Orange Beach Billfish Classic is May 14-16

Orange Beach Billfish Classic is May 14-16

Weigh-ins for the 30th Annual Orange Beach Billfish Classic, the first major qualifying tournament of the Gulf Coast Triple Crown Series, will be held Friday, May 15 from 7-8 a.m. and 7 – 10 p.m. and Saturday, May 16 from 6 -10 p.m. under the marlin on Main Street at The Wharf in Orange Beach.
A family-run tournament that emphasizes team participation, The Billfish Classic is the only tournament on the Gulf Coast owned and operated by tournament fishermen. ORBIC divisions also include tuna, wahoo and dolphin, but it is primarily a blue marlin tournament. Fishing commences on May 14 at 10:30 a.m., and a flotilla of boats will proceed from the Wharf to Perdido Pass at 8:30 a.m.
The two-day event will be full of big boats, big fish and big fun, and it also serves as a major fundraiser for The Billfish Foundation. Since its inception, the OBBC has donated more than $1 million to TBF and other qualified conservation organizations.
The tourney is the first of the four tourneys that comprise the Gulf Coast Triple Crown Championship Series that also stops in Mississippi, and Florida. Teams earn points at each event, and the overall champion is crowned at the end of the series. A custom six-foot marlin trophy goes to the team that finishes on top.
The series concludes with the Blue Marlin Grand Championship of the Gulf, billed as “the greatest show in sportfishing,’’ July 16-18 at The Wharf.
Founded in 1998 with the mission of funding conservation organizations such as The Billfish Foundation and the Coastal Conservation Association, the tourney is the country’s only non-profit billfish tournament with 100 percent of all net profits donated to qualified conservation organizations. And amazingly, it is organized by an all-volunteer staff. More info: orangebeachbillfishclassic.com or alwharf.com.