Anthony Frascatore on the World Cup Blue Marlin Championship

Owner of AJF International Sportfishing, Anthony Frascatore participates in a number of sportfishing tournaments on an annual basis. One of these is the World Cup Blue Marlin Championship, a one-day tournament that takes place in July every year. Since its inception in 1984, the World Cup Blue Marlin Championship has been won by teams fishing at locations around the world. Fishing begins at 8:30 am and goes until 4:30 pm, local time. Each team decides where they would like to fish. For each competing boat, there is an entry fee of USD $3,000, which must be paid to International Gamefisherman, Inc. prior to the start of the competition. There are no refunds for inclement weather. Only blue marlin fish weighing over 500 pounds qualify for the prize, and any fish below this weight must be released back into the wild. The winning fish is the heaviest caught by a competing team, and the prize consists of 80 percent of the collected entry fees. The World Cup Blue Marlin Championship mandates strict specifications on the type of equipment that may be used for the competition. Generally, fishing line should be 125 or 130 lb and approved brands include Ande, Berkley, Momoi, Sufix, and Western Filament. A complete listing can be found on the competition website. All participants are responsible for contracting a qualified weight master that has been approved by International Gamefisherman, Inc. The weight and length of the fish must be taken by the weight master and verified by two or more independent witnesses. These measurements, along with photographs, should be submitted to the competition office as soon as possible, ideally as the fish are caught, but before midnight on the day of the competition, at the latest. More information can be found at www.bluemarlinworldcup.com.