2024 Grand Caribe DeepSea Classic in Belize Draws 50+ Boats, Awarding Over $200k
In perhaps the most hotly contested tournament in recent memory for sport fishers in Belize, this year’s 8th Annual Grand Caribe DeepSea Classic brought all the excitement (and warm Belizean hospitality) we’ve expected from this event, plus plenty of game fish. The four-day event out of Caribeville as tournament base—with two spent on the water in head-to-head competition—took place on July 11th through 14th, 2024 just two miles north of San Pedro Town, Belize. The competition is fierce yet friendly with 53 participating boats and 270 anglers on the reef-front island of Ambergris Caye, including crews from Belize, USA, El Salvador, and Honduras.
Image courtesy Felicia Fishell.
And they would not leave disappointed.
Here are the details of the 8th Annual Grand Caribe DeepSea Classic 2024 at a glance, including the first place winning boat that left with over $150,000 in prizes.
Captain’s Dinner: Rules, Prizes, & More
Image via Belize Tourism Board.
Familiar faces, and new ones, filled Grand Caribe’s West Room, including world-renowned marine artist Carey Chen whose artwork decorated the prize table. Beginning with a briefing and Captain’s dinner on Thursday, July 11, Grand Caribe officially introduced the 8th installment of their annual DeepSea Classic as a 100% release billfish tournament. With a welcome cocktail in hand, the rules of the 2024 tournament were outlined as the luxurious Grand Caribe was the host resort for the participants and event staff.
Teams must capture both the fight, identified fish, and the successful release of the billfish in one continuous video, along with the tournament’s video qualifier that changes for each day—in this case, a release flag available exclusively at the briefing and at the end of Day 1. A release is accepted once the swivel touches the rod tip or the wireman touches the leader, with 10 extra points awarded for hook removal. Anglers are also required to report their catch as soon as possible to the tournament’s Weighmaster, BGFA’s very own Giovanni Duran in whatever manner possible; whether called in via VHF radio channel 68, Garmin Connect, text, or a good old phone call, each team’s timestamp is recorded as the time once weighmaster at Grand Caribe receives the report. All catches must be reported before lines out.
Points per billfish released:
1,500 per White Marlin 1,500 per Spearfish 1,000 per Sailfish 2,500 per Blue Marlin
Wahoo, dorado, and tuna all qualify for 1 point per pound once the minimum weight requirement of 20 lbs, 15 lbs, and 10 lbs is met at the weigh station of the tournament base, which are listed in respective order of species. Any pelagic species under the minimum weigh-in weight requirement still qualify, awarding points per fish instead: 10 points per wahoo, 5 points per dorado, and 5 points per tuna.
For both days of fishing, it’s lines in at 6:00 AM after checking in at tournament base for the day’s flag, with lines out at 6:00 PM on Day 1 and reporting to tournament base by 6:00 PM on Day 2. Within eyeshot of waves breaking over the Belize Barrier Reef, the tournament base’s location in San Pedro, Belize provided plenty of opportunities for the anglers to capitalize on pelagics just offshore.
DAY ONE
"Miss Made" Anglers Andy Castro & Rolando Caceres secured a top spot on the scoreboard with a double header.
It was seemingly non-stop action after a Bimini start at 6:00 AM, where “Mad Storme” opened the floor with the tournament’s first reported fish: a dorado on board by Dr. Adrian Heusner just 3 miles east of San Pedro Town. By day’s end, 39 boats of the 54 registered made it onto the scoreboard with a slew of Dorado, Black Fin Tuna, Wahoo, and of course, billfish. A total of 15 (!) billfish hookups were reported as landed, with 13 qualifying as accepted—including a White Marlin and a Sailfish. “Miss Made” shot up to 7,535 points with a successful double header Blue Marlin release in front of Ramon’s Village and a third released near Rocky Point; “La Rumba” earned themselves a total of 5,030 points with the help of two Blue Marlin releases; while “Keila” rounded out the top 3 with a Blue Marlin released in front of Mauger Caye by angler Josh Reyes. By midday, “Hunter B” submitted their marlin release via Garmin Inreach. Female angler Marsha released her own Blue Marlin for “Feinlines” in front of Grand Caribe Resort, which proved a hotspot all weekend long.
All top ten of day one’s unofficial standings humbly bragged four-digit points with at least one billfish release per boat.
DAY TWO
Abuzz with the prospect of billfish just off the banks of Ambergris Caye, another 12-hour day of fishing lay out on the water as anyone’s game. Just 45 minutes after lines in at 6:00 AM, team “La Rumba,” who hails from El Salvador, reported a doubleheader Blue Marlin hookup on Day 2 by anglers Miguel Armando and Gadala Samour. If there was a glimpse of the sportfishing bite in Belize, it’s this. “Hunter B” doubled their points on Day 2 by securing a Blue Marlin release just 20 miles in front of Grand Caribe a mere 4 minutes after “Miss Lexi” reported a Blue Marlin hookup, with team “Keila” reporting yet another Blue Marlin 10 minutes later! With all teams required back to tournament base by 6:00 PM, the final tally included a whopping 24 billfish with 172 dorados, 24 tunas, and 8 wahoos rounded out tournament figures.
“La Rumba” Takes Home Top Win To Home Port of El Salvador
Team La Rumba of El Salvador took home the top spot in the 8th Annual Grand Caribe DeepSea Classic.
With Prize Giving held on Sunday, July 14th inside the West Room, “La Rumba” ultimately made it out on top, combined to release four Blue Marlins alongside a handful of dorado and tuna, good for 10,055 points. They brought home the prestige plus armloads of trophies and prizes—including $135,000 in cash—to their home port of El Salvador, with Top Angler going to La Rumba’s very own Gadala Samour.
Notably, Angler Rene Reyes onboard “Boss Lady” caught the tournament’s only Sailfish, while angler Josh Reyes of “Keila” earned bragging rights for the first-ever Spearfish during a Grand Caribe DeepSea Classic. Meanwhile, junior angler Jaime Manzano’s White Marlin onboard “Fishizzle” was nothing short of impressive.
Year after year, the Grand Caribe DeepSea Classic breaks its records: 2024 became the largest number of anglers and prize value of any sportfishing tournament in Belize. Just as impressively this year, tournament organizers shifted to an all-release billfish tournament, with plans to make this the standard for all future Grand Caribe DeepSea Classics. Missed the action? Catch up with us on @fishingbelize and any of the international participants, which included Carey Chen, The Marlin Ladies, Two Conchs, and Ryan Izquierdo. Two Conchs will have exclusive coverage during their TV show on Outdoor Channel in January 2025!
The Belize Game Fish Association congratulates Grand Caribe on yet another incredible experience and meticulously organized DeepSea Classic tournament. Tight lines until we see you all back in Ambergris Caye, Belize for the 9th Annual Grand Caribe DeepSea Classic in 2025!
And for those keen to know about the next sportfishing tournament: the 15th Annual Belikin Blue Water Classic takes place at Old Belize, Belize City on October 18-19, 2024! Learn more here.
