2005 ROLEX/IGFA OFFSHORE CHAMPIONSHIP
FISHING TOURNAMENT RESULTS

May 20, 2005, Pete Johnson, Johnson Communications, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico Fishing:

Four anglers from Miami and Chicago caught eight billfish and one tuna, to slip past a team of former champions from Bermuda to win the sixth annual Rolex/IGFA Offshore Championship Fishing Tournament at Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Ray Rosher and his wife Charmain, Miami, teamed with Scott Segal, Libertyville, Ill., and Tom Schramm, Roselle, Ill., representing the Miami Beach Mayor’s Cup, were in seventh place after day three. “As we began fishing the final day, and with each catch, we really thought we had a chance to possibly get to second or third at best,” said Rosher, who captains a charter boat in Miami. “But first?”

The major leap of eight billfish on the final day of the tournament for the Miami/Chicago contingent gave that team a total of 19 billfish (16 marlin/three sailfish) for the week. Ray Rosher said it was the first time in his 25 years in the sport he had ever fished for striped marlin. Each member of the Miami/Chicago team won engraved Rolex timepieces along with a number of other trophies and prizes in the prestigious non-cash international event.

The sixth annual world championship of blue water angling hosted 70 teams from 31 countries, the single largest contingent of international teams ever to compete in a fishing tournament. Teams had previously qualified by winning one of 110 International Game Fish Association (IGFA) qualifying events held in 35 countries worldwide during 2004.

The teams fished on a different boat each of the four days, all guided by local Cabo San Lucas captains. The four-day event ended on Thursday but final scores were declared official at noon Friday.

Capt. Eric Orozco on the Reel Busy was first in the boat captains’ standings with 4239.5 points. Finishing second was Capt. Jesus Romero on the Out Cast (4532.80) and third was Capt. Jobe Villavicencio of the Ni Modo. All three captains are from the Los Cabos area.

A record count of 517 billfish, 503 striped marlin and 14 sailfish, were tagged and released during the event

Teams represented tournaments in the countries and territories of Angola, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, the Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Kingdom of Tonga, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Senegal, Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, Venezuela and the Virgin Islands.