The Pensacola Ladies Billfish Club is hooked on angling

Photo courtesy Dona Powers The Ladies Billfish Club members plan their 29th Tournament at the Captain's meeting at New World Landing.

The Pensacola Ladies Billfish Club was organized in 1983 as a part of the Pensacola Big Games Fishing Club. Janet Briggs, the first Ladies Club president, is still an active member and is an accomplished fisherman. Janet, a Registered Nurse, is the Manager of Ambulatory Surgery at the Gulf Breeze Hospital.

This year's president, Dot Davis, works for a software company and is a "telecommunicater" who travels all over the world but still takes time to fish. Most of the other founding members are also still active today.

Other officers include: Lauren Boitnott, Secretary; Sandra Johnson, Tournament Director, and Bobbi Strong, Robin Howard, and Gail Thomas as members of the Board.

The club has continued to thrive through the decades encouraging ladies to fish. The Ladies monthly meetings at the Island Cove on the Bayou Chico offer a variety of programs, swapping fish stories, charity work, and planning tournaments.

The Club dues are approximately $107.50 initially and then $80.63 annually. Each year the enthusiasm for fishing by the members is demonstrated by their participation in tournaments and intra-club tournaments year round.

Janet Briggs, the first Ladies Billfish Club president, and her husband, Jimmy.

The Club encourages and promotes the sport of big game fishing and is dedicated to the conservation and study of game fishes.

The Pensacola Ladies Billfish Club hosted the 29th Ladies Billfish Tournament this year. They held the Captain's meeting on July 13 at the New World Landing.

The Captain's meeting was a busy place abuzz with action. When they discussed the rules of the competition and prizes the excitement built and the activities began. Their supporters had donated many wonderful door prizes.

Dot says, "Each year the ladies competing find winning one these door prizes almost as thrilling as winning one of the fishing awards; well almost I said."

There were many door prizes such as sailfish earrings, a sterling silver dolphin bracelet, billfish lures, fishing rods, pewter serving dishes. All this plus over $18,000 in awards, trophies and prizes and the ultimate surprise for Tag & Release being a Rolex watch.

As the captains and anglers finished up the meeting and signed-out, they received their Tag & Release designator. The designator must appear in the video when a billfish is tagged and released.

The video must also include the angler, the reel, the fish, date and time. It is important that the designator be kept secret by the Tournament Director until the meeting so it cannot be copied or used to catch a fish before the tournament begins.

Following the Captains meeting everyone left and many of the boats were underway that night for the various destinations in the Gulf. The lines went in and the tournament began at 6:00 am on Saturday July 14 and continued on Sunday July 15 with a total of 30 boats and 67 lady anglers participating.

Saturday was a beautiful day but late Saturday afternoon the weather turned bad and it was a rough night. Most of the boats stayed and rode through the storm and continued fishing. These ladies and crews are true to the sport.

Sunday started out as a beautiful day but again late Sunday the weather turned bad and the weigh-in was soggy. Nevertheless, the crowds and the anglers were there and the tournament was a success! After the closing of the scales on Sunday and the final weigh-in the Award ceremony was held at New World Landing.

The winners are: For Tag & Release; First place Angler Lauren Boitnot; second place Angler Beth Parker and third Place Angler Cindy Sluder and the Top Tag & Release Boat was "Bit Me Baby."

For the Dolphin category; First place April Mills; Second place Robin Howard and Third place Britt Ann Peet.

For Wahoo category - First Place Anita Williams. For Tuna category - First Place Leander Arnold; second place Lisa Walborn and third place Christine Holmes.

The awards followed the closing of the scales. The club welcomes any ladies that are interested in off shore fishing to contact the club office at (850) 453-4638 or Dot Davis, President, (850) 453-5300.