the Seahorse Anglers Club tournament, the following week. Marlin season is what a lot of Bermuda's sport fishers live for. "It's the biggest, baddest fish in the ocean—there's no feeling like landing a marlin," explains Sloane Wakefield of Atlantic Spray Charters. The Bermuda Game Fishing Association (441/292–7131) and the Bermuda Angler's Club (www.bermudaanglersclub.com) are good sources of information about tournaments.