It is no secret that the Main Attraction fishing crews fish many tournaments yearly, but the Marathon Premier Sailfish Tournament is very near and dear to our hearts! Four years ago, Main Attraction Co-Owner Katie Lewis started this local Sailfish tournament to fill a need for a competition that would highlight Marathon’s exceptional fishing talent and support Florida Keys children and their families.

Every year, Katie discusses ways to improve the tournament with her advisory board and her husband, Captain Marty Lewis, a seasoned tournament fishing team Captain. These changes must be well thought out and made carefully to ensure improvement upon the previous year’s success. One of the changes this year was to expand the fishing boundaries allowed during the two fishing days. 

Katie Lewis and Captain Marty Lewis at the awards banquet.

Marathon Florida is uniquely situated in the middle of the Florida Keys between Key West and Islamorada. This central location gives fishing enthusiasts and professionals access to all three incredible fisheries!

The decision to expand the boundaries was to encourage more participation from neighboring islands and give participants access to Islamorada and Key West waters, increasing the possibilities of finding a good bite and having plenty of action!  

Day One

Friday Morning was pretty sporty, with East winds up to 20 mph. Main One called in their first sailfish of the day at 9:28 am, putting them on the board with a few other teams. The bite was consistent that day, but it was all about being in the right place and time. Most of the boats were all west, within a few hundred yards of each other.

At 12:18 pm, Team Main Attraction reported a sailfish release with their junior angler, Lauren Anderson, on the rod. This put Lauren in contention for Top Junior Angler against Luca Picariello of Silent Hunter, who had landed the tournament’s first sailfish. Lauren was also vying for the Top Lady Angler title, competing with Jill Paglia from Executive Decision for the coveted hot pink trophy.

As the day went on, both teams continued to fish hard. Around 1:31 pm, Captain Marty called in another release for the Main One team. And shortly before lines out that day, he called in another release at 3:42 pm, putting them in a good lead for day two. At the end of day one, 34 sailfish had been released, amongst all 17 boats. 

Ben Zdan fighting a sailfish aboard the Main One.

As both teams headed back to Marathon Sailfish Marina, they had to take it slow. The wind was howling, and the waves were big, and they were fishing off Key West, so it was a long ride home. 

Day Two

Day two started off very strong, with teams catching seven sailfish within the first hour. Main One’s Mark Busch released a sailfish at 9:10 am, a significant fish for his team. This advanced Mark to Top Male Angler status in the tournament; however, they still had a long way to go. Although the day seemed like a very steady catching day, it slowed down drastically. Several boats were neck and neck, and each release was so important. 

Mate Mike Cangemi setting up a kite.

Captain Alex and crew continued to fight hard for the Main Attraction team, constantly looking for sailfish and switching out baits. 

Captain Alex and crew aboard the Main Attraction.

Team Main One called in probably the most critical fish at 1:19 pm, with angler JW Drott on the rod. This fish propelled the Main One team into second place. It was a long afternoon, as the Main One team was holding onto dear life, continuously fishing, and waiting for the committee boat to call lines out at 3 pm. 

At 3 pm on Saturday, April 26, the committee boat called lines out, and Captain Marty, Mike, Ben, Mark, and JW had officially secured Marathon Premier’s 4th Annual Sailfish Tournament Second Place Overall Boat, and Mark Busch secured Top Male Angler. 

Mark Busch (left) receiving the Top Male Angler Trophy sponsored by Eddie Forbes Art.

At the awards banquet that evening, each team was awarded cash prizes, beautiful trophies from Gray Taxidermy, Eddie Forbes Art artwork, and  Fathom Offshore custom lures. The event was a resounding success, marked by generous donations, delicious food and drinks, and many smiles. Most importantly, the evening’s efforts will benefit children and their families throughout the Keys.

Team Main One accepting the 2nd place overall trophy.

If you have any questions about the Marathon Premier Sailfish Tournament, please visit MarathonSailfish.com or call (305)-783-8313 for more details. If you are looking for a Florida Keys Fishing charter, visit our contact page or call us at (305)-289-0071.

Team Main One after a hard day of fishing.