Wind up your reels for a really great time at the 2004
Yamaha Contender Miami Billfish Tournament! The tournament will be held the
weekend of April 1 through 4, 2004, out of the beautiful Miami Beach Marina
on
South
Beach in
Florida.
Weekend festivities will commence with a spirited Kick-Off Party on
Thursday, April 1st with final registration and captain’s
meeting. The following days will be all about fishing for top cash awards,
prizes and trophies. This year there is a new opportunity to win more cash
with a new $5,000 entry, winner-take-all added value category! The general
public of all ages is invited to attend every day for the food and drink
specials, live music, exhibitors, raffles and the entertaining weigh-station
action at the free daily dock parties. On Sunday, our Live and Silent
Auctions will be held, offering as always, incredible prices on merchandise
such as artwork, tackle, electronics and fishing trips – all in an effort to
raise more money for marine conservation. With the best saved for last, the
awards ceremony will be held in the air-conditioned tournament tent
featuring our famous raffle drawings for a 25’ Contender Boat
with trailer and Yamaha Engine.
Total cash awards of over $150,000 were proudly paid out to 2003 top anglers
of the participating 451 fishermen and women, not to mention the great
trophies and prizes that decorated some of the sport’s best! This year,
4,000 spectators are expected on the docks of the Miami Beach Marina and
more than 100 boats are anticipated to register making this a great
competitive and social event for everyone! Even juniors, ladies and families
can join in special divisional competition thanks to the focus on Family
Fishing Fun!
Participation is easy and here is how to catch a piece of the action: Basic
competition entry fees starts at $250 per person with a variety of added
value categories available. Anglers compete for billfish (all release) as
well as for dolphin, tuna, wahoo or kingfish. The $5,000 Dolphin Challenge
for the heaviest Dolphin caught during the tournament is a great category
because all it takes is just one to win! The Libertad Challenge is now
sponsored by Shelley Realty and an even more exciting battle for a cash
award of $10,000!
Many international anglers are expected this year, as the YCMBT is a
qualifying event of two growing international tournament series. The Rolex
IGFA Invitational Tournament of Champions and The World Billfish Series.
Out of town anglers are invited to take advantage of
special YCMBT dockage and hotel discounts by contacting the tournament
office or visiting
www.miamibillfish.com.
The Yamaha Contender Miami Billfish Tournament was first founded with its
goals to raise money for marine conservation and promote conservation
awareness. Over the last decade, over $366,000 has been donated to
organizations such as The Billfish Foundation, The Coastal Conservation
Association and the Florida Keys Marine Laboratory. The event is supported
by sponsors and product donors nationwide interested in giving back to the
marine industry. Principal sponsors this year include Yamaha Motor Corp.,
Contender Boats, Lowrance Electronics, Boater’s World and Costa del Mar.
Media coverage for the 2004 tournament will be provided by WTVJ-NBC6, WLRN,
WKIS-99.9FM KISS Country Radio, WIOD, WAXY, InTheBite.com and
www.fishwbs.com.
For additional information, visit
www.miamibillfish.com or
call 305-598-2525.