The USVI Open/Atlantic
Blue Marlin Tournament, was started in 1972
by Chuck Senf. Senf and fellow sports fishermen
created this tournament as a vehicle to spread
the word about the Blue Marlin fishery in
the Virgin Islands.
In addition, part of the money
generated by the tournament was donated to
benefit the Virgin Islands Council of the
Boy Scouts of America, one of Senf's favorite
charities. The USVI Open/Atlantic Blue Marlin
Tournament has since been informally known
as the "Boy Scout" Tournament.
Over the next several years,
as the originators of the tournament became
less active,a new generation of volunteers
took over and infused fresh ideas. The major
goal of the tournament during this transition
time, was to create a competition that would
attract both the local fishermen and the visiting
anglers from the continental United States.
Concurrent with the transition
in the tournaments leadership in the late
l970's, was the ABMT's development of the
"modified release" format, a scoring method
that enables anglers to either boat or release
their catchs. Subsequently, the USVI Open/Atlantic
Blue Marlin Tournament became the first sports
fishing event in the world to release Blue
Marlin. Basically, 400 points are awarded
for any blue marlin hooked and released which
weigh 400 pounds or less. Additional points
are scored for boated blue marlin weighing
over 400 pounds. However, zero points are
scored for boated blue marlin weighing less
than 400 pounds.
To construct a tournament
that the Florida, as well as local fishermen,
would be sufficiently enticed to enter, necessitated
a precise set of rules. In addition
to the basic, International Game Fishing Association
(IGFA) rules, the tournament director began
writing a special set of regulations which
would tighten and expand on those proffered
by IGFA.
Today, in the 2000's, the
tournament's goal has refocused once again.
This time, it is to construct a tournament
which will be the premiere sports fishing
event in the world.
The Virgin Islands is an
ideal location for hosting a world class fishing
tournament because of the abundance of blue
marlin.
