The 53rd Annual Cape Fear Blue Marlin Tournament welcomed 24 boats to the fleet for another exciting year of competition. While rough weather on opening day forced all 24 teams to take a lay day on Thursday, the fleet made the most of the remaining fishing days, releasing a total of 17 billfish across Friday and Saturday.

Claiming Top Boat honors was local favorite OUTNUMBERED, whose impressive tournament included the release of two Blue Marlin and one White Marlin. Their outstanding performance earned them 1st Place Level 1, all of Level 4, and 2nd Place Saturday Daily. The team also took home two prestigious individual awards, with Lauren Summerville receiving the Lady Angler Award and Capt. James Breen being honored with the Capt. Eddy Haneman Sportsmanship Award.

Finishing in second place was Morehead City-based REBELETTE, who came out of the gate strong with two Blue Marlin releases. Their efforts earned them 2nd Place Level 1, 1st Place Level 2, and 1st Place Friday Daily. Even more impressive, REBELETTE secured a spot among the tournament's Top 3 boats for the second consecutive year.

Rounding out the Top 3 was GAUCHO, whose last-day Grand Slam performance propelled them onto the leaderboard and secured a third-place finish.

In the Meat Fish Division, TAILWALKER took Top Dolphin with a 28.6-pound mahi, while POSTAGE PAID claimed Top Wahoo with a 30-pound fish.

The Cape Fear Blue Marlin Tournament would not be possible without the support of our anglers, sponsors, volunteers, and community. We are grateful to every team that participated and helped make the 53rd Annual Cape Fear Blue Marlin Tournament another memorable success. We look forward to seeing everyone back on the docks next year!