TAG & RELEASE

2023 Competition

Official Winners

Overview

With 2023 officially complete, it’s now time for The Billfish Foundation to recognize the best within our community during the past year! The anglers and captains mentioned below have contributed absolutely crucial information related to billfish conservation and have been vital to our Tag & Release Program. Since its inception in 1990, the program has grown to accrue nearly 280,000 tag and release records to become the largest private billfish tagging database in the world. In the last year alone, TBF has collected over 6,500 records!

This is only possible because of the efforts of all the conservation-minded captains, anglers, and mates across the globe whose data helps to preserve the sport we love and provides us with an increased understanding of the needs for billfish management.

2023 International Competition Winners

TAGGING

ANGLER

  • 1st Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida

CAPTAIN

  • 1st Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina

LADY ANGLER

  • 1st Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida

YOUTH ANGLER

  • 1st Johan Millez – Mandelieu-La Napoule, France

RELEASE

ANGLER

  • 1st Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida

CAPTAIN

  • 1st Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina

LADY ANGLER

  • 1st Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida

YOUTH ANGLER

  • 1st George Straub – Jupiter, Florida

Overall Tagging

Angler

  • 1st Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 3rd Jerry Reynolds – Macon, Georgia
  • 4th Patrick Nutt – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
  • 5th Chad Beaudry – Telluride, Colorado

Captain

  • 1st Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
  • 2nd William Osche – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
  • 3rd Lance Hightower –Macon, Georgia
  • 4th Jerry Lanzerotti – Palm Beach, Florida
  • 5th Mike Sheeder – North Palm Beach, Florida

Lady Angler

  • 1st Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia
  • 3rd Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
  • 4th Martha Macnab – Balboa Island, California
  • 5th Kathleen Wyatt – New Braunfels, Texas

Youth Angler

  • 1st Johan Millez – Mandelieu-La Napoule, France
  • 2nd Ryan II Reaux – Lafayette, Louisiana
  • 3rd Carlota Varela – Luanda, Angola
  • 4th Levi Lergessner – Alyangula, Northern Territory

Overall Release

Angler

  • 1st Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 3rd Bo Ingram – Greensboro, North Carolina
  • 4th Mark Milner – Dyfed, Wales
  • 5th George Straub – Jupiter, Florida

Captain

  • 1st Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
  • 2nd Dean Panos – Pembroke Pines, Florida
  • 3rd Stuart Simpson – Cape Verde
  • 4th Doug Covin – Jupiter, Florida
  • 5th Robert Reed – Stuart, Florida

Lady Angler

  • 1st Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
  • 3rd Deb Foster – Exmouth, Australia
  • 4th Geri Christman – Fair Oaks, California
  • 5th Carlota Varela – Luanda, Angola

Youth Angler

  • 1st George Straub – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Carlota Varela – Luanda, Angola

Tagging Anglers

ATLANTIC

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Casey Roohan – Stone Harbor, New Jersey
  • 2nd Kanmair Kleinmoedig – Curaçao
  • 3rd Page Robertson – Wilmington, North Carolina
  • 4th Carey Chen – Juno Beach, Florida
  • 5th Ryan II Reaux – Lafayette, Louisiana

Sailfish

  • 1st Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
  • 2nd Danny Vaughan – Cutler Bay, Florida
  • 3rd Rafeal Abohbot – Luanda, Angola
  • 4th Lucas Waddell – Pinecrest, Florida
  • 5th Luena Amaro – Luanda, Angola

SPEARFISH

  • 1st Chad Beaudry – Telluride, Colorado

Swordfish

No Qualifiers

White Marlin

No Qualifiers

Pacific

Black Marlin

No Qualifiers

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Jerry Reynolds – Macon, Georgia
  • 2nd Chad Beaudry – Telluride, Colorado
  • 3rd Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia

Sailfish

  • 1st Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 3rd Patrick Nutt – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
  • 4th Jerry Reynolds – Macon, Georgia
  • 5th Elizabeth Stevens – Alaska

Spearfish

No Qualifiers

Striped Marlin

  • 1st Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 3rd Martha Macnab- Balboa Island, California
  • 4th David Blackbird – Austin, Texas
  • 5th Bo Ingram – Greensboro, North Carolina

Swordfish

No Qualifiers

Indian

Black Marlin

No Qualifiers

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Sebastien Savy – Seychelles
  • 2nd Christine Jumeau – Seychelles
  • 3rd Sean Darnborough – Watamu, Kenya
  • 4th Christopher Hill – Seychelles

Sailfish

  • 1st Dwayne Devanny – Alyangula, Australia
  • 2nd Grant Kussrow – Alyangula, Australia
  • 3rd Jeremy Barnett – Jingili, Australia
  • 4th Taro Tominaga – Brighton, Australia
  • 5th Kieran Rogers – Victoria, Australia

Spearfish

No Qualifiers

Striped Marlin

No Qualifiers

Swordfish

No Qualifiers

Tagging Captains

ATLANTIC

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Watson Caviness- Wilmington, North Carolina
  • 2nd Stephane Millez – Mandelieu-La Napoule, France
  • 3rd Kolby Thorton – Orange Beach, Alabama
  • 4th Rich Barrett – Jupiter, Florida
  • 5th Igor Assad – Niteroi, Brazil

Sailfish

  • 1st Thomas Hinterschied – Pompano Beach, Florida
  • 2nd Patrick Humphrey – Palm City, Florida
  • 3rd Richard Peeples – Palmetto Bay, Florida
  • 4th Shawn Albury – Tavernier, Florida
  • 5th Michael Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

SPEARFISH

  • 1st Vince Riera – Alcudia, Spain
  • 2nd Stephanie Millez – Mandelieu-La Napoule, France

Swordfish

  • 1st Jeffrey Wilson – Galveston, Texas

White Marlin

  • 1st Rich Barrett – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Bill Davis – West Palm Beach, Florida
  • 3rd Bryan Burch – Destin, Florida

Pacific

Black Marlin

No Qualifiers

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Lance Hightower – Macon, Georgia
  • 2nd Tracy Epstein – Kailua Kona, Hawaii
  • 3rd William Osche – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
  • 4th Jose Garcia Picon
  • 5th KJ Robinson – Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Sailfish

  • 1st Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
  • 2nd William Osche – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
  • 3rd Mike Sheeder – North Palm Beach, Florida
  • 4th Lance Hightower – Macon, Georgia
  • 5th Erik Lorentzen – Beverly Hills, Florida

Spearfish

  • 1st Tracy Epstein – Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Striped Marlin

  • 1st Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
  • 2nd Jerry Lanzerotti – Palm Beach, Florida
  • 3rd Tony Araiza – Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
  • 4th Spencer Johnson – Corpus Christi, Texas
  • 5th Rick Carney – Delmar, Maryland

Swordfish

No Qualifiers

Indian

Black Marlin

  • 1st Darryn du Plessis – Victoria, Seychelles

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Darryn du Plessis – Victoria, Seychelles
  • 2nd Peter Darnborough – Watamu, Kenya

Sailfish

  • 1st Bomber Farrell – Alyangula, Australia
  • 2nd Ryan Kleinschmidt – Alyangula, Australia
  • 3rd Darryn du Plessis – Victoria, Seychelles
  • 4th Simon Mead – Alyangula, Australia
  • 5th Dwayne Devanny – Alyangula, Australia

Spearfish

No Qualifiers

Striped Marlin

No Qualifiers

Swordfish

No Qualifiers

Release Anglers

ATLANTIC

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Casey Roohan – Stone Harbor, New Jersey
  • 2nd Kanmair Kleinmoedig – Curaçao
  • 3rd Page Robertson – Wilmington, North Carolina
  • 4th Carey Chen – Juno Beach, Florida
  • 5th Ryan II Reaux – Lafayette, Louisiana

Sailfish

  • 1st Dawn Samuels – Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
  • 2nd Danny Vaughan – Cutler Bay, Florida
  • 3rd Rafeal Abohbot – Luanda, Angola
  • 4th Lucas Waddell – Pinecrest, Florida
  • 5th Luena Amaro – Luanda, Angola

SPEARFISH

  • 1st Chad Beaudry – Telluride, Colorado

Swordfish

No Qualifiers

White Marlin

No Qualifiers

Pacific

Black Marlin

No Qualifiers

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Jerry Reynolds – Macon, Georgia
  • 2nd Chad Beaudry – Telluride, Colorado
  • 3rd Donna Reynolds – Macon, Georgia

Sailfish

  • 1st Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 3rd Patrick Nutt – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
  • 4th Jerry Reynolds – Macon, Georgia
  • 5th Elizabeth Stevens – Alaska

Spearfish

No Qualifiers

Striped Marlin

  • 1st Camila Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Gray Ingram – Jupiter, Florida
  • 3rd Martha Macnab- Balboa Island, California
  • 4th David Blackbird – Austin, Texas
  • 5th Bo Ingram – Greensboro, North Carolina

Swordfish

No Qualifiers

Indian

Black Marlin

No Qualifiers

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Sebastien Savy – Seychelles
  • 2nd Christine Jumeau – Seychelles
  • 3rd Sean Darnborough – Watamu, Kenya
  • 4th Christopher Hill – Seychelles

Sailfish

  • 1st Dwayne Devanny – Alyangula, Australia
  • 2nd Grant Kussrow – Alyangula, Australia
  • 3rd Jeremy Barnett – Jingili, Australia
  • 4th Taro Tominaga – Brighton, Australia
  • 5th Kieran Rogers – Victoria, Australia

Spearfish

No Qualifiers

Striped Marlin

No Qualifiers

Swordfish

No Qualifiers

Release Captains

ATLANTIC

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Stuart Simpson – La Lucia Ridge, South Africa
  • 2nd Brent Gaskill – Harkers Island
  • 3rd Manuel Viana – Lisbon, Portugal

Sailfish

  • 1st Dean Panos – Pembroke Pines, Florida
  • 2nd Doug Covin – Jupiter, Florida
  • 3rd Richard Peeples – Palmetto Bay, Florida
  • 4th Roger Rodriguez – North Miami, Florida
  • 5th Mike Hunter – Hobe Sound, Florida

Spearfish

No Qualifiers

Swordfish

No Qualifiers

White Marlin

  • 1st Stuart Simpson – La Lucia Ridge, South Africa
  • 2nd Topher Wightman
  • 3rd Brent Gaskill – Harkers Island

Pacific

Black Marlin

  • 1st Jesse Hill – Burleigh Heads, Australia
  • 2nd Darren Hayden – Cairns, Australia

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Jose Garcia Picon
  • 2nd John Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
  • 3rd David Salazar – Palmetto Bay, Florida

Sailfish

  • 1st Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
  • 2nd David Salazar – Palmetto Bay, Florida
  • 3rd Chris Van Leeuwen – Antigua, Guatemala
  • 4th John Galvin – Falmouth, Massachusetts
  • 5th Jose Garcia Picon

Spearfish

  • 1st Tracy Epstein – Kailua Kona, Hawaii

Striped Marlin

  • 1st Newt Cagle – Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina
  • 2nd Robert Reed – Stuart, Florida
  • 3rd Casey Carter – Cabo San Lucas
  • 4th Jose Avila – Cabo San Lucas

Swordfish

No Qualifiers

Indian

Black Marlin

No Qualifiers

Blue Marlin

  • 1st Darryn Du Plessis – Victoria, Seychelles

Sailfish

  • 1st Ash Pittard – Cable Beach, Western Australia
  • 2nd Darryn Du Plessis – Victoria, Seychelles
  • 3rd Brendon Hawker – Western Australia

Spearfish

No Qualifiers

Striped Marlin

No Qualifiers

Swordfish

No Qualifiers

Youth Anglers

Tag

8 and Under

No Qualifiers

9-10

No Qualifiers

11-12

No Qualifiers

13-15

  • 1st Tchiza Ndo Santos

16-17

  • 1st Johan Millez – Mandelieu-La Napoule, France
  • 2nd Carlota Varela – Luanda, Angola

Release

8 and Under

No Qualifiers

9-10

No Qualifiers

11-12

No Qualifiers

13-15

No Qualifiers

16-17

  • 1st George Straub – Jupiter, Florida
  • 2nd Carlota Varela – Luanda, Angola

Ceremony

Were you selected as a winner for the 2023 season and would like to attend TBF’s International Tag & Release Awards Ceremony? Here’s everything you need to know!

Regardless of whether you plan on attending, email us a photograph and short bio at [email protected] to be included with the ceremony! As a reminder, to accept your award, all captains, anglers and mates must be a current member of TBF.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected].

A special thanks to our ceremony sponsors

If you’d like to attend…

  • Event information: 6:00 pm EST on Friday, February 17, 2023, in the Treetop Ballroom at Jungle Island in Miami.
  • Please RSVP for the event by January 31, 2023, by emailing us at [email protected]
  • Winners enter for free, but to purchase tickets for guests, click here.
  • If you’re a captain and would like to acknowledge a mate, email us the name.
  • Remember traffic during the Miami Boat Show can be tough. Plan accordingly.
  • If you’d like to guarantee you sit with friends, consider purchasing a VIP table.

If you cannot make it…

  • Let us know regardless so we can mark you down. Still send us a photo and short bio!
  • If you would like us to ship your award, we’d be happy to do it. Please email the preferred physical address to [email protected]. Award recipients are responsible for the cost of the shipping plus a $25 handling fee.

Interested in Learning MOre?

With more than 280,000 reports, The Billfish Foundation’s Tag & Release Program is the largest private billfish tagging database and the cornerstone of TBF’s conservation and advocacy efforts.
Our annual competition allows us to highlight anglers, captains, and mates who tag and release the most fish. This international competition encourages data collection and responsible billfishing.
TBF’s Tag & Release Database is the world’s largest private and open source billfish database in the world. Individuals can use our database on their own, uploading their tag and release entries through a browser or mobile device.

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