Base Entry Fee
All teams pay a tournament base entry fee of $3,500 if registered by May 1, 2024. Teams registering after the early registration date pay a base entry fee of $4,000. This is not optional. The tournament base entry fee prize money will be disbursed to the winners accordingly: 45 percent goes to the tournament; the remaining 55 percent goes to the top three team point leaders.
The scoring system includes 500 points for each blue marlin release, 1 point per pound for blue marlin at or over the 500-pound minimum weight, 100 points for each white marlin, spearfish and sailfish release. If a blue marlin brought to the scales fails to make the minimum weight limit, the team that caught the fish will be penalized 500 team points, plus two points per pound that the fish is under the minimum weight. Only one blue marlin per boat per day may be landed. Complete details are in the rules.
Team Division Awards
- First-Place Team - 50 percent
- Second-Place Team - 30 percent
- Third-Place Team - 20 percent
- High-Point Angler - Trophy and Prize Package
- High-Point Lady Angler - Trophy and Prize Package
- High-Point Junior Angler (age 17 and younger) - Trophy and Prize Package
In the event of a tie the team reaching the highest score first wins with the other team assuming the next award position. This is based on the time of release and boated time of billfish.
OPTIONAL JACKPOTS
All optional jackpot divisions are 88% payback. The tournament rules apply to all optional jackpots. Only teams entered in the base entry may enter the optional jackpots.
DAILY BILLFISH RELEASE JACKPOT
Level 1 - $4000
Level 2 - $6000
There are two levels of optional Daily Billfish Release Jackpot. You must register in level-one to be eligible for the level-two jackpot. Level-one jackpot fee is $4,000; level-two jackpot fee is $6,000. The daily billfish-release prize consists of one-third of the total jackpot money. If no billfish are released on an individual day, the jackpot rolls over to the next day. If no billfish are released on the final day of fishing, then the final-day jackpot money goes to the previous day's winner(s). Only teams entered in the daily billfish-release jackpots will be eligible for these cash awards.
- Day-one, level-one Billfish-Release Jackpot — one-third of total pot.
- Day-two, level-one Billfish-Release Jackpot — one-third of total pot.
- Day-three, level-one Billfish-Release Jackpot — one-third of total pot.
OVERALL BILLFISH RELEASE POINTS JACKPOT
Level 1 - $5000
Level 2 - $7000
There are two levels of optional Overall Billfish Release Points Jackpot. You must register in level-one to be eligible for the level-two jackpot. Level-one jackpot fee is $5,000; level-two jackpot fee is $7,000. The Overall Billfish Release Points Jackpot will be awarded to the top three teams with the most overall billfish release points of the tournament over the three days of fishing and be awarded accordingly. First place - 50% / Second place - 30% / Third place - 20%. Only teams registered in the overall billfish release points jackpots will be eligible for these cash awards.
DAILY BLUE MARLIN JACKPOT
Level 1 - $3000
Level 2 - $5000
There are two levels of optional Daily Blue Marlin Jackpot. You must register in level-one to be eligible for the level-two jackpot. Level-one jackpot fee is $3,000; level-two jackpot fee is $5,000. The Daily Blue Marlin jackpot covers all three days of fishing. For example, the Jackpot awards go to the largest blue marlin (by weight) caught each day that meets or exceeds the minimum weight requirement of 500 pounds. The daily jackpot prize will consist of one-third of the total jackpot money. If no fish reach the minimum weight on an individual day are weighed, the jackpot rolls over to the next fishing day. If on the final day of fishing no fish reach or exceed the minimum weight limits are caught, then the final day’s jackpot money goes to the previous day’s winner(s). If no qualifying fish are caught, the Daily Blue Marlin Jackpot will be awarded to the top billfish point team of each day of competition. If all teams entered in the Daily Blue Marlin Jackpot fail to earn billfish points during any day of competition, the jackpot rolls over to the next day’s or the previous day’s winners. Only teams entered in the Daily Blue Marlin Jackpot will be eligible for these cash awards.
- Day 1 Marlin Jackpot - one-third of total pot
- Day 2 Marlin Jackpot - one-third total pot
- Day 3 Marlin Jackpot - one-third total pot
WINNER TAKE ALL LARGEST BLUE MARLIN JACKPOT
$5000
The fee to get into the optional Winner Take All Largest Blue Marlin Jackpot is $5,000 and is optional. The Largest Blue Marlin Jackpot will be awarded to the team catching the largest blue marlin of the tournament over the three days of fishing. If no teams registered in the Largest Blue Marlin Jackpot catch a qualifying marlin over the minimum weight, the jackpot will be awarded to the top three billfish point teams of the tournament and will be split accordingly: First place 50%, Second Place 30% third place 20%. Only teams registered in the Largest Blue Marlin Jackpot will be eligible for this cash award.
WINNER TAKE-ALL RELEASE JACKPOT
$5000
The fee to enter into the Winner Take-All Release Jackpot is $5000 and is optional. The jackpot will be awarded to the team with the most overall billfish release points of the tournament. Only teams registered in the Winner Take-All Release Jackpot are eligible for this cash award.
WINNER TAKE-ALL LARGEST GAMEFISH
$1000
The fee to enter the Winner Take-All Largest Gamefish Jackpot is $1000 and is optional. The team that catches the largest gamefish will win the entire jackpot. In the event of a tie in weight, the jackpot will be split evenly between both teams. If all teams entered in the Winner Take-All Largest Gamefish Jackpot fail to catch a gamefish, the jackpot will be awarded to the top three tournament teams accordingly: first place 50-percent; second place 30-percent; third place 20-percent. Only teams entered in the Winner-Take-All Largest Gamefish Jackpot will be eligible for these cash awards.
WINNER TAKE-ALL NON SONAR BOAT JACKPOT
$1000
Entry in this optional category is restricted to boats without omnidirectional sonar technology.
The fee to enter the Winner Take All Non-Sonar Boat jackpot is $1000 and is optional. The non-sonar boat with the most points will win the entire jackpot. If all teams entered in the non-sonar boat jackpot have no eligible points, the jackpot will be awarded to the top three tournament teams accordingly: first place 50-percent; second place 30-percent; third place 20-percent. Only teams entered in the Winner-Take-All Non-Sonar Boat Jackpot will be eligible for these cash awards.
PRIZE DISBURSEMENT
Any team receiving cash awards must fill out a prize-disbursement form prior to receiving any funds or prizes. Each registered team representative is in control of any winnings and must sign this form. All winnings will be sent to the winners once all funds have cleared the bank. All winners and entrants of this tournament may be subject to a polygraph test at the tournament committee's discretion. If a participant refuses to submit to a polygraph test for any reason, then any winnings that may be coming to that participant (or his or her team) will be automatically forfeited.
Destination Sponsor
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Marlin Magazine Manufacturer's Cup
Marlin Magazine and some of the top game boat manufacturers recognize the huge effort made by those owners & crews who come to Bermuda from the States and the Caribbean to fish the Bermuda Big Game Classic. To add some additional fun we will continue an exciting way to showcase your talents: the Marlin Magazine Manufacturer’s Cup.
How it works: Each game boat sponsor for the Marlin Magazine Manufacturer’s Cup posts a $2,000 entry fee into the division. All teams fishing aboard boats built by these manufacturers are automatically entered into the division to compete for the total cash prize and title of Marlin Magazine Manufacturer’s Cup Winner. The winning team will also be featured in a two page spread in Marlin Magazine. The 2023 sponsors of the Marlin Magazine Manufacturer’s Cup include Viking Yachts, Merritt's Boat & Engine Spencer Yachts and Jarrett Boatworks, so all teams fishing aboard boats built by these manufacturers are automatically entered in the division. We want to thank the manufacturers that have already signed up, and encourage others to register their brands and support their owners.
